Spontaneous erections cease to occur Men will recall when erections occurred frequently, rapidly and often quite unpredictably. Spontaneous erections at inappropriate times are common among adolescent males in their early and middle teens. An erection in school or in church has been a source of embarrassment for many young men, but at some point in life these spontaneous unexpected erections cease to occur. Unfortunately, some men make the mistake of always comparing themselves with how they were as younger men, not how they compare with men of their own present chronological age. A man who is 60 and remembers how at 20 he became erect simply by looking at a woman, might believe that he is having more erectile problems than a 60 year-old should.
Direct stimulation becomes necessary A young man can think about sex and become aroused.
He can look at a picture, or just fantasize and become erect. Watching his partner undress or even a kiss will bring will send blood rushing into the penis of a young man. Just caressing his partner's breasts is likely to trigger a firm erection. However, as a man ages, the thoughts that he has, the images he sees or the sensations he feels with his hands become less and less powerful. At some point in the process of aging it is likely that a man will only become erect in response to direct stimulation of his penis.