Ask Lisa          Relationship & Sex Advice With hundreds of eMails coming in every day and while I answer many, it is not possible for me to reply to all of them. However, I wanted to provide a section where we take some of our readers questions and post them on our web site so that we can provide answers that everyone can benefit from having the information available on our web site. To submit your question such as those shown below eMail us for consideration of publishing it in our next newsletter.

Lisa S. Lawless, Ph.D., C.E.O. HolisticWisdom.com Founder

Hi Lisa,

My penis does not become fully erect at the end and my general physician says it is nothing to be concerned about, however I miss being able to have a full erection and so does my wife. What could this be and what can I do to get it treated?

- Frank

Hi Frank,

Here is some information that may explain how your penis works and some suggestions-

Best, Lisa

Penis Loses Erection-
When Your Penis Is Partially Erect Or Loses Erection Quickly

In regard to your question, it would be best answered by a urologist after examining you. It could a few things and without a physical exam by the appropriate type of physician it would be impossible to know what it is in your case. Here is what I can tell you-

The penis is made up of three chambers of spongy tissue; two chambers on top (the corpora cavernosa) which extends well into the body to anchor the penis, and one underneath (the corpus spongiousm) which becomes the glans or head of the penis.

The three tubes are surrounded by a sheath of skin which stretches but to a limit. The arteries which feed blood to the spongy tubes are surrounded by smooth muscles fibers which are normally contracted, limiting the amount of blood entering the penis.

When a sight, touch, or thought cause sexual stimulation, the brain signals the muscles to relax, greatly increasing the blood flow. That is why stress will sometimes cause a man difficulty getting an erection because he is unable to relax. The spongy bodies fill up, making the penis enlarge and become erect.

Because the veins which drain the spongy chambers pass between the chambers and the sheath of skin, erection causes the vessels to be compressed, reducing the amount of blood that can leave the penis.

When the growth of the penis reaches the limit of the stretchable sheath of skin, the penis becomes very firm.

When The Penis Become Only Partially Erect

It's possible that the corpus spongiosum (the spongy tissue tube that becomes the head of the penis) does not get fully filled up with blood during an erection. This is only a possibility. I would advise you to go and discuss this with your doctor (if you do not like the doctor you have been working with then get a second opinion), this is something that can only be determined by a physical examination and possibly an ultrasound.

Why Get An Ultrasound?

Ultrasound is an echogram. It can be is used to check on your veins and arteries and will help the doctor determine where the problem is and thus guide you to the appropriate treatment.

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