If you surf the internet or browse the tabloid magazines, you have undoubtedly encountered a variety of stories about bizarre medical conditions. A pregnant man. A woman who gives birth to rabbits. A man with two penises. The majority of these stories are nothing but hoaxes. But occasionally, these bizarre stories can actually be factual.
There are scattered reports about penis captivus, a condition where a man’s penis becomes “stuck” in a woman’s vagina during sexual intercourse. Can such an alarming situation actually happen? Most researchers believe that penis captivus is NOT a myth, although the condition is extremely rare.
Why does penis captivus occur? During sexual intercourse, the penis fills with blood and can become extremely engorged. In addition, the muscles of the vagina contract rhythmically during orgasm. When the man’s engorgement is excessive and the woman’s vaginal contractions are so strong that the vagina actually closes, the penis can become temporarily trapped.
In most cases, the condition is very short-lived – occurring just for a few seconds. After orgasm, the woman’s vaginal muscles relax and the blood flows out of the man’s penis so that he can easily withdraw. However, there are a few cases reported in credible medical journals that are much more severe.
In a 1979 article in British Medical Journal, Dr. F Kraupl Taylor reviewed the literature on penis captivus and concluded that there is “no doubt about the reality of this unusual symptom”. In one paper, a German gynecologist described a couple who found themselves stuck and in intense pain when they attempted to separate. According to the couple, they were bathed in perspiration and their “imprisonment seemed endless”. Another report described a couple who were unable to separate until the woman had been given chloroform.
Another physician, Dr. Brendan Musgrave, published a follow-up report in British Medical Journal in 1980. Dr. Musgrave detailed a personal experience during which a honeymoon couple was brought to Royal Isle of Wight County Hospital in England. The couple was stuck together and could not be separated until the woman was administered an anesthetic.
A more recent incident was reported on the website Medical Daily in 2014. According to the website, an Italian couple was having underwater intercourse at an isolated beach in Porto San Giorgo, Italy when the couple’s genitals became stuck together. In this case, the condition was probably aggravated by the suction increase caused by the water. A doctor was called to the scene but was unable to extricate the man’s penis. The couple was taken to the emergency room of a local hospital, where the woman was given “an injection commonly used to dilate the uterus of pregnant women”. After this, the couple was able to separate with no lasting effects.
Probably the most severe incident of penis captivus was reported in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. In this case, the couple’s genitals were stuck together for seven hours! Eventually, the man’s father came to their rescue and separated the couple by performing a ritual that involved burning herbs and inhaling the smoke.
Conclusion
Although some cases of penis captivus sound quite terrifying, the good news is that the condition is extremely rare and likely to resolve very quickly. Should you ever find yourself in this situation, the best advice is to simply relax and think about something non-erotic.
1) Penis Captivus: Did it Occur?
Source: British Medical Journal
2) Penis captivus has occurred
Source: British Medical Journal
3) When the Vagina Holds the Penis Captivus: Is the Sexual Affliction as Bad as it Sounds?
Source: Medical Daily
4) Couple Having Underwater Sex Hospitalized After Getting Stuck Together: Is Penis Captivus to Blame?
Source: Medical Daily