# Why are men afraid of castration? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 14, 2003, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-men-afraid-of-castration/148500 "2003-01-14T12:30:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-men-afraid-of-castration/148500/21 "2003-01-14T17:57:38Z")
I like **jjimm** ’s answer. The first reason is fear of pain. Then, it gets a little bit more emotional. I suspect the reasons for why the nads hurt so damned much at any provocation is, like so many things in nature, manyfold. High sensitivity ensures you can be encouraged to deliver the payload in a hurry, reducing the vulnerability inherent in the sexual act. It also teaches you real damned quick that you have to take care of the package. So there’s two stones crushed by one bird right there. But we’re also thinking creatures, and I suspect that at a basic level men understand pretty well (or poorly) that they have only one real mission in life, and that’s to spawn as many offspring as is physically possible (actually, we think so well (or poorly) that we’re satisfied with just performing the act rather than actually achieving the results). The contemplation of having that ability taken away is… in a nutshell… fear inspiring at a level that transcends mere pain. I’ve only had a gun pointed at me a couple of times and never been shot at. I’ve never been in mortal fear but for a few seconds at a time. But I have had surgery on the boys, and let me tell you, that’s by God enough for me. In fact, my fear of the operation was so great that the first time I was facing it I evaded the surgeon and didn’t return to a hospital for almost a year–and I _knew_ that evasion was potentially life-threatening, or at least very dangerous. When they finally cornered me and tricked me into surgery (“you’re fine, but we’re just gonna need you to drop by the ER for a check-up”), my fear was many layers deep. First, as **jjimm** mentioned, was a fear of pain which half of this audience will understand implicitly. Then two things happened. First, a male nurse took me aside and said essentially, “look, I know you’re worried about the pain and I promise it won’t be that bad.”\* Almost at the same instant, another nurse said, “put it this way, you’re going to get fixed–oh, God, I’m sorry I said that.” That was when the second type of fear kicked in, a hollow, gutless feeling of emptiness and despair. That’s when I called my father and told him what was about to happen, asked him to tell everyone I loved them, etc. In retrospect, I realize that though there was virtually no danger to my life, my call to the old man was very funerary in nature. It’s because the _reason_ for my existence was in jeopardy, and that was, to me, just as bad as if my life itself were in the balance. It’s taken a long, long time for me to even start getting over that, and I’m still working on it. (By the way, I still have the Boys and I treat them like the royalty that they are.) Men don’t have a lot of reasons to live except to serve as an advertisement for a teaspoon or two of genetic material. Threaten the font of that and you imperil the very foundation of a man’s existence. - The sonofabitch lied like he was running for President. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-men-afraid-of-castration/148500/22 "2003-01-14T18:19:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by carodin \* > Not sure I am reading what you meant to say correctly, so apologies if this is the case, but whilst ovaries “cannot be touched” in quite the same way that testicles can be, some would argue that the pain of having one poked is very real and probably similar to what men experience. That’s going to take some doing. Hm, don’t mind me. ---
**Author:** ![Davebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Davebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Davebear)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-men-afraid-of-castration/148500/23 "2003-01-14T18:21:30Z")
> [@](#): > > It appears to me that most men have a “castration complex”, where they are afraid of someone cutting off their testicles. I have to second Sailor’s opinion (after I wipe the laughter tears from my eyes). It never occurred to me that anyone else was interested in acquiring my testicles. But, now that I know there’s some bizarre black (and blue) market for used testicles out there, I’m getting a little nervous. > [@](#): > > Why do men value their testicles more than women value their ovaries? Just a guess. Could it be because women can still have good sex lives without their ovaries? Or, because ovary is just a word for some yucky internal part they’ve never seen or felt and don’t associate with any more than they do their spleen? > [@](#): > > Why do men think that having no testicles is “the end of the world”? Top Three Reasons: #3 _ **PAIN!!!** _ Okay, so maybe it wouldn’t hurt. But, if it did it would hurt _ **A LOT!!!** _ #2 No more sex. Isn’t that the end of the world? (I guess this isn’t entirely true, any more. But our guts don’t know that.) And the #1 reason; you would sound like Michael Jackson, afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![Agback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/977dab/32.png) [@Agback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agback)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-men-afraid-of-castration/148500/24 "2003-01-14T21:09:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dunmurry \* > \*\*Why do men think that having no testicles is “the end of the world”? \*\* We don’t. We don’t want to lose them, but then, we don’t want our ears cut off either. A friend of mine had a carcinoma of the testis, the treatment for which involved removing the affected testicle and a burst of chemotherapy that left the other one a lump of inactive tissue. His reaction? “If you must have a cancer, cancer of the testis is the way to go.” By the way (and contrary to cartoon conventions), he still has an active sex life, and his voice hasn’t changed. Testicles aren’t required for erection or orgasm. Regards, Agback ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-men-afraid-of-castration/148500/25 "2003-01-14T21:20:19Z")
At the risk of turning this thread into _Ask the Guy With One Testicle_, I can say that in my case the surgery didn’t hurt that much, and the cancer was caught early enough that chemo wasn’t required (although I did a “preventative” course of radiation). The lessons to be learned from my experience are: 1. Check yourself regularly. The earlier you find out and get treated the better – and if you wait too long, you could lose a lot more than a tiny bit of tissue. 2. It’s not the end of the world. Honest. ---
**Author:** ![Poe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5fc32e/32.png) [@Poe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poe)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-men-afraid-of-castration/148500/26 "2003-01-14T21:46:30Z")
Most of us aren’t in dire fear of losing them day in and day out. But it’s the same thing as a women and her sex organs. Sir, i \<3 my ballz, and i ask you to please put the knife down! ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-men-afraid-of-castration/148500/27 "2003-01-14T22:11:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by carodin \* > **I think I’d prefer to have testicles sometimes: you at least have the “bonus” of being able to see and feel any changes; the situation of the ovaries does not offer that same luxury. I am of course thinking primarily of ovarian cancer being the “silent killer” here.** I’m not so sure there are obvious signs of testicular cancer. It is similar to breast cancer in that regard, as I understand it, in that one generally has to do regular self-exams to be safe. I know that when I had my cancer my testicle hurt like a mother-fucker and that threw my GP for a loop–evidently testicular cancer & obvious pain don’t tend to go together. Regarding the OP, imagine the social importance of breasts combined with the reproductive importance of the uteris. In that respect the answer seems obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-men-afraid-of-castration/148500/28 "2003-01-14T22:31:38Z")
Mine was sore (although probably not to the degree yours was) and swollen. Once my GP ruled out an infection I was off to the urologist as quick as I could get an appointment. ---
**Author:** ![SC\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@SC\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SC_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-men-afraid-of-castration/148500/29 "2003-01-14T23:26:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by js\_africanus \* > **It is similar to breast cancer in that regard, as I understand it, in that one generally has to do regular self-exams to be safe.** Testicular cancer survior Tom Green’s song “Feel Your Balls” is about encouraging regular self exams. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-men-afraid-of-castration/148500/30 "2003-01-15T07:13:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jr8 \* > **1) Check yourself regularly. The earlier you find out and get treated the better – and if you wait too long, you could lose a lot more than a tiny bit of tissue.** Sound advice, but I have one question. What exactly do I check for? Size changes? Texture changes? Pangs if pain? ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-men-afraid-of-castration/148500/31 "2003-01-15T07:52:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Priceguy \* > \*\*Sound advice, but I have one question. What exactly do I check for? Size changes? Texture changes? Pangs if pain? \*\* I’d think size changes would be out of there, as mine seem to vary noticably in size. Others have noticed, even. My balls are so sensitive that the idea of actually giving them a thorough manual exam makes me cringe. I’m not afraid to touch them, cup them, but I wouldn’t squeeze them as hard as I would squeeze, say, a baby bird that I was trying not to hurt. Hmm, just did a test, and I am comfortable applying more pressure to my eyeball than I would apply to my testicles. I’ve developed habits based on this too, obviously. I’m a fairly clumsy person sometimes but I haven’t accidentally hurt my balls in at least 10 years, possibly longer. One time a woman playfully flicked one with her finger (not hard) and the pain made me sick. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-men-afraid-of-castration/148500/32 "2003-01-15T11:29:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Priceguy \* > \*\*Sound advice, but I have one question. What exactly do I check for? Size changes? Texture changes? Pangs if pain? \*\* IANAD, mind you, but yes, all of those. Note that the, shall we say, tubing attached to the testicle may vary depending on how much fluid you’ve got in there, but the testicles themselves shouldn’t change in size. Not all size changes or unusual pains indicate cancer, of course. An infection or inflammation can cause the same symptoms, which is why you should get to a doctor ASAP to check out the equipment. [Here’s](http://tcrc.acor.org/tcexam.html) a webpage on self-examination. The diagram is more comic than helpful IMO, and the last item on the list of symptoms suggests someone was using a template and wasn’t paying attention, but it’s otherwise good information and there are more links at the bottom of the page. ---
**Author:** ![odd-socks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c67d28/32.png) [@odd-socks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/odd-socks)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-men-afraid-of-castration/148500/33 "2003-01-15T19:24:24Z")
Just adding to the link that **jr8** put up, but these are from from the netdoctor site: [http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/menshealth/facts/checkingtesticles.htm](http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/menshealth/facts/checkingtesticles.htm) > **[What to do if you find a lump on your balls](https://www.netdoctor.co.uk/conditions/sexual-health/a12004/testicular-lumps-and-bumps/)** > > We look at the most common causes of testicular lumps and bumps. A question that struck me whilst reading this thread, but I’m not sure it warrants a full topic to itself, so apologies for the slight hijack - but, do men sometimes not go and get things checked out because of embarrassment or the potential worry involved, or does it not bother you at all? I’d be interested in any responses. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-men-afraid-of-castration/148500/34 "2003-01-15T21:43:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by carodin \* > \*\*do men sometimes not go and get things checked out because of embarrassment or the potential worry involved, or does it not bother you at all? I’d be interested in any responses. \*\* I can only speak for myself, but I’ve had periodic pain in my left testicle for a little while now and not gone to the doctor yet. In my case it’s because I’m really, really, _really_ afraid of doctors and hospitals, but it certainly doesn’t help that it’s that area of my body. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-men-afraid-of-castration/148500/35 "2003-01-15T22:07:00Z")
I don’t know about embarrassment but yes, some men avoid going to the doctor because they’re afraid what s/he might say – think of it as a form of denial. This is generally a bad thing; I’ve known other men who waited much longer than I did and thus had to have several lymph nodes removed as well (apparently testicular cancer most often spreads to the lymphatic system, NOT to the other testicle), plus a course of chemotherapy. As I said, I went early enough that I got away with minor surgery and a bit of radiation. The surgery was actually not all that bad --in case you’re interested, the incision was not where you might think it would be. Instead the removal was done “from above”, with a four-inch incision about four inches below my navel, as all the attached “tubing” had to come out as well. I’m rather grateful for this approach, as it was a lot less uncomfortable and quicker to heal than the alternative would have been. The radiation, mild though it was, was still unpleasant enough that should I suspect cancer in the future I’ll be off to the doctor like a shot to avoid going through it again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-men-afraid-of-castration/148500.md?page=1)