ation ▁that ▁can ▁be ▁attributed ▁to ▁the ▁ne uro h orm ones ▁o xy to cin ▁and ▁pro la ct in . ▁The ▁intensity ▁and ▁duration ▁of ▁the ▁ref ract ory ▁period ▁can ▁be ▁very ▁short ▁in ▁a ▁highly ▁ar oused ▁young ▁man ▁in ▁what ▁he ▁sees ▁as ▁a ▁highly ▁ar ous ing ▁situation , ▁perhaps ▁without ▁even ▁a ▁notice able ▁loss ▁of ▁ere ction . ▁It ▁can ▁be ▁as ▁long ▁as ▁a ▁few ▁hours ▁or ▁days ▁in ▁mid - life ▁and ▁older ▁men . ▁ ▁Fem ale ▁ ▁The ▁beg inn ings ▁of ▁sexual ▁ar ous al ▁in ▁a ▁woman ' s ▁body ▁is ▁usually ▁marked ▁by ▁v ag inal ▁lub ric ation ▁( w et ness ; ▁though ▁this ▁can ▁occur ▁without ▁ar ous al ▁due ▁to ▁in fection ▁or ▁cer v ical ▁m uc us ▁production ▁around ▁ov ulation ), ▁sw elling ▁and ▁eng org ement ▁of ▁the ▁external ▁gen it als , ▁and ▁internal ▁length ening ▁and ▁en larg ement ▁of ▁the ▁v ag ina . ▁There ▁have ▁been ▁studies ▁to ▁find ▁the ▁degree ▁of ▁correlation ▁between ▁these ▁phys i ological ▁responses ▁and ▁the ▁woman ' s ▁subject ive ▁sens ation ▁of ▁being ▁sex ually ▁ar oused : ▁the ▁find ings ▁usually ▁are ▁that ▁in ▁some ▁cases ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁high ▁correlation , ▁while ▁in ▁others , ▁it ▁is ▁surprising ly ▁low . ▁ ▁Further ▁stim ulation ▁can ▁lead ▁to ▁further ▁v ag inal ▁wet ness ▁and ▁further ▁eng org ement ▁and ▁sw elling ▁of ▁the ▁cl itor is