Answering the Hard Questions About Chastity Cages and Erections

If you thought wearing a chastity cage would suddenly stop your erections, we’ve got news for you.

There’s no magic number for how many erections a guy gets in a 24-hour period. Everyone is different. But apparently the average is about 11 erections during the day, and then 3-5 overnight. Some happen with you as a willing participant. But a fair number of them happen involuntarily.

Now that you’ve decided to wear a cage, you’re probably curious about what happens when you get an erection. You may be wondering if you can even get one given the restriction of the tube.

Well, I’ve got news for you. Putting a cage on won’t instantly stop erections. But you may notice some changes when it comes to:

• How they feel.
• How you manage them.
• How they change the longer you spend caged.

Some questions on this topic are more common than others. So I’ve gathered as much information as I can about erections, penis health, and cage wearing. And by the end of this post you should feel prepared for your first cage-fighting experience.

Can You Get an Erection While Caged?

Most of us learn about erections in high school biology class or as part of sex education. (If you were lucky enough to have it.) But for those who were absent that day or need a quick refresher, here’s what they’re all about.

An erection occurs when the penis fills with blood, resulting in it becoming firm and engorged.

The blood stays in the penis for as long as you’re aroused, kept in there by a membrane that runs around a chamber inside the penis called the corpora cavernosa. As long as that membrane is trapping the blood, you stay hard.

Locking up doesn’t change your anatomy, so you can still get an erection inside the cage. The better question is: Can you achieve a full erection?

That answer depends on how much space is in your tube. Some guys deliberately choose a cage with a longer tube so their penis has room to grow – maybe not to full capacity, but enough that it isn’t completely compressed. It’s a personal preference whether you allow this or not.

For those in a small or flat cage, there’s less room to grow. But the body still goes through the motions. If you feel your penis at the base of the cage during your next erection it’s likely you can still feel a firmness, which confirms your cock is doing its thing.

Is It Safe to Get Hard in Chastity?

Chastity health is a serious topic. After all, locking up your cock doesn’t mean you want to hurt yourself or do permanent damage. That’s why the question of whether it’s safe to be hard in a chastity cage is so often asked.

The worry comes from the fear of the cage causing tissue damage, or contributing to erectile dysfunction (ED). While this is untrue, I can see the logic. When you’re stopping the penis from doing something it’s naturally designed to do, it's easy to think it’s being damaged. But can getting hard in a cage break or permanently damage your cock?

Finding a definitive answer is tricky.

Here’s what Dr Stephen H. King, a urologist in Washington State, said in a Savage Love column from 2013:

“Nocturnal/spontaneous erections are hypothesized to exist to encourage blood flow and stretching of the vascular and erectile tissue to keep it healthy and prevent atrophy. Like any other tendon, ligament, or muscle in the body—use it or lose it. I can’t see how preventing these spontaneous nocturnal erections can be healthy. But I can’t prove any long-term damage.”

The internal structure of the penis is made of tissue and glands. Restricting one or two erections a day is unlikely to do much damage. Underwear and even tight-fitting pants can have a similar compression effect, although maybe not as extreme.

However, the effect of repeatedly preventing the penis from reaching a full erection is unknown. There simply haven’t been any studies into it. (And I can’t imagine there would be too many guys wanting to take part just in case.)

For this reason, it’s probably best to err on the side of caution and let your member grow overnight or a couple of times each week. However, we know this isn’t always possible (or preferable) for those in long-term chastity. (More on this in a moment.)

Related Question: Does Practicing Chastity Make It Harder to Get Hard Once the Device Is Off?

While there’s some anecdotal evidence that people find it tougher to get a boner afterwards, or that their erections aren’t as big as they were ‘BC’ (before cage), the physiological theory suggests there shouldn’t be any change. The strength and size of your erections should return after a day or two out of the device.

What Does a Caged Boner Feel Like?

A little uncomfortable but not painful, which is to be expected. Correct measuring for a chastity cage is done when flaccid. It doesn’t consider any extra room you’ll need for growing.

Generally, cages have smooth edges to avoid discomfort as they come into contact with the skin. When you get hard, you’ll fill the tube more and it may feel tighter. But even if yours has wide ventilation gaps along the tube and a urination hole at the end, the material and edges shouldn’t cause much discomfort.

Silicone and soft plastic cages such as the Holy Trainer V1 are more malleable. Getting an erection in these sorts of cages can be more forgiving, as the material will expand (slightly) with you.

The more you wear your cage the less you’ll notice it, including when you get hard. Or perhaps the discomfort becomes short lived. One thing I will say is that some guys like the mild discomfort, as it reminds them of their predicament.

Safety tip: If at any point the device feels painfully uncomfortable, and you notice a discoloration or a ‘pins and needles’ sensation, remove the chastity cage immediately.

How Can I Get Rid of My Boner?

If you really can’t stand being hard in the cage and want to get rid of your erection, you should do the same things you’d do if you were uncaged. (Apart from masturbating and ejaculating, obviously.) So you might try:

• Walking it off.
• Shifting position.
• Taking a cool shower.
• Meditating, or focusing on something other than your arousal.

Do They Naturally Happen Less Often the Longer You Stay Caged?

There’s no scientific evidence to suggest long-term chastity slows down how many erections you may get. Or that cages cause fewer erections. Claims of this nature may be somewhat influenced by other factors, such as aging.

It’s a fact that as guys age, they naturally experience fewer hardons due to changes in hormone levels and decreased penis sensitivity. So if you’ve been into this for a while (e.g. you started wearing devices in your 20s and you’re now in your mid-40s), you may have fewer erections. But it’s unlikely to be solely caused by the device. It’s tough to prove either way, but the most likely reason is that it’s just the march of time my friend.

That said, some people will actively try to stop themselves from having erections, or to have fewer erections through meditation, visualization, and distraction. But fighting the body’s natural reaction to arousal, or when it decides to just pop up for no discernible reason, is almost impossible.

Managing Caged Erections Is Just Part of the Chastity Journey

These are all perfectly valid questions, particularly given the number of boners most guys get each day and night. And understanding how you may be physically affected by a cage when they happen is something you need to understand before fully committing to the lifestyle. But in short:

• Wearing a cage and getting a hard-on is safe and normal.
• It can feel a little uncomfortable at first, but shouldn’t be painful.
• The device should be removed if you notice genital discoloration, or loss of sensation.
• A cage won’t stop or reduce the number of erections you have.

Understanding how your device works, and being aware of the physiological and psychological challenges and experiences you may encounter through chastity, will help you get more out of this lifestyle.

And if you’re new to it all, you may want to check out Chastity training: From zero to hero.