Restoration of satisfying sex for a castrated cancer patient with complete impotence: a case study

Abstract

We present a first-hand account of a fully impotent, testosterone-suppressed prostate cancer patient who has satisfying, multiorgasmic sex using a strap-on dildo. We use his narrative to examine dildos as an alternative to erectile dysfunction treatments for men, such as this patient, who find selective inhibitors of PDE-5 ineffective and surgical intervention unacceptable. We explore what conditions allowed this man to progress from suspicious distrust of the dildo to full acceptance. In terms of making a dildo acceptable to other patients, we contrast offering it to them as a penile prosthesis in a formal medical setting versus treating it as a toy in fantasy sex play. Last, we present a neurobiological hypothesis involving sensory integration to help explain why sex with the strap-on dildo can be satisfying to a male.