Condoms can cause erection problems due to psychological factors (anxiety, performance pressure, distraction) or physical issues like the wrong size (too tight restricting blood flow, too loose causing slippage/discomfort) or reduced sensation, often fixed by trying different sizes, thinner types, more lube, practicing application, and ensuring enough foreplay, notes Pilot, Klarity Health, mojo.so, and Allo Health.
Erections are influenced by various factors including psychological state (such as stress or anxiety), physical health, and overall fatigue, which can interfere with arousal and performance even when you feel sexually stimulated.
Causes of erectile dysfunction
Most men occasionally fail to get or keep an erection. This is usually caused by stress, tiredness or drinking too much alcohol, and it's nothing to worry about. It can also be a side effect of some medicines.
Good news for men - the survey made it clear that erectile dysfunction is nothing to be ashamed of. When asked about the experience, 39% of women admitted feeling 'undesirable', yet positive feelings of empathy and support were just as common, and many women described feeling both.
This can happen for many reasons, but some of the most common causes are nervousness, anxiety, or using alcohol or other drugs. The nervousness and anxiety you mention when having sex with your girlfriend can come from thoughts about what you're doing, your body, or even what your girlfriend is thinking.
Erectile dysfunction is a very common condition, particularly in older men. It is estimated that half of all men between the ages of 40 and 70 will have it to some degree.
There is a much wider range of size in men's penises when flaccid, with the average ranging from 1 to 4 inches. In general, smaller flaccid penises lengthen at erection by a greater percentage than larger flaccid penises, with most men reaching an average size of 5 to 7 inches when erect.
To get "rock hard" again, focus on improving blood flow through lifestyle changes like a heart-healthy diet (berries, fish, greens), regular exercise (cardio, weights, pelvic floor), better sleep, stress management, and reducing alcohol/smoking; also, ensure full arousal, address underlying conditions, and consider medical options like ED drugs or implants if needed, as strong erections depend on physical and psychological health.
After you finish round one, try new forms of foreplay or sexual positions to make you feel aroused, excited and ready to go. Try to exercise and eat well. Generally speaking, staying active and maintaining a healthy body weight can do wonders for your sexual performance.
Flaccid and erect penis
During sexual arousal, nerve impulses increase blood flow to both cylinders. This sudden influx of blood causes an erection by expanding, straightening and stiffening the penis. Having trouble getting an erection once in a while is common.
Not getting a morning erection may be a sign of erectile dysfunction, but it could also be a normal side effect of aging, poor sleep, or a reaction to a medication. Morning erections can be affected by hormonal changes, a full bladder, or physical stimulation during sleep.
Many pumps, pills, weights, exercises and surgeries claim to increase the length and width of your penis. But, there's little scientific support for nonsurgical methods to enlarge the penis. And no trusted medical organization endorses penis surgery for purely cosmetic reasons.
"Big" for a man is subjective and context-dependent (clothing, health, physique), but generally means sizes beyond standard large, like XL and above (XL chest 46-48"+), often with taller measurements, or physiques with larger shoulders/waists (waist over 37" for health), with "big" often referring to being significantly larger than average in height, width, or muscle mass.
According to a study published in the Journal of Urology, the average penis size in the flaccid state is 8.8 cm or 3.5 inches. During the erect state, the average size was found to be 12.9cm (or 5.1 inches).
Several things can cause erectile dysfunction in people of all ages, including stress, anxiety, and depression, obesity, various medicines, relationship issues, low testosterone, lifestyle choices, and more.
It's common to lose an erection every now and then because you might be tired, stressed or feeling anxious. This is completely normal and nothing to worry about. If you cannot maintain an erection each time you have sex, this might mean you have erectile dysfunction.
Soft (Flaccid)
This is your penis's 'normal' or resting state, which occurs when you're not sexually aroused or stimulated. It also happens after ejaculation as well.
For a 25-year-old male, average erect penis length typically falls between 5.1 to 6.6 inches (13-17 cm), with girth around 4.7 to 4.9 inches, though studies vary, with most adult growth finishing in late teens, and perception often differs from clinical reality, notes Pelvic Exercises Physiotherapy.
The average size
According to Professor Joachim Osur, a reproductive and sexual health expert, the correct penile size is usually measured on erect manhood. Twelve and a half centimetres or 4.9 inches, to 19.1 centimetres or 7.5 inches, is the normal size for adult men.
A 7-inch penis is likely above average in length, although most of the available data on average penis size is considered unreliable due to participant bias. There's no evidence that penis size is related to your fertility, orgasm strength, or overall sexual health.
According to the team's analysis, the average flaccid, pendulous penis is 9.16 cm (3.61 inches) in length; the average erect penis is 13.12 cm (5.16 inches) long.
A micropenis usually happens because of a lack of fetal testosterone. This could be caused by many conditions, including one called hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. This disorder happens when your brain's hypothalamus doesn't make enough hormones to stimulate your testicles.
Yes, it's completely normal to have an erection when waking up in the morning. In fact, guys often have about 3 to 5 erections each night while they sleep — they're just not aware of them.
Testosterone levels naturally dip as men age, about 1% per year after age 30. Low T is linked to fewer or weaker erections, decreased libido, and even depression or brain fog. Poor cardiovascular health. Erectile issues are often the canary in the coal mine for heart disease.