Last updated on September 21, 2020
Question:
When I’m masturbating and ejaculate, my sex urges go way down. Why is this? A refractory period?
Answer:
It is because what you perceive to be an urge for sex comes from signals by your seminal vesicles that they are getting full. The seminal vesicles are the glands that produce semen inside of you. As they get full, your desire for sex and thoughts about sex increases. When you ejaculate, the seminal vesicles are not as full and your desire for sex decreases.
The refractory period is the time right after ejaculating. Your body needs a period of time to recover from having an ejaculation. Your penis needs to be flaccid for a while because while it is erect, it doesn’t get fresh oxygenated blood. The refractory period gives the penis time to get oxygen. It also allows the muscles that had tensed and triggered to recover after ejaculation. This period usually lasts about an hour and most guys feel sleep, depressed, or sometimes even guilty during the recovery. This is because the hormones driving the need to ejaculate suddenly drop, which affects a guy’s mood.