Latest News

Injuries of the External Genital Organs

Anastasios D. Kalantzis, Surgeon Urologist-Andrologist

 

Usually, injuries in the external genital organs occur during games, sports activities (bike riding, football etc,), sexual activity, road accidents, industrial accidents, new fashion trends such as piercing etc.

 

Extra care must be taken of any genital organs injury, especially in men. The proper and immediate treatment of the trauma is the only action guaranteeing restoration of the damage without future problems. With any suspicion of injury in the penis or the testes in a man regardless of age, he should immediately see an urologist and be examined, in order for a possible permanent damage of the genital organs to be prevented and future erectile dysfunction and/or infertility to be avoided.

 

One day, one of my patients came to my private practice with his adolescent son. The problem was that the young man was ready to have his genitalia pierced and his father wanted my medical opinion. The boy gave me a piece of paper with a text printed from an internet site, which claimed to be the piercing "manual".

 

«If you have decided to have a piercing, you must choose one made by hypoallergenic materials, such as gold, platinum, titanium, surgical steal or plastic, materials that can be sterilized", I read, along with a litany of what one should and should not do.

 

Nowhere, however, did I see in this piece of paper the horrible consequences this new craze could have.

 

The danger of infection by microbes, fungi or viruses does not occur during the opening of the hole and the placement of the jewelry, because we have supposedly selected a specialist to do it to us, in a place where the proper standards and hygiene rules are followed.

 

The real dangers occur afterwards. An inflammation and an infection can be easily treated with medication, and so can the skin problems or allergies; however, infections and diseases transmitted through the blood and the sexual intercourse many times create irreversible conditions.

 

As you have understood, we are basically talking about Sexually Transmitted Diseases (HIV, HPV, Hepatitis Type Β, Genital Herpes etc.) which, in their majority, cannot be cured and most of the times the patients do not have a good quality of life, thus affecting their immediate family and social environment.

 

Because of these risks, the US Red Cross asks all people having proceeded with such type of body art to wait one year before they donate blood.

 

As we have already mentioned, injuries of the genital organs can also be caused by various sports activities. A ride on a mountain bike, horseback riding or gymnastics can cause injuries in the penile base and the testes in men, while in women virginal hymen rupture may even occur. Similarly, in football or other, somewhat violent sports, a wrong movement or a "kick" can even cause testicular torsion.

 

Although it is quite awkward and difficult for people to admit such incidents, a British research in 1.000 adults revealed that sexual traumas are quite common in the E.R,.

 

The E.R. medical staff deals with the most serious cases of sexual injuries.

 

The penile fracture is one of the most serious injuries and it usually occurs upon intense of violent sexual activity when the penis is erect. of the (erect) penis. The description of this injury by the patients includes immediate and acute pain, automatic flaccidity (loss of erection) and penis hematoma. Immediate surgical restoration is required, otherwise there may be permanent damage.

 

Other injuries of sexual type are ruptures, abrasions and tears that are observed in the bridle penis or the glans penis, again by violent penetration, by jewelry (rings, chains etc.) or other hard or sharp object that come into contact with the penis during the coitus, and also, quite often by a pubic hair of the man's sexual partner.

 

Sometimes, due to the massive hemorrhage of the hematoma or the bruises, the clinical picture may appear dramatic, but in essence it is nothing serious and can be treated immediately and painlessly without leaving a permanent damage.

 

Women feel pain only after sexual intercourse, because sexual arousal increases tolerance to pain, but when the abrasions are extensive and the hemorrhage does not stop, medical treatment is necessary in order for any complication or infection to be avoided.

 

The occurrence of irritations, abrasions and injuries caused by "wild" sex can be minimized with the use of a lubricant. However, if you wish to take to intense, wild and rough sex, you should be prepared for the repercussions, which are going to be just as intense and also painful…