testicle question

[TexasEric]

I am 16 and I think I think I am pretty normal with puberty and stuff. I try not to masterbate too much but I been noticing when i do and whether I do it fast or take my time, when I finish my sack gets tight and my testicles pull up inside my body for a while. Usually things relax and goes back to normal but sometimes when one slips back out it feels kinda like getting hit in the nuts does. Me and my gf are talking about doing things (not going all the way) and I just want to know if it is normal and don't want to be embarrassed. I have noticed if i do it in a hot shower they don't pull all the way up inside. Thanks for a place like this where we can ask stuff.

[Siân]

Hi Eric

Welcome to the boards glad you found us!

So there are muscles in your scrotum that contract to pull your testes closer to your body - to keep them warm, or around orgasm for example. It's more unusual but not unheard of for them to retract all the way back up into the inguinal canals inside body. Retractile testicles usually sort themselves out before or during puberty, but it's worth getting it checked out by a healthcare professional, especially since you're experiencing pain with it. Does that something you feel able to do?

[TexasEric]

Hi - thanks for answering. Before school started this year I did get a sports physical and the doctor did check me there. I would have to ask my parents to get a me a doctor's appointment and that would mean explaining things to them and then talking to him about it - not sure I want to go through all that. Do you think there would there be an exam or just questions? There is a clinic at school but the nurse is female and that would really be awkward.I didn't mean that the pain was terrible and last a long time - just when things were relaxing back into place there was a squeeze and i get "that feeling" for a couple of minutes. Will that canal close up so it won't always happen?

[Sam W]

Hi TexasEric,

With getting the appointment, there are a few different options you could try. One is to look into scheduling it yourself (it can be helpful to learn how to start doing that sooner rather than later). The other is to figure out how to talk to your parents about getting an appointment in a way that you're comfortable with. Does one of those options sound more doable to you than the other?

We can't know for sure what the appointment would involve, but it's likely that there would be a physical or visual exam as well as questions.

[TexasEric]

I don't mind calling the doctor but I don't know if they would see me without my parent's OK first. I would pay the co-pay if they would. My parents are just really conservative and religious. They think masturbating is wrong I'd have to admit I do it because this is when it happens. Dad said wet dreams are normal and I guess it happens then too but I am not awake to know if it does. So it would really be hard to talk to them about why I want to go to the doctor. And when you say a visual exam, you don't mean i have to make it happen, do you?

[Heather]

I'm sorry your parents feel that way and that you have to feel so uncomfortable about masturbation in regard to them because of that.

So, you don't need parental permission to get ANY kind of healthcare in the United States, and you particularly have a right (so far still, anyway), to sexual healthcare without their permission. That's federal law.

You also do not have to disclose to your parents that you masturbate, and the doctor can't share that information with them if you share it with them or any other healthcare provider. But if you would prefer you have them take you, there are certainly ways you could tell them what is happening without saying anything about when it is.

But you can just make this appointment on your own, without their permission. Can you manage that?

[TexasEric]

Thanks for the quick answer. I can do that and it is a relief that the doctor doesn't have to tell. I'd be less nervous to know kinda what to expect in the exam. I know you guys aren't doctors and prob don't know for sure. Would be easier if it was just like him asking me questions rather than the physical exam - turn your head and cough thing. This is a cool place and I am glad I found it. I am reading other threads and learning lots. Thanks!

[Heather]

I'm glad it's been giving you what you need!

Probably it'll be both him asking you for information and then doing a physical exam. If and when someone is having testicular pain or discomfort, a doctor would be negligent not to do a physical exam: they often need to feel things to get a sense of what, if anything, might be the matter and to rule out things that would need treatment or present health problems if left unnoticed.

You can also ask about your healthcare privacy rights before you say anything if that makes you feel more comfortable, as well as asking the doctor what he will do in the exam so that nothing is a surprise.