Anxiety associated with the start of school could heighten the risk of developing penile inflammation due to excessive touching, a doctor in Kaohsiung said on Monday.
Tsai Ping-ju (蔡秉儒), head urologist at Yuan’s General Hospital, cited the case of a seven-year-old boy who had an inflamed penis that was itchy and painful, and secreted a colorless discharge.
The boy, who also complained of needing to urinate frequently, was diagnosed as having balanoposthitis, which causes pain, itchiness, swelling and discoloration among other symptoms, Tsai said.
Photo courtesy of Yuan’s General Hospital
About three boys on average a week are found to have balanoposthitis at the start of a school term, usually from touching themselves due to stress, resulting in bacterial or fungal infection, he said.
The seven-year-old boy’s mother told Tsai that the boy had only stopped using diapers when he was five, and that she had at times seen him touching or fondling his penis.
Tsai said that the start of a school term is usually a stressful time for children, as they have adjust to new surroundings, get to know new classmates and cope with academic pressure.
“These circumstances could lead some boys to involuntarily touch or fondle their penis, transferring microbes from their hands. Coupled with poor hygiene practices, including when going to the washroom, the germs trapped in the foreskin could lead to infection and bacterial growth,” Tsai said.
Balanoposthitis can cause pus or a bad smell, an inability to urinate, fever, nausea, vomiting and possibly infection of the urinary tract, he said, advising people to seek immediate medical attention.
To prevent infections, young boys should be taught proper hygiene, Tsai said.
“Some boys tend to touch or fondle their penis due to boredom or stress in school. This is not the same as teens masturbating, so parents should not scold them,” he said.
“Instead, parents should pay more attention to their children and talk to them about what issues are bothering them. Parents can also give boys toys that can stimulate and satisfy their tactile needs, or encourage them to take up sports to divert their attention and find an outlet to relieve their stress,” Tsai said.
“It not necessary to cut the foreskin when there is an infection. Those with minor conditions only need to apply a medical ointment or take antibiotics,” he said.
Circumcision is an option if the foreskin grows too long, resulting in repeated infections, he said.
The traditional method involves doctors applying a local anesthesia, cutting the foreskin around the glans and stitching up the wound, which takes at least half an hour, Tsai said, adding that some bleeding is expected.
“The new method uses a foreskin gun. A lower dosage of local anesthesia is applied. Operation time is shorter, with the gun used to make an incision and cauterize the wound,” Tsai said, adding that part of the operation has to be self-paid.
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