Sexual Health:Men's Sexual Dysfunction

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Treating Peyronie’s Disease: I’ll Try Anything Because the Curve in My Penis Makes Sex Hurt

Johnny Leon (not his real name), 37, sought help when he noticed his penis was curving slightly and sex had become painful. His doctor diagnosed him with Peyronie’s disease—a rarity for such a young man—and set him on a course of treatments that has included electrical stimulation and medicines to dissolve scar tissue

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Peyronie's disease causes severe discomfort during sex.
(GETTY IMAGES)
When I first developed signs of Peyronie’s disease, I didn’t know what it was. It started with a strange indentation on the side of my penis that you could see only when it was erect. After 34 years, you kind of know what your body parts look like. I ignored it, but I knew I wasn’t crazy or imagining things.

About six months later, I finally went to see a doctor because the shaft began to curve to the left where it used to be straight. The doctor could feel the scar tissue and so could I. It felt harder in certain places. Basically, the scar tissue builds up somehow and won’t stretch with the rest of your penis. The doctor said the curving can stop or reverse itself in some cases, but in others, it worsens.

I went back again four months later because my situation took a turn for the worse, so to speak. My penis started bending downward and sex was becoming more uncomfortable. There was a pulling sensation, and the curve made sex a little more difficult. They say there’s a point where sex becomes less painful, but I haven’t reached that point yet. Try bending your penis when it’s hard, or take your thumb and forefinger and stretch the skin until it hurts. That’s what it feels like when I get an erection or wake up in the middle of the night to urinate.

Share Your Thoughts

Do you think you may have Peyronie's disease?
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So, it was official. My doctor diagnosed me with Peyronie’s disease.


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As told to: Nick Burns
Last Updated: August 21, 2008