{"id":46279,"date":"2025-07-29T03:21:48","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T01:21:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/?p=46279"},"modified":"2026-03-15T22:42:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-15T21:42:49","slug":"priapism-causes-symptoms-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/priapism-causes-symptoms-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Types of Priapism: Causes & Treatments"},"content":{"rendered":"

The definition of priapism might not be familiar to you right off the bat, but if you’ve ever experienced a four-hour erection, then you’re definitely intimately familiar with what priapism is.<\/span><\/p>\n

While a four-hour erection might sound like a dream and a positive thing, unfortunately, it’s not as pleasant as it sounds. In fact, priapism is a serious medical emergency that requires immediate treatment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before you freak out, though \u2013 knowledge is power, so let’s discuss everything you need to know about priapism, its causes, and treatment.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Is Priapism?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Priapism is a prolonged and sometimes painful erection of the penis. It might be a full or partial erection that might persist long after the sexual activity is over or might occur without any sexual activity involved.<\/span><\/p>\n

Priapism is a serious medical emergency that requires treatment and might cause damage to the penis and permanent sexual dysfunction if not treated. These prolonged erections can be damaging due to scar tissue buildup in the penis if the condition is not treated immediately.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite its seriousness, priapism is not something that happens often. Around <\/span>0.5 – 0.9 cases of priapism<\/span><\/a> per 100,000 people are reported every year. Higher rates of priapism are observed in people<\/span> aged 40 and older<\/span><\/a>. However, certain parts of the population, like those with sickle cell disease (SCD), are more prone to experiencing priapism \u2013 it might occur to around 40% of people.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are various causes of priapism, but before we dive into that, let’s discuss the different types of priapism.<\/span><\/p>\n

Types of Priapism<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are three known<\/span> types of priapism<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n

Ischemic Priapism<\/span><\/h3>\n

Sometimes referred to as low-flow priapism. It’s the most common form of priapism, and it’s also the most dangerous. Low-flow priapism happens when the muscles in the penis become paralyzed and can’t contract, trapping the blood inside the penis. That leads to prolonged, painful erections.<\/span><\/p>\n

Non-Ischemic Priapism<\/span><\/h3>\n

Sometimes referred to as high-flow priapism. It’s a<\/span> less common type of priapism that is often painless. This form of priapism happens when there’s an excessive influx of blood into the penis, which disturbs the normal blood-drainage system and causes a prolonged erection. While it’s still an emergency, it’s not as dangerous to long-term health as low-flow priapism is. It’s most common in people with sickle cell disease (SCD).<\/span><\/p>\n

Recurring Priapism<\/span><\/h3>\n

The last type of priapism, sometimes referred to as stuttering priapism, is a form of a low-flow priapism. It’s the least common type of priapism and very challenging because the painful, prolonged erections that are dangerous keep coming back. It often requires long-term medical treatment to help manage.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Are Priapism Causes?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Sometimes, priapism might happen without a good cause. However, certain lifestyle factors, medical conditions, and injuries might be a <\/span>reason why priapism occurs<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Medical Conditions<\/span><\/h3>\n

Certain medical conditions might cause low-flow priapism, such as:<\/span><\/p>\n