Jerry is in an automobile accident that severs his spinal cord at waist level. After his recovery, he wonders if he will still be able to have an erection, enjoy sex, and father a child. What would you tell him?
What will be an ideal response?
Yes, he would still be able to have an erection, though he would lack the pleasurable sensations that normally accompany erection. Erection is controlled primarily by a parasympathetic reflex originating in the sacral region of
the spinal cord (inferior to the injury). Tactile stimulation of the penis would initiate the parasympathetic reflex that
controls erection. Jerry would also be able to experience an erection by a sympathetic route, since this would be
controlled in the T12 to L2 area of the cord (superior to the injury). Stimulation by higher centers could produce a decreased sympathetic tone in the vessels to the penis resulting in an erection. His injury should have no effect on sperm production and ejaculation should still be possible, so he should be able to father a child.
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