Your health teacher might accept spent forever talking virtually the symptoms of sexually transmitted infections, merely glossed over the stuff you really wanted to learn about — like, how penises piece of work, what erections experience similar, and if a guy'southward penis can ever — eeeeeeek! — pause.

Ellen Kate Friedrichs, a health and sexuality educator in Brooklyn, NY, breaks down what you always wanted to know but were too embarrassed to ask.

1. What are blue balls?

When a guy gets turned on just doesn't come, he tin sometimes feel an ache in his testicles that'due south referred to as blue balls. His genitals don't really turn bright blue, but there can exist a slightly blue tinge.

More than From

preview for Seventeen US All-Sections Dynamic Playlist

You should never feel pressured into hooking upwardly with a guy or going further than you're comfortable with just because he complains of blue balls. He can easily deal with the trouble on his own, and the discomfort isn't so terrible — on a scale of one to 10, it feels similar a three or a four.

While he might complain nigh it, Friedrichs says, "This is not dangerous and he certain doesn't demand to accept sex with a partner to deal with it. Either he tin do something non-sexual until information technology goes abroad, or he can masturbate."

And don't always let a guy tell yous blue balls are your fault. Actual functions are no one's fault. They simply happen!

2. What does an erection feel like?

If you don't have the equipment, it'south only natural to be curious. "A lot of guys describe erections equally feeling full and sensitive in a really pleasurable way if they happen at the right time," Friedrichs says. "But an erection can outset to experience pretty uncomfortable if it turns up at an unexpected time. Say, like in the heart of math class!" #Bad-mannered.

3. Why are some guys circumcised? What'south the difference between a circumcised and uncircumcised penis?

"Beingness circumcised just ways the foreskin covering the caput of the penis is removed," Friedrichs explains. "The number of baby boys who are circumcised in the U.S. ranges from well-nigh twoscore to sixty pct depending on the decade."

Some parents choose to circumcise their sons for religious reasons (it's traditional for Jewish and Muslim families) or cultural reasons (it'due south a widespread practice in the U.Southward.).

Imagine the difference between a cervix covered by a turtleneck versus a bare neck, and yous have a pretty good film of what the difference is between the two. When information technology comes to hooking up, guys who have their foreskin intact are slicker and more than naturally lubricated than guys who are circumcised. And while some people fright circumcision reduces sensitivity, ane contempo — but pocket-sized — study institute that's non truthful.

"The only thing is, if a guy isn't cut, he should but make sure to pull back his foreskin when he takes a bath or shower and wash around the head of the penis," Friedrichs says.

4. Why does a guy demand an erection in order to take vaginal sex activity?

"Penetration is generally easier if a guy has a full erection," Friedrichs says. "Having an erection is super important for using a condom properly, then that it doesn't fall off."

5. Do condoms really reduce guys' sensation during sex?

Some guys (garbage guys, nosotros might add) will attempt to get away with not using condoms because they claim sex doesn't experience as expert when they wear them. "But enough guys have great sexual practice using condoms that I would argue that even if they affect sensation a bit, a lot of guys don't feel like condoms get in the way of keen sexual practice," Friedrichs says.

Most importantly, condoms are the only way to protect yourself from sexually transmitted infections, plus they're 82 percentage effective at preventing pregnancy when used properly.

If a guy prioritizes sensation during sex activity over health and safety for both of yous, that's a huge red flag. Stay away from that guy!

6. Can a penis ever break?

Weirdly enough, boners don't comprise any actual bones. Then, no, you tin can't pause a penis.

"But don't ever bend an erection," Friedrichs warns. "That can cause real harm to the tissue of the penis."

The resulting injury can include painful bruising and swelling, which sounds like one of the worst things that could happen to a guy. Yikes.

seven. If you're hooking upwards with a guy and he doesn't get hard, does that hateful he doesn't like you lot?

When guys are super turned on, they frequently become hard, just that doesn't necessarily hateful he'south not into y'all if he doesn't. "Information technology'south too just as likely that he is nervous or tired or distracted," Friedrichs says.

Remember, guys tin can feel self-conscious or nervous about their bodies, too, especially when they're hooking up. If he'southward non hard, that'south non a surefire sign he'south not into you. Later all, he's making out with you — that counts for something! And if you're feeling insecure or preoccupied with something else, you might not be feeling it, even if you really similar the person, and guys are no unlike.

viii. What are wet dreams and why do guys have them? Do girls have the equivalent?

If a guy ejaculates in his slumber, it's called a wet dream. They're sometimes a result of a sexy dream, but not always, and more mutual during puberty.

"Girls can also orgasm in their sleep," Friedrichs says. "Just we don't hear nearly this every bit much simply considering unlike the evidence of a wet dream left by semen, if a girl had an orgasm in her slumber, it commonly isn't every bit obvious in the morning time."

9. What size is the boilerplate guy?

At that place's a range of sizes, especially for teens who are still developing. Plus, every bit Friedrichs adds, "The size of a guy when he is soft isn't an indication of how big he will be when he'due south hard."

By the time men reach adulthood, the average size is approximately 3.vi inches long when soft and 5.2 inches long when hard, according to one study of fifteen,000 men.

ten. Why are guys so obsessed with penis size?

You lot've heard their jokes. What's the large bargain? Friedrichs points to porn. "You rarely see a guy with a small or fifty-fifty average-sized penis in porn, and then huge penises seem normal and almost expected," she says. "Plus, in that location's a myth that a big penis is needed to satisfy a partner. Information technology isn't."

For the bulk of girls, vaginal penetration might feel good, merely doesn't help them have orgasms. Clitoral stimulation does (and that has nothing to do with penis size!).

Unfortunately, guys go self-witting, too — only similar you might worry well-nigh the size of your breasts, they worry almost the size of their penises.

xi. Why do guys sometimes non-so-subtly scratch their balls in public?

Guys sometimes demand to itch or readjust considering balls sometimes have a tendency to move uncomfortably in habiliment or stick to the side of their leg, especially when exercising, walking, or sweating.

While this motion might make a guy feel slightly more comfortable, it tends to make people around him experience kind of united nationscomfortable. Friedrichs' message to guys: "I'd recommend trying a petty discretion if you're itchy or need to readjust!"

Information technology's like dealing with a wedgie — it's more polite to expect till you're in individual.