- #1
iBop
- 9
- 0
When one becomes unconscious, will his/her sexual genitals still be activated [sexual arousal, erection etc]?
What are the effects of unconsciousness on sexual arousal and cardiac events?
- Context: Medical
- Thread starter iBop
- Start date
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Discussion Overview
The discussion explores the effects of unconsciousness on sexual arousal and potential cardiac events, particularly focusing on whether sexual arousal can occur in individuals who are unconscious and the implications of such occurrences in contexts of sexual violence.
Discussion Character
- Exploratory
- Debate/contested
- Conceptual clarification
Main Points Raised
- Some participants propose that sexual arousal and physiological responses, such as erections, may still occur during unconsciousness due to the sympathetic nervous system's functionality.
- Others argue that while bodily changes might happen, true sexual arousal cannot be experienced without consciousness.
- A participant notes that men can experience erections post-mortem, suggesting that similar mechanisms might apply in unconscious states.
- One participant discusses the complexity of the relationship between unconsciousness and sexual arousal, indicating that factors such as the cause of unconsciousness (e.g., drugs or injury) could influence the physiological responses.
- Another participant emphasizes the distinction between sleep and unconsciousness, suggesting that the mechanisms of arousal may differ significantly between the two states.
- A later reply introduces the concept of spinal reflexes and how they might allow for erections in certain medical conditions, while noting the lack of sensory perception accompanying such responses.
- Discussion also touches on cardiac events, with a participant mentioning the physiological consequences of heart failure and its impact on consciousness and bodily functions.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants express multiple competing views regarding the relationship between unconsciousness and sexual arousal, with no consensus reached on the implications of these physiological responses in contexts of sexual violence or the nature of arousal itself.
Contextual Notes
Limitations include the dependence on definitions of unconsciousness, the complexity of physiological responses, and the unresolved nature of how different causes of unconsciousness might affect sexual arousal.
- #2
Alex6200
- 75
- 0
Why do you want to know? 
And I'm guessing that it's at least possible for them to be operable, after all men do experience nocturnal emissions while not conscious.
And I'm guessing that it's at least possible for them to be operable, after all men do experience nocturnal emissions while not conscious.
- #3
iBop
- 9
- 0
I would like to know if that happens when a man or a woman is, say, hit to unconscious.
After that will he/she be sexually enjoyable ? Many rapists do this, and I don't know about the victim.
After that will he/she be sexually enjoyable ? Many rapists do this, and I don't know about the victim.
- #4
kingdomof
- 105
- 0
iBop said:
Considering unconsciousness regards the inability to operate higher executive functions of the brain and being that sexual arousal and secretions related are controlled by the sympathetic nervous system, which in theory should be functional, I would take a guess and say yes.
- #5
Alex6200
- 75
- 0
Yes but if you're not conscious how can you experience arousal? Yes, I think there could be bodily changes, but there wouldn't be arousal in the normal sense of the word.
- #6
Mk
- 2,040
- 4
Men who have been hanged sometimes have erections after death. Here's a wiki article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_erection
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_erection
- #7
Moonbear
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
- 11,959
- 54
I think you're trying to ask if it's plausible that a man can be raped after being knocked unconscious, at least in the sense of sustaining a sufficient erection for penetration to occur.
This will depend upon how the person ended up unconscious, drugs (and which drugs) or injury to the brain. I'm not going to go into details of which leads to an erection and which doesn't, because I really don't want to be giving any psychopaths ideas, but the simple answer is, yes, it's possible.
Comparisons to a state of sleeping aren't really ideal. Sleep and unconsciousness are not the same thing. When someone is knocked unconscious, they are not merely sleeping.
As for the article Mk posted, much of erectile function is a spinal reflex under inhibitory control from the brain. In situations where the brain inhibition is removed, such as spinal cord injuries in the cervical or upper thoracic regions of the spine, spontaneous erections can occur via the now uninhibited spinal reflex loop (the lumbar portion of the spinal cord needs to remain uninjured for this to occur). Of course, no perception of sensation accompanies these erections, since the spinal cord injury higher up prevents the sensory input from being relayed to the brain.
This will depend upon how the person ended up unconscious, drugs (and which drugs) or injury to the brain. I'm not going to go into details of which leads to an erection and which doesn't, because I really don't want to be giving any psychopaths ideas, but the simple answer is, yes, it's possible.
Comparisons to a state of sleeping aren't really ideal. Sleep and unconsciousness are not the same thing. When someone is knocked unconscious, they are not merely sleeping.
As for the article Mk posted, much of erectile function is a spinal reflex under inhibitory control from the brain. In situations where the brain inhibition is removed, such as spinal cord injuries in the cervical or upper thoracic regions of the spine, spontaneous erections can occur via the now uninhibited spinal reflex loop (the lumbar portion of the spinal cord needs to remain uninjured for this to occur). Of course, no perception of sensation accompanies these erections, since the spinal cord injury higher up prevents the sensory input from being relayed to the brain.
- #8
richardson
- 2
- 0
Nitroglycerin is usually given in a situation like that--if someone is there or the patient can get to it themselves in time.
If the patient is dead when the EMTs/medics arrive...then she is dead. There is nothing that can revive her. If someone had been there to give her oxygen, mouth to mouth...then obviously, they could have given the patient her needed medication, too. Right?
The name of the disease/attack? Heart attack can do that. So can congestive heart failure.
When your heart stops or fails to pump adequately your brain becomes starved of oxygen so you collapse, your muscles relax and so you fall to the floor.
What else do you think could happen.
If the patient is dead when the EMTs/medics arrive...then she is dead. There is nothing that can revive her. If someone had been there to give her oxygen, mouth to mouth...then obviously, they could have given the patient her needed medication, too. Right?
The name of the disease/attack? Heart attack can do that. So can congestive heart failure.
When your heart stops or fails to pump adequately your brain becomes starved of oxygen so you collapse, your muscles relax and so you fall to the floor.
What else do you think could happen.
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