The external urethral sphincter provides which type of control?

• A. Voluntary
• B. Involuntary
• C. Both
• D. None

Answer: (A)

The external urethral sphincter provides voluntary control because it is made of skeletal muscle that you can consciously tighten or relax. Innervation comes from the pudendal nerve, part of the somatic nervous system, giving you deliberate control to hold urine or release it when you choose. In contrast, the internal urethral sphincter is smooth muscle under autonomic (involuntary) control, so it operates without conscious input. Thus the external sphincter’s role is to allow voluntary control over urination.