A mostly rare situation where a man has an erection that won’t quit. Having an erection for more than four hours straight can result in permanent penis damage and impotence, which is why Emergency Department visits should be planned accordingly. (If you have an erection for more than three hours, put your embarassment aside and get your penis to an Emergency Department right away!). Although Priapism usually has little to do with sexual arousal, it was named after Priapus, son of Aphrodite and Dionysus who was the god of male reproductive power. An interesting feature of Priapism is while the corpus cavernosa (sides of the penis) are erect, the glans and corpus spongiosum usually aren’t erect. There are two types of priapism, low-flow and high-flow. It is important to diagnose which type of Priapism it is, as this will help determine proper treatment and follow-up. Low-flow priapism is often more dangerous than high-flow priapism. It occurs when blood is not able to flow out of the corpus cavernosa and so there is no oxygen getting to the tissue and the tissue starts to die. (Usually, when a man has an erection, there is still blood flowing in and out of his penis which keeps the tissue oxgenated.) High-flow priapism is less dangerous because blood is flowing through the penis and fresh oxygen is getting to the tissue and helping to keep it alive. Priapism can occur in boys between the ages of 5 and 10 (causes include leukemia, hematological issues, sickle-cell disease, and physical injury), as well as in older males, where causes can range from black-widow spider bites to bicycle riding injuries, drugs such as prazocin, ecstasy, cocaine, and Viagra, disease, or a kick in the crotch. In many cases, the cause is not determined.