Cocks vary from one person to the next and come in different colors, shapes and sizes.
The outside is covered by skin without any subcutaneous fat, therefore sebaceous glands, sweat glands and hair follicles are often visible as lumps on the skin. Veins are also often especially visible on the cock.
The foreskin protects the glans or helmet at the end of the cock. If you’ve been circumcised some, or all, of the foreskin has been removed. Smegma forms under the foreskin, a kind of secretion that helps protect skin and mucous membranes on the outer part of the cock. The foreskin is very sensitive, and many men like to pull the foreskin back and forth over the head of the cock when they masturbate.
The head or helmet is generally the most sensitive part of the cock and is important for sex and pleasure. Just like the rest of the cock, the head contains erectile tissue and becomes extra sensitive to touching when you’re turned on. Around the edge of the helmet there are often pearly penile papules, small bumps that can vary in size from one person to the next. Do not worry if you have them – they’re completely harmless and not a disease. On the underside of the head, just where it connects to the shaft, is an area called the frenulum, which is usually the very most sensitive part of the glans.
The scrotum or ball-sack is made up of ordinary skin, but unlike many other parts of the skin, it doesn’t have any fat on it. Sebaceous glands, sweat glands and hair follicles are therefore often visible as bumps in the ball-sack. The skin is often darker than on the rest of the body, and it may be hairy. The scrotum usually contains two testicles or balls (each with its own epididymis), which are often different sizes and hang down to different lengths. The balls produce sperm and sex hormones, including testosterone. The temperature in the balls is slightly lower than in the rest of the body and is regulated by the sack shrinking into the body or hanging looser and becoming more elastic. The effect produced is that the balls move closer to or further away from the body. The ball-sack may also draw in when you’re turned on – in fact sometimes the balls may disappear up inside the body at times. The scrotum is very sensitive to impact, but many people like being stroked on the sack or on the groin areas next to it.
Erectile tissue in the cock
There are three areas of erectile tissue in the cock, and these are known as the corpora cavernosa or cavernous cylindres. The lower one is softer than the two upper ones and extends to form the head of the cock. When you get turned on, you can get an erection when the blood flow in the pelvic region increases, and the cylinders are filled with blood so that they grow and get harder. You may sometimes happen to get a hardon even if you’re not horny. The length and shape of the cylinders give the cock itself a different shape and ‘direction’ when you get a hardon. For instance, it’s quite common for the cock to curve along the shaft or to stick out in one direction when it’s hard. The erectile areas continue into the body, where they divide into two wedges behind the ball-sack. You may therefore feel that the area below the scrotum – the perineum – also grows and gets harder when you get an erection. A lot of people like to be stimulated here too with stroking, pressure, and massage. Compare a picture of the cock’s erectile areas with the picture of the pussy’s clitoris, and you’ll see there are many similarities between them.
The most common problem among people with a cock is that sometimes they can’t get a hardon when they want to. This is often due to psychological reasons, such as nervousness, worry or performance anxiety. A good foundation for getting an erection is to feel horny and secure. A cock ring may help to maintain an erection. However, difficulties achieving and maintaining an erection may also be caused by medication or illness. Whatever the reason for your difficulty getting or maintaining a hardon, it’s important to seek help if it’s a long-term problem. Talk to a doctor or counsellor, there’s plenty of good help out there!
Hygiene
Wash your cock with water but avoid using ordinary soap as it has a drying effect and increases the risk of fungal infections, and other irritations. There are special soaps available if you prefer to use soap.
Orgasm and ejaculation
Orgasm is a gorgeously intense sensation that may occur in connection with horniness and sex. It’s difficult to describe how it feels because different people can experience them differently. You probably know best how your own orgasms feel, and how they can vary from one occasion to the next. Before an orgasm, the muscles in the pelvis contract, and during the orgasm the tension is released in pulsating intervals.
For most men, orgasm is accompanied by ejaculation, which is when fluids from the prostate and seminal vesicle come out of the urethra. The fluid normally also contains sperm, although sperm is only a minimal part of the total liquid volume. It is possible to have ejaculation without an orgasm and vice versa, but when ejaculation and orgasm occur at the same time, muscle contractions help make the ejaculation more powerful. The speed of ejaculation varies from person to person and from one instance to the next. The amount of fluid and its composition (runny/thick, transparent/whitish/yellowish, number of sperm and so on) can also vary.
When you’re horny and have sex, a fluid known as pre-cum is produced. This can drip or seep out of the urethra long before ejaculation. Some people never even notice their pre-cum, while others can produce quite a lot. The pre-cum can contain sperm, the HIV virus, and other sexually transmitted infections.
Safer sex with a cock
HIV and other STIs can be found in the sperm and pre-cum, although some STIs can also exist in the cock’s skin and mucous membranes. On the inside of the urethra (the opening is on the head of the cock) there are mucous membranes, which is a common route for HIV and STIs to be passed on. Just under the edge of the helmet is an area with very thin skin (a kind of mucous membrane) on people who have not been circumcised. HIV and other STIs can also be transmitted via this skin, and it is often here that blisters and rashes appear if you get symptoms of an infection.
Using a condom or femidom is an effective way of reducing the risk of transmitting HIV and other STIs when having vaginal and anal sex.
HIV and other STIs often have no symptoms, even though they can still do damage and/or be passed on to others. Get tested regularly and you’ll have a better control over your health, and a greater chance of taking care of yourself and others. Feel free to read more about safer sex with a condom!
