# Penis captivus
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penis-captivus/48745
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 6, 2001, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penis-captivus/48745 "2001-01-06T18:28:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2001, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penis-captivus/48745/1 "2001-01-06T18:28:40Z")
I was amazed that my SMDB search on penis captivus turned up empty!
In this unsubstantiated phenomenon, severe vaginal spasms trap the penis. In extreme cases, it is reported by less-than-repuatable sources, the couple, still coupled, had to resort to a trip to the emergency room to free the penis, even after it had become flaccid.
Here’s the Snopes article: [http://www.snopes2.com/love/betrayal/stuckcpl.htm#captivus](http://www.snopes2.com/love/betrayal/stuckcpl.htm#captivus)
Is this medically possible? Has it happened to your uncle’s best friend’s vetrinarian’s college roommate?
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### Author:  [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2001, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penis-captivus/48745/2 "2001-01-06T19:23:11Z")
Well, I found [this](http://www.xrefer.com/entry/153721) in about eight seconds by searching with [Google](http://www.google.com/). Here’s what it says:
> [@](#):
>
> A set of circumstances in which the penis is held within the vagina and cannot be withdrawn. It does exist as a momentary normal component in the copulatory behavior of some species but it is clinically unknown in humans.
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### Author:  [@bare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bare)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2001, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penis-captivus/48745/3 "2001-01-06T19:49:48Z")
The term is Vaginismus. Try this link [http://onhealth.webmd.com/conditions/resource/conditions/item%2C686.asp](http://onhealth.webmd.com/conditions/resource/conditions/item%2C686.asp)
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### Author:  [@lowhangingfruitsallpicked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lowhangingfruitsallpicked)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2001, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penis-captivus/48745/4 "2001-01-06T23:01:12Z")
I literally got bitten by this question.
Bitten by a dog that is.
We had two dogs copulating out on the lawn in the backyard.
The larger one (doberman?) had mounted a poodle and couldn’t get free.
The poodle was struggling madly and in obvious pain and the larger dog was livid.
All the neighbors were watching and shouting things to do, but not daring to do it.
It finally got free and left after about five minutes, and the poodle was walking on just her forepaws and dragging her legs.
Her back had been broken in the struggle.
I went to pat her while someone called animal control, but it was confused and bit me in the hand.
So animal put the poodle out with a hypo shot and gave me a lift to the emergency room.
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### Author:  [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2001, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penis-captivus/48745/5 "2001-01-07T03:30:33Z")
The idea of human Penis Captivus is a complete fabrication.
In 1884 Dr. Sir William Osler, writing under the pseudonym of Eggerton Y. Davis had a letter to the editor published in th _Philadelphia Medical News_. His letter was a tounge-in-cheek response intended to ridicule an earlier article on Vaginimus (vaginal spasms.)
Unfortunately the letter was taken seriously and picked up by the _Canadian Medical Journal_ and the _Surgical Journal_.
From there it garnered interest in the popular press. Like any urban legend it gained credence and popularity through repetition.