# Removing The Male Testicles. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 3, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-the-male-testicles/211062 "2003-11-03T00:44:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chicago\_Faucet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chicago_faucet/32/13910_2.png) [@Chicago\_Faucet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicago_Faucet)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-the-male-testicles/211062/1 "2003-11-03T00:44:50Z")
Now that I have your attention!.. No really, what’s up with castration these days? Here in Pittsburgh we had a case a couple months ago where 911 was called from a house. When the police got there, they found a man who was bleeding profusely from the crotch. It turns out that he was a customer, and the owner of the house has performed hundreds of castrations, with many satisfied customers. He advertised his services over the internet, and had no shortage of candidates since no self respecting doctor will perform a castration for no good reason, and it certainly isn’t covered by an HMO. Not vasectomy. Castration. Not to mention over a year ago, here as well, there was a case where a husband talked his wife into castrating him. He got all liquored up, she did the surgery, and again 911 was called, to their trailer park. He actually ended up dying. There are other cases I read about in reports where men are asking to be castrated all over the place. Just removing the testes. Not cutting off the penis, not just a vasectomy. Castration. Is there something going on that I don’t know about? What are these men hoping the final result would be? Is there some proven or unproven medical benefit to castration? ---
**Author:** ![Juliotheman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@Juliotheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juliotheman)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-the-male-testicles/211062/2 "2003-11-03T00:48:59Z")
Nothing to itch?😉 ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-the-male-testicles/211062/3 "2003-11-03T01:10:37Z")
I hear it’s a bit more painful than removing the female testicles. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-the-male-testicles/211062/4 "2003-11-03T01:22:56Z")
I expect they’re hoping the final result would be getting rid of sexual desire – either because they have very screwed-up religious beliefs and think sex is evil, or because they have some sort of sexual kink that is making their lives miserable. I can see how, for instance, a closet pedophile might be driven to do such a thing. At least, that’s the only possibility that makes any sense to me. ---
**Author:** ![hansolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/22d042/32.png) [@hansolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hansolo)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-the-male-testicles/211062/5 "2003-11-03T01:28:19Z")
alot of times, the men who are getting castrated do it for one of three main reasons 1. to control sexual urges they are having, they feel if they do not have testicles they wont have urges 2. body dysmorphic disorder (they dont feel right about how their testicles look and in order to feel comfortable in the body they cut them off) 3. fetish (i know it sounds weird but there has been more than a few cases of castration fetishes) please read [http://cgi.bmezine.com/cgi-bin/glossary.exe?search=castration](http://cgi.bmezine.com/cgi-bin/glossary.exe?search=castration) ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-the-male-testicles/211062/6 "2003-11-03T01:31:06Z")
We also had a guy working out of a motel room that did male castrations in northern Indiana. Same deal. No shortage of clients… tres bizarre! IIRC, he was convicted of practicing medicine without a license. ---
**Author:** ![hansolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/22d042/32.png) [@hansolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hansolo)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-the-male-testicles/211062/7 "2003-11-03T01:31:21Z")
alot of times, the men who are getting castrated do it for one of three main reasons 1. to control sexual urges they are having, they feel if they do not have testicles they wont have urges 2. body dysmorphic disorder (they dont feel right about how their testicles look and in order to feel comfortable in the body they cut them off) 3. fetish (i know it sounds weird but there has been more than a few cases of castration fetishes) please read [http://cgi.bmezine.com/cgi-bin/glossary.exe?search=castration](http://cgi.bmezine.com/cgi-bin/glossary.exe?search=castration) [http://cgi.bmezine.com/cgi-bin/glossary.exe?search=eunuch](http://cgi.bmezine.com/cgi-bin/glossary.exe?search=eunuch) ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-the-male-testicles/211062/8 "2003-11-03T01:37:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hansolo \* > \*\*3. fetish (i know it sounds weird but there has been more than a few cases of castration fetishes) > \*\* Ahem, after that [German dude](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2569095.stm) put out an ad for someone to come round to his house and be carved up and eaten (to which someone replied) no. 3 is surprisingly unsurprising :eek: ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-the-male-testicles/211062/9 "2003-11-03T01:41:09Z")
If the man in question identifies as a Male-To-Female Transsexual, he might try an option like this to get around the medical and psychological requirements for receiving licit gender reassignment surgery. ---
**Author:** ![hansolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/22d042/32.png) [@hansolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hansolo)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-the-male-testicles/211062/10 "2003-11-03T01:43:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shoshana \* > \*\*If the man in question identifies as a Male-To-Female Transsexual, he might try an option like this to get around the medical and psychological requirements for receiving licit gender reassignment surgery. \*\* mmmm, but he said not a penectomy, just castration so it wouldnt fall under transexual surgery ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-the-male-testicles/211062/11 "2003-11-03T02:04:40Z")
> [@](#): > > so it wouldnt fall under transexual surgery Sure it would, just not a complete reassignment. You have to take both off for it to be a complete “bottom” reassignment. Not everyone does all parts of the surgery. It’s expensive, among other things. It’s apparently much easier, and c heaper, to have someone perform an orchidectomy than a penectomy. And without the testicles, you get hormone shifts. People will take what they can get if they really feel wrong in their bodies but can’t meet medical/psychological criteria for surgery, or can’t afford it. ---
**Author:** ![hansolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/22d042/32.png) [@hansolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hansolo)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-the-male-testicles/211062/12 "2003-11-03T02:07:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shoshana \* > \*\*Sure it would, just not a complete reassignment. You have to take both off for it to be a complete “bottom” reassignment. Not everyone does all parts of the surgery. It’s expensive, among other things. It’s apparently much easier, and c heaper, to have someone perform an orchidectomy than a penectomy. And without the testicles, you get hormone shifts. People will take what they can get if they really feel wrong in their bodies but can’t meet medical/psychological criteria for surgery, or can’t afford it. \*\* i stand corrected then. i know a few people that have gotten surgery and it was always full removal ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-the-male-testicles/211062/13 "2003-11-03T02:11:41Z")
Most (though not all) folks prefer to get the whole package. I’ve known a few who couldn’t afford it, though. ---
**Author:** ![Mariemarie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58f4c7/32.png) [@Mariemarie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mariemarie)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-the-male-testicles/211062/14 "2003-11-03T02:12:00Z")
Are there any health benefits from castration? ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-the-male-testicles/211062/15 "2003-11-03T02:33:20Z")
Makes cats more docile. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-the-male-testicles/211062/16 "2003-11-03T02:34:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mariemarie \* > \*\*Are there any health benefits from castration? \*\* It can slow the progression of prostate cancer, which responds to testosterone by growing more rapidly. However, anti-androgen medication is usually sufficient to treat the cancer, rather than castration. ---
**Author:** ![Chicago\_Faucet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chicago_faucet/32/13910_2.png) [@Chicago\_Faucet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicago_Faucet)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-the-male-testicles/211062/17 "2003-11-03T03:27:00Z")
Hansolo, a warning would have been appreciated. For those of you who are squeamish, please don’t use the links that were submitted. Here is a brief breakdown: > [@](#): > > It should be noted that infection is a possible risk, but can be minimized with good heath, a clean procedure, and appropriate aftercare. Bleeding is a more serious risk, even when a doctor performs the procedure, and especially when it is not. Either one of these problems should be immediately medically treated as they could be life threatening. After castration, testosterone is generally injected (which is of course painful), although a testosterone patch is now on the market. Those not taking testosterone will experience hot flashes and permanent loss in penis length and girth (said to be caused by the lack of nocturnal erections). There will also be a tendency for fat to develop on the hips (despite exercise) and a growth in breasts coupled with tender nipples. With testosterone treatment these effects should not be experienced. Eunuchs who do not take hormones may also experience a combination of depression and a Zen-like calmness, as well as a stoppage of balding and a thinning of body hair (whereas those on hormones may actually become hairier). Those on hormones will also be more energetic and have a tendency to exercise. Without hormone treatment, the eunuch is considered hypergonadal and is at a seriously increased risk of osteoporosis. > > Ejaculation can still be reached, but semen isn’t present, usually a mostly clear, slightly milky ejaculate. Levels of testosterone affect sexual ability far more than the presence of testicles – some males become more sexually confident due to the realization of their fantasy (while some give it up for exactly that reason). A eunuch without testosterone will quickly lose his interest in sex as well as his ability to perform. This can be almost immediately reversed with the application of testosterone. > > The ability to halt testosterone in the body reduces the likelihood of prostate cancer. An asexual eunuch can avoid prostate cancer and enlargement of the prostate, as well as other testosterone-related dangers such as strokes and heart attacks. There is an unknown risk of osteoporosis due to lack of sex hormones. The amount of research done on eunuchs’ health concerns is predictably low. (Since males usually do not advertise the fact they have no testicles. In fact, males who lose testicles by accident or disease usually seek prostheses. Males who voluntarily seek castration do not.) It is also possible that castration (without testosterone) in humans leads to similar benefits as in dogs – increased health, life span, etc. Studies performed in mental institutions where castrations were regularly performed on inmates showed that those with castrations lived an average of fifteen years longer. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-the-male-testicles/211062/18 "2003-11-03T03:32:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hansolo \* > \*\* > > please read > > [http://cgi.bmezine.com/cgi-bin/glossary.exe?search=castration](http://cgi.bmezine.com/cgi-bin/glossary.exe?search=castration) \*\* :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-the-male-testicles/211062/19 "2003-11-03T03:52:47Z")
> [@](#): > > What are these men hoping the final result would be? They´ll be able to sing along in tone with Barbara Streissand? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![hansolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/22d042/32.png) [@hansolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hansolo)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-the-male-testicles/211062/20 "2003-11-03T03:53:38Z")
whoops. im sorry about those guys. i keep for getting the whole NSFW thing. so yeah its gory and not safe for work. sorry!!! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-the-male-testicles/211062.md?page=2)