Dear poll,

When a guy gets aroused sexually, the erectile tissue in his penis relaxes. Blood flows into it at a faster rate than it flows out (called vasocongestion). This causes the penis to get larger and harder. This is an erection, sometimes called a boner or a hard-on.

Sometimes though, erections happen at the weirdest times. For example, someone is sitting in math class, taking a test, and all of a sudden he has a hard on. Turned on by algebra? Not likely. What he has is a spontaneous erection — the erectile tissue has simply relaxed without sexual arousal. Spontaneous erections seem to just pop up for no reason at all. And that can feel pretty embarrassing.

It will go away pretty quickly if you ignore it. You can sing a song in your head, or try to say the alphabet backward to get your mind off of it. Or try to think about anything that isn't at all arousing. This happens to a lot of teenagers, because your hormones are all over the place.

Don't worry — spontaneous erections happen less and less frequently as you get older. They also seem to happen less frequently for men who have recently ejaculated by masturbating or by having sex with a partner.

Hope this information helps!

Take care,

teenwire.com^® Editors

This column is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have a medical problem, please call toll-free 1-800-230-PLAN for an appointment with the Planned Parenthood health center nearest you.