As a man with hypospadias, I just wanted to thank you for your recenty blog on the subject. One of the biggest gripes I have about the way the medical profession deals with HS is that very little account is taken of the psychological problems it causes, particularly at adolescence and in early adulthood. Your article dealt very well with this issue, and I appreciate it very much.

I and group of friends with HS in the UK are trying to set up a group here to deal with many of these issues. We would like to reference your article - I hope that will be OK
Thanks
Robert

It's good to see an article that addresses the psychological issues around hypospadias. I have to admit it hadn't occured to me that there would be any, but of course there must, since it's a variant penis and hence a bloke thing. You address them well, though "Cheer up, there are others worse off than you" seldom works, and invites the response "Yes, and some are better off too."

Some points:
1. I'm surprised that the author of the wonderful Guide to Getting It On includes two images of circumcised penises. It happens that hypospadias is an absolute contraindication for circumcision, in case they want to use the foreskin for reconstruction, but I guess in the circumcising US, that is often ignored. An intact guy with hypospadias may have a psychological double whammy, and may have trouble untangling the two issues.

2. On the plus side, a guy with hypospadias often seems to have an additional erogenous zone, inside the urethral opening.

3. No, let's talk about intersex conditions, which many of their owners would, it seems, be much happier with if they hadn't been surgically "corrected". The psychological issues there seem to have a great deal to do with the parents' panic and shame, not the child's. You imply that intersexed people have a "real" sex that their bodies deviate from, but some are now refusing to accept that "either-or" and embracing their intersexed status.

Hello:

Thank you for writing this article since it addresses the psychological impact of hypospadias, which I feel that we need to learn more about.

Along these lines, I hope that you can help me.

I was born with hypospadias. Between 1965 (when I was at the age of five) and 1975, I had a series of operations at Children’s Hospital in Boston to correct this birth defect.

Now I’m interested in going to graduate school for a Clinical Psychology/Behavioral Medicine Doctorate and am interested in the psychological impact of hypospadias. I want to do some volunteer work that would be put me in contact with clients with hypospadias and psychologists working together with these clients. The volunteer work would not only be personally meaningful but will help prepare me for admission to a graduate psychology program.

If you know of any psychologists or other medical professionals that could use a potential volunteer like me then I would appreciate hearing from you. I live just outside of Los Angeles, CA. I understand that Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles deals with hypospadius. If you know of somebody there or near Los Angeles that could use a potential volunteer like me then I would appreciate hearing from you.

Any help from you would be greatly appreciated!

Take Care,

BB1

Paul,

I am somewhat surprised that someone finally managed to bring out something different on this subject than what has been available on the net. Thank you so much.

As a hypospadian and someone who has been educating and advocating full participation in life by those with hypospadias, including relationships, the biggest problem seems to be lack of communication in families during childhood.

An attitude of secrecy and shame is perpetuated by frightened parents who are helpless when dealing with a child who asks questions parents do not normally answer, and the lack of support for the "soft" issues so often shown by surgeons.

Fortunately, the state of the art in treatment is changing. Involving the mental health professional in the surgical picture is a great stride forward that is taking place in some centers for excellence in hypospadias repair, and we look forward to that trend expanding.

The other positive is that HEA and other support groups are available now to help deal with parents issues and we assume the tide is turning on the secrecy problem as well. This generation is engaged and does not shrink from the thought of discussing the situation with their sons, so there is a real difference in thought in a positive way on this front as well.

Something Hugh Young said in an earlier post really rang a bell with me as well. The right to be in-between rather than having to conform to one gender or the other; I was born with ambiguous genitalia and did not have surgery to "repair" it. I am glad and grateful that is the case. I hope that in the future there is greater recognition of the existence of those of us who are in the middle of the gender spectrum.

Douglas Jasper
Member, HEA Executive Board

Thanks alot for writing such a Great Article. Its a relief from my psychological turmoil which i am facing since many years. Well I am 27 and had a series of 4-5 Surgical procedure in childhood. and I was never able to find out why I was always under knife after every 3-4 Months.

I know that I am different from others, since I cannot pee while standing from childhood. only 2-3 years ago that I am encouraged myself to start peeing while standing. I am quite an able to do so but still don't have a streamline release, sometime spraying sometime just OK. I also had a history of frequent Urinal Tract infections from last 2-3 years. Now i would be going to marry in 2-3 years. Can You please tell me whether everything is alright or not. as I told you earlier I had undergone a series of surgical procedure in the past. I also think that My penis length is also less than a Normal. I guess around 4.5" to 4.75" fully erect. and around 1" flaccid. Do I have fair chances of having a Child. Can I have a Normal Sexual life. How would my partner take all this. Please Reply.

Thanks Alot!!

The last paragraph of the article was down right rude honestly.
To everyone involved, the injured, those with hypospadias, and those with more serious intersex problems.
It was tasteless and just kind of crude.