Have you ever thought about having to stop sex to go to the emergency room? There’s nothing more disappointing than realizing in the middle of back and forth that your partner’s penis is broken. Can you imagine the pain?
In May of this year, such a case occurred: a 36yearold man suffered a fracture in three different parts of his penis during sex. The case, which occurred in Tanzania, was described by doctors as “very rare”.
The patient said he had his partner on top of him when the penis came out of the vaginal cavity. When penetrated again, the organ slipped and hit the woman’s perianal area. The man heard a crack, felt pain and quickly lost his erection. After examinations, doctors concluded that in addition to injury to his urethra, he had also ruptured two corpora cavernosa and one corpora cavernosa.
The riskiest positions
Injuries of this type are associated with sex: a study on penile fractures published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information in the United States states that 57.2% of patients who experienced this problem had the fracture while the penis was erect.
Sex is characterized by back and forth from the head to the base of the penis. Any other movement can cause a break. It most often happens when the woman is on top, as it is more difficult for the man to react quickly to a painful movement.
In addition, positions in which you cannot see your partner, such as: For example, turning your back to him during penetration in the case of reverse cowgirl promotes this type of trauma because the woman cannot perceive whether there is discomfort.
reverse cowgirl image: read Pierre
Standing up sex can also pose risks. If the woman who is going to wrap her legs around the man becomes tired or the partner loses strength in his arm when going back and forth and the pelvis sinks during penetration, there is a risk of a fracture.
Image: Melissa Baltazar/Universa
More intense sexual relationships, in which the penis comes out completely and enters very quickly, can lead to the man hurting himself or his partner.
The rupture can even occur during masturbation if the man has erection problems and makes accelerated and sudden movements.
How is the injury?
Since it is a boneless organ, it is not necessarily a fracture, but rather an injury to the tunica albuginea. This skin covers and protects all of the blood vessels in the area that enable penile erection.
When it ruptures, it releases a large amount of blood, causing the penis to become extremely swollen and bent to one side. The result can even be called an eggplant penis due to its similarity to the vegetable.
What to do
Penile fractures are rare, but if you notice symptoms, a man should seek medical attention immediately. If it takes too long to seek help, the patient may experience complications such as penile scars and erectile dysfunction.
The most recommended treatment is usually surgery. The postoperative period typically lasts between 30 and 60 days and requires care to allow the limb to subside and heal.
source Lilian FiorelliGynecologist specializing in female sexuality and urogynecology from USP.
With content published on October 18, 2021 and May 27, 2023.