Sexual function and psychological characteristics of penile paraffinoma

Abstract

Aim: To identify the sexual, emotional and psychological status of men who augmented their penis with mineral oil injection for their small penis.

Methods: Men who had penile paraffin were asked to answer the semi-structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed to assess the motivation, method of penile injection, changes in erectile function and satisfaction after penile injection. SCL (Symptom checklist)-90-R, STAI (State and Trait Anxiety Inventory) and Zung SDS (Self-rating depression scale) were also included in the questionnaire for psychological evaluation.

Results: A total of 357 men completed the questionnaire. The first-ranked motivation of the injection was recommendation by their acquaintances (48.9 %). The majority of the respondents had the procedure by non-medical person (78.0 %). Before injection, 17.2 % had a sense of inferiority in their penis and 32 % worried about their weak erectile function. After injection, 33.0 % have found relief from their sense of inferiority and 17.8 % wish to feel improvement in their erectile function. Most of the respondents (91 %) were not satisfied with their penis and 74 % of them replied that they want to remove the injected material. Only 15.6 % did not experience side effects. Most of the subjects have suffered from various side effects such as inflammation, skin necrosis, pain, etc. No evidence of psychiatric pathology was found in psychological evaluation.

Conclusion: The motivations of mineral oil injection were recommendation by their acquaintances or desire to be more mannish. Most of them had suffered from various side effects and only a small number of them felt improvement in their sense of inferiority, in their penis and erectile function. Increased public awareness is needed for the prevention of this physically and psychologically debilitating problem.