Page:Fielding - Sex and the Love Life.pdf/79

 Nocturnal Emissions. With the oncoming of adolescence and the rapid progress toward maturity of the sexual life, the generative organs begin their period of activity. The seminal secretion already referred to, is now produced, finally creating a tension which results normally in a periodic, involuntary discharge of the fluid during sleep. These discharges are called nocturnal, or night, emissions. Colloquially, they are often referred to as "wet dreams." They usually begin around the age of fifteen or sixteen, although there may be some variation either way. If an emission occurs very early, or at the onset of puberty, the amount of fluid discharged will be small. In a fully developed man leading a continent life, it may be copious.

Because of the general lack of understanding of sexual questions, these emissions have been greatly misunderstood, and the first experience of this kind has frightened many a boy. Furthermore, the quite regular occurrence of the emissions has a tendency to make some boys and young men anxious and melancholy, as they have a feeling that these a episodes may be the result of some error in their conduct, or signify a sexual derangement.

The young man may wake up in the night and for the time find that he has had an emission from the sexual. If he is unprepared for the event, the discharge of sticky secretion will undoubtedly frighten him, and may  a source of worry that will be extremely depressing.

If forewarned of the occurrence, however, he will immediately recognize it as a definite sign of approaching manhood, and instead of feeling alarmed, will rest reassured and content in the knowledge of his new status of evolving manhood