Dear candies5,

Maybe, maybe not! Sometimes a man (or a woman) will become aroused when talking to or looking at someone he finds attractive — and that's totally normal. Having a sex drive and being turned on are normal parts of sexuality. People have different levels of sex drives — some have higher drives and some have lower.

However, some guys get erections even when they aren't aroused. For example, someone is sitting in math class, taking a test, and all of a sudden he has an erection. Turned on by algebra? Not likely. What he has is a spontaneous erection — the erectile tissue has simply relaxed without sexual arousal. This allows blood to flow into the tissue, making it hard. Spontaneous erections seem to just pop up for no reason at all.

At first, sexual arousal may seem a little out of control, especially for boys who may get spontaneous erections when they aren't even consciously thinking about sex. But after a while, as people become accustomed to the experience of erection, it seems less intrusive and more in their control.

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.