As every guy knows, the penis and testicles are not very well protected from the vagaries of life. If the testicles didn’t have to be cooled to below body temperature for maximum efficiency, nature surely would have tucked them up inside the body somewhere safe and sound, the way a woman’s ovaries are. But, no … we have to deal with the fact that our crucibles for our genetic legacy are, literally, swinging in the wind and subject to injury from any number of sources.
Here are a few ways to help protect yourself:
- Wear a jock strap or hard cup during contact sports
- Buy a bicycle seat that has a groove or cut-out area down the center to reduce pressure on the nerves and arteries feeding the penis and scrotum
- Wear a seat belt (one lesser-known source of testicular injury is car accidents)
If you do have the unfortunate luck of sustaining a blow to your testicles, you should use some kind of scrotal support (i.e. jock strap) and apply ice packs to the groin as quickly as possible to reduce swelling; reapply every 3-4 hours afterwards for the first 12 hours or so. An anti-inflammatory pain medicine (i.e. ibuprofen) may be helpful. If swelling or tenderness are not reduced within 24 hours, or if you pass blood in your urine, see a doctor. If a blood vessel is leaking, it may need to be surgically repaired. Blood in the scrotum, or distended veins in the scrotum, can raise the temperature of the testicles and reduce, or stop, the production of sperm. This is definitely not a part of the body you want to take chances with!
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