THE MALE GENITAL SYSTEM
Sperm are produced in the
testicles, each of which is about two inches long, one inch wide, and less than
one inch thick. In man, unlike many animals, sperm production is continuous.
Each spermatozoon, when formed, is complete with head, neck, middle piece, and
tail. It is jostled along by the production of other sperm until it reaches the
epididymis.
Within this lump of tissue, which sits astride the testicle, sperm
mature and gain motility? The motility and ability to fertilize endure for
several weeks, after which a sperm cell, if it has not been emitted,
degenerates and liquefies. In emission, sperm travel up a tube, the vas
deferens. Seminal vesicles produce a yellow fluid which mixes with sperm and
constitutes much of the semen; the prostate also contributes a secretion.
The
mixture is ejaculated down the urethra along the penis. In an ejaculation,
there may be 300 million or more sperm. Prior to birth, the testes of a boy
baby lie within the abdominal cavity. At birth, they descend through the
inguinal canal into the scrotum. (If they fail to descend, as sometimes
happens, they can usually be surgically placed in the proper position.)
It is because of this passageway, the inguinal canal
that rupture (hernia) occurs so much more often in men than in women. You
should consult your physician if you notice a bulge in the groin toward the
upper part of the scrotum or in the lowest part of the abdomen just above the
tight cord that separates it from the thigh.
Don't listen to people who may
tell you to wear a truss. Only a physician is capable of deciding between the
relative merits of an operation and a truss in a particular case of hernia. Is
circumcision necessary? This operation removes the skin fold called the
foreskin or prepuce. It may be necessary if the fold covers the entire end of
the penis (the glans) and obstructs passage of urine, or is so tight that
irritation results. Otherwise, circumcision is a matter of choice. Some groups
have used it for millennia.
The Egyptians practiced circumcision before the
Hebrews made it a part of their religious customs. Circumcision is safe and
simple when performed in accordance with principles of modern aseptic surgery.
It can be performed late in life but is best done when a boy is seven or eight
days old and will experience no physical or emotional discomfort. Talk the
matter over with your family physician or pediatrician.
Circumcision does not
alter the sexual act or its enjoyment. Some believe that the greater freedom of
married Jewish women from cancer of the womb is due to circumcision of their mates
and resulting increased cleanliness of the penis. For the uncircumcised,
healthy practice is to scrupulously wash foreskin and glans of the penis
regularly, and especially before intercourse.
