A number of men from Papua New Guinea have reportedly been left unable to have sex after undergoing ‘DIY penis enlargements’.
Doctors from the nation’s capital, Port Moresby, have warned of an ‘epidemic’ which has seen at least 500 cases at their hospital of penile disfigurement and dysfunction as a result of harmful injections.
Described as a ‘nationwide problem’, men have been injecting substances such as coconut oil, cooking oil, and silicone into their penises in a bid to enlarge them.
The men treated at Port Moresby General Hospital are said to usually be between the ages of 18 to 40. However, doctors have also encountered patients as young as 16.
Dr Akule Danlop, a surgeon at Port Moresby General Hospital, told The Guardian about the extent of the problem:
I have seen five new cases every week for the past two years and these are the ones that have come forward for treatment. We don’t know how many of them are out there, I saw seven today.
This has sadly had a devastating effect on the penile health of these men. Out of the 500 treated over the course of the past two years, 90 men have needed surgery to treat abnormal swelling or repair damage. Some of these men may be unable to have sex again.
Dr Danlop proceeded to detail some of the damaging effects of these injections:
The bulk of them have abnormal, lumpy masses growing over the penis and sometimes involving the scrotum. A good number are coming in with ulcers; they eventually burst open,
Some of them have difficulty urinating because the foreskin is so swollen it cannot contract. Predominantly they regret what they have done.
It’s believed the majority of these injections are being administered by off-duty male nurses who are looking to make a bit of extra cash on the side.
Experts told The Guardian how this issue permeates throughout various areas and social classes in Papua New Guinea, with anxieties over penis size affecting men across the world.
Professor of reproductive health, Glen Mola, revelaed how lots of men are vulnerable to being conned by these injections:
I don’t think it’s particularly a PNG thing, in every society, adolescents and young men have a thing about their penis.
Lots of young men are being conned … to pay some money to be enlarged and sustaining quite serious injuries,
It doesn’t do what it’s purported to do and can cause terrible damage, and can mean in some cases that you can’t have sex anymore.
Hopefully the awareness being spread by these doctors about the horrific consequences of DIY penis injections will make men think twice before going down this route.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.