What is an erection?

You’ve probably had erections: your penis swells and gets harder when you feel sexually aroused. Erections can happen at unexpected times, and that can be embarrassing! If it happens at an inappropriate time, you can try to make your erection go away by thinking about something else or looking somewhere else. In the beginning, that will take some time. The better you learn to know your body, the more control you’ll have over your erections.

I have random erections

We can’t always control our erections! Sometimes an erection happens very fast and at an unexpected time: when you’re waking up, if something brushes against your penis, by thinking about something, or even for no real reason.

It can be embarrassing but it’s normal. It shows that your organs are in good working order. It mostly happens during adolescence and it won’t always be like that! The better you get to know your body, the better you’ll be able to control it. To control your erections, you might try wearing looser clothing, looking somewhere else, or trying to think about something else.

No erection or loss of erection

Having problems keeping an erection in adolescence is very rarely due to a physical problem or disability. Most often, it happens because of nervousness or a feeling of not being able to live up to expectations. Are you ready to have sex, and do you want to? Are you worried about the risks? Are you comfortable talking about it with your partner? Go at your own speed. If you’re worried about it, talk to a health care professional.