There’s no hard and fast rule for how long a penis should remain erect, explains urologist Jay Simhan, MD, associate chair of the department of urology at Einstein Healthcare Network in Philadelphia. 

“Naturally, without being on any medications, the average erection for an average person would be roughly 10 minutes,” says Simhan. “Of course, there are plenty of people that fall well above (or below) that average.”

Why isn’t there a concrete figure for this?

It’s hard to pin down a specific figure because there are many factors — physical and psychological — that can affect the duration of an erection.

What factors can affect your individual duration?

How you’re feeling, for starters. If you aren’t sufficiently aroused, that can make it hard to, well, stay hard. Same goes for feeling stressed, anxious, distracted, or tired.

Relationship woes or feeling uncomfortable with your body or your partner can also make your arousal — and boner — take a nosedive.

Your age, mental and physical health, and lifestyle also play a role. 

Specifics include: 

smoking

alcohol

substance use

certain over-the-counter medications, including cold and allergy drugs

prescription drugs, including those for anxiety, depression, and high blood pressure

low testosterone

obesity

premature ejaculation

certain medical conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes

Is it possible to have an erection that’s ‘too fast’?

Yes, though what constitutes ‘too fast’ depends on whom you ask and what their desired endgame is.

If you’re unable to stay erect long enough to have satisfying penetrative sex, then that’s considered too fast — assuming you and your partner care to have penetrative sex, of course. 

If you’re trying to conceive, then not being able to maintain an erection long enough to ejaculate would be considered too fast.

Otherwise, how long your erection lasts shouldn’t matter.

You don’t need an erection to have satisfying sex or to achieve orgasm, and sex isn’t just about penetration anyway.

If vaginal intercourse is your endgame, here’s some perspective: Research shows that P-in-V sex typically only lasts 5.4 minutesTrusted Source.

Do all erections stop after ejaculation occurs?

Yep, though how long it takes isn’t the same for everyone, says Simhan. 

He explains: “Erections are timed to decrease following orgasm in people with penises. They then go through a period called ‘latency’ which prevents them from building another erection. Latency periods are short in young, healthy people and can be much longer the older they get.”

Can you have more than one erection in a single session?

Yes and no. You may be able to become erect more than once, but you likely won’t be able to ejaculate, or come, without experiencing a latency period. 

Remember: Orgasm and ejaculation are very different things. 

Biology dictates how much you can ejaculate in one session, but if you’re having a good time and enjoy what you’re feeling, you can definitely orgasm more than once.

Enhance your orgasmic experience with the help of the glans trainer tool

If you are still troubled by premature ejaculation, you can try to use some sex tools to increase the sensitivity of the glans penis, thereby prolonging the erection time.