- A man in his forties fractured his penis while having sex with his wife on top.
- The man was in severe pain, his penis swelled up and he was unable to pee, doctors said.
- He had emergency surgery and had normal erections again after 21 days.
A man in Indonesia fractured his entire penis during "vigorous" sex with his wife, causing it to swell up and blood to leak from the tip, according to his doctors.
The case was unusual because the unnamed 44-year-old damaged two of the erectile tissues in his penis, as well as his urethra — the tube that carries pee — according to a case study published in the International Journal of Surgery Case Reports on June 25.
The man was having sex with his wife on top when he heard a cracking sound and felt "severe pain," the doctors said in the case report. His penis then swelled up and he lost his erection.
Blood was dripping from the tip of his penis and he couldn't pee, they said. The man arrived at the emergency room three hours after his penis swelled up, and was diagnosed with a fractured penis.
Penile fractures affect 1 in every 100,000 males in the US each year. If left untreated, they can cause permanent erectile dysfunction.
Most people with penile injuries in one review didn't seek medical treatment because they were embarrassed, the doctors said.
Penile fractures usually happen during sex when an erect penis forcefully hits the area between their sexual partner's genitals and anus, or the pelvic bone. It can also happen during masturbation or when a person with an erection rolls over in bed.
A flaccid penis can't get fractured because the tissue covering it is relatively thick. Once it fills with blood and becomes erect, the tissue gets thinner, making it more susceptible to injury.
The man had emergency surgery to repair the tissues and urethra. 21 days later the man's erectile function was "good" and he was able to pee.
The doctors said the man recovered well because he was treated quickly.