While Christmas is often billed as the most wonderful time of the year, we doubt the doctors and nurses of A&E would agree. A series of Christmas-related mishaps sees admission numbers soar, and whether it be Uncle Normal slicing his hand with the electric turkey carver, Grandma suffering burns after she flambéed the Christmas Pudding a little too much, or Dad getting a lethal paper cut while wrapping presents, there's also the danger of a far more NSFW injury.
We already know that people are apparently more likely to have sex during the snowy season, and whether it's because the alcohol is flowing or we simply have more free time on our hands, there's a reason there's a boom in babies some nine months after the holidays.
LADbible's 'For F**k's Sake' campaign has previously revealed that 1 in 2 people were introduced to sex via pornography, and with 50% of men apparently using porn as their main source of sex education, they might be missing out on some important medical information.
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Now, one doctor has warned men about a worrying spike in penis injuries this time of year.
Being just as painful as it sounds, penile fractures apparently ‘mount’ at Christmas. In a leg-crossing report from Doctor Justin Lehmiller's Sex & Psychology, we're told that getting busy in the sheets tends to peak in the summer and again in late December/early January. The biggest boom in sexual activity tends to come in the week between Christmas and New Year.
It's said that extended breaks or trips away offer more chances of intimacy, while a general improved mood might make you more frisky.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, a penile fracture occurs when an erect penis is bent or struck unexpectedly, which tends to result in a popping or cracking sound. This is typically followed by extreme pain, a loss of erection, and swelling.
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Penile fractures can be caused by rough masturbation, accidental trauma, and vigorous sex; More than just giving your Johnson an ice pack, penile fractures are said to be serious and often require surgery to repair damaged tissue.
"Penile fractures: the price of a merry Christmas" is a 2023 study that asked 3,400 injured men when and how they got their war wounds.
The holiday season was the biggest culprit, with the daily incidence of fractures climbing to 0.78 when compared to 0.54 on days during other times of the year.
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Alarmingly, if every day were like Christmas, penile fractures would soar by 43%.
You might be a little safer getting busy on New Year's Eve, as the study suggested that December 31 doesn't have the same correlation. Then again, fractures are reportedly higher on weekends and in the summer when compared to other times of the year.
Giving a major sigh of relief, we're reminded that the chance of a penile fracture is extremely low, so it's not a reason to avoid having sex. Still, all men should be aware of not bending an erection too much, being careful when changing position, and using lubrication to minimize friction.
Although men have one more horror story to worry about when it comes to their members, urologist Dr. Justin Dubin said: "This shouldn’t prevent you from doing anything that you want to do with your partner just as long as you’re communicating and enjoying each other. If you have aggressive sex, that’s great. Just be conscious of what you’re doing, and try to have control.”