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Hi fellow forum members.

I recently have been thinking about this. We are discussing all the erectile issues, causes and workarounds (pills, injections, etc.), but I think that I have not seen a definition for the regular erectile function. And by that I mean:

- definition of rigidity - how hard do we need to be (and according to whom?)
- definition of spontaneity - how often should you achieve an erection on your own?
- definition perhaps of the refractory period? (hugely age dependant as well)


Being so that I lost my rock hard erections(or any erections) around 17 (I am 33 now), I have vague memories of them. So it would be interesting to see if there is a common description/benchmark for this. Or even better, anyone who likes can share their view on this.

A normal erection is one that is rigid enough to achieve penetration. Scientists have a more precise answer: in most men, the pressure in the penis during an erection reaches 100 mmHg, a measurement of pressure.

dtwarren1942's "rigid enough for penetration" I was going to mention. But of course not all women are anatomically equal. Some are, well, easier to penetrate than others, and any given woman's vaginal penetrability can vary by the minute (or 5 minutes). Add lube to the mix - I can sometimes penetrate without a pretty lousy excuse for an erection with lube - so it's rigid enough for penetration but it feels like cheating!

EveningWood wrote:- definition of rigidity - how hard do we need to be (and according to whom?)
- definition of spontaneity - how often should you achieve an erection on your own?
- definition perhaps of the refractory period? (hugely age dependant as well)

For almost a year following my RP (Robotic Prostatectomy) in Oct 2018, I spent countless hours researching and reading all I could find on the internet with respect to Erectile Dysfunction. There are a lot fewer "hits" on the web if you key in "Erectile Function", which brings me to your three questions. My focal area was your second question, relating to "achieving an erection on your own".

For prostate cancer survivors who have lost "erectile function", achieving rigidity (your question number one) equal to pre-surgery hardness without pills, VEDs, injections, or implants is the holy grail. My conclusion after all my research is: The medical community (primarily consisting of Urologists in this case) do not separate "regaining erectile function" from "achieving an erection on your own".

That said, from my personal perspective and experience:
- definition of rigidity - how hard do we need to be (and according to whom?)
Hard enough to push your erect penis into a vagina, it either goes right in there, or you can work with your partner until it does go inside. If it still does not penetrate but you are hard enough that it does not bend when pushing the tip of your penis against something hard. (Obviously, I am heterosexual)

- definition of spontaneity - how often should you achieve an erection on your own?
This is very age dependent, before my surgery (at age 62) I could achieve rigidity as described above at least daily ("on my own").
- definition perhaps of the refractory period? (hugely age dependant as well)
Based on above description 12-24 hours for me pre-prostatectomy at age 62.