What is happening to you is absolutely natural and probably happening to most young men your age. I know you aren't think about anything sexual or that would arouse you, which shows how your body is developing. During these years as you change from a boy to a man, which actually takes several years, your body has hormones flowing through it. These chemicals trigger both physical and emotional changes whether you like them or not! Emotionally they may cause you to feel energetic and 'up' one moment, and somewhat down and 'low' another. The hormones create your physical body to react. Boys get erections spontaneously. It can happen at any time. It probably happens during the day in class because your body is relaxing (it also probably happens during sleep when you are really relaxed). It becomes difficult to concentrate I'm sure, since you can feel it AND the hormone changes that cause it are being experienced by your brain as well.

Since it is perfectly normal, and it isn't something you can really control, I just suggest that you let it happen and work to concentrate on whatever classroom activity/learning is happening. I know it isn't easy.

I know that for some people, masturbating to orgasm might help take away some of the sexual tension your body is feeling, but I don't think it helps much when your body is very relaxed as it needs to be when you are trying to concentrate in class. By the end of a day, the sexual tension that hormones create will be there again.

I hope this helps you a little. Please feel free to write again and ask questions. Thanks for writing!

Reviewed by Sexual Health Editorial Team