Medical examinations

[twf]

What if, for whatever reason, a doctor needs to examine a man’s erected penis. What moral options are available to a Catholic man? He can’t masturbate…he can’t look at erotic materials…he can’t entertain lustful fantasies. What could an understanding doctor suggest as an alternative means of examination?

CCC 2352:

By masturbation is to be understood the deliberate stimulation of the genital organs in order to derive sexual pleasure. (Emphasis added)

Part of the Catechism’s definition of masturbation includes the INTENT of gaining sexual pleasure. If the intent is purely medical, is the act still always intrinsically wrong?

 

[LilyM]

Well, I have both parents and a sister who are doctors, they discuss their work fairly freely with me. Offhand I don’t know of a single instance in which a man’s penis would need to be stimulated to erection in order to be examined. What specific conditions are you thinking of which would require it?

Bloodflow to the penis, problems with the foreskin and any other problems with the penis can all, as far as I am aware, be dealt with, and the penis examined in regards to them, without requiring the man have an erection.

 

[thistle]

What if, for whatever reason, a doctor needs to examine a man’s erected penis. What moral options are available to a Catholic man? He can’t masturbate…he can’t look at erotic materials…he can’t entertain lustful fantasies. What could an understanding doctor suggest as an alternative means of examination?

CCC 2352:

Part of the Catechism’s definition of masturbation includes the INTENT of gaining sexual pleasure. If the intent is purely medical, is the act still always intrinsically wrong?

It is not possible to get an erection for medical purposes. That’s a ridiculous notion.

 

[rick43235]

What if, for whatever reason, a doctor needs to examine a man’s erected penis.

I was drinking a can of Coke while reading CAF. Thankfully, I finished it before reading this. I’m afraid I would have blown a whole mouthful all over my monitor.

In my wildest dreams, I cannot imagine why a doctor would need to examine a man’s erect penis. That said, your question did get my imagination going:

“Well Rick, that’s quite a problem you’ve got there. Don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. Just to be on the safe side, maybe I’d better check it out while it’s erect. Get it up for me, will ya Big Guy?”

 

[LilyM]

I was drinking a can of Coke while reading CAF. Thankfully, I finished it before reading this. I’m afraid I would have blown a whole mouthful all over my monitor.

In my wildest dreams, I cannot imagine why a doctor would need to examine a man’s erect penis. That said, your question did get my imagination going:

“Well Rick, that’s quite a problem you’ve got there. Don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. Just to be on the safe side, maybe I’d better check it out while it’s erect. Get it up for me, will ya Big Guy?”

Even better - imagine a poor second or third year medical student in class:

Teacher: "Well, class, today we’re going to learn how to medically examine an erect penis … "

chaos ensues as horrified students stampede each other in their haste to get out of the classroom, never to return to the study of medicine

 

[Seatuck]

Yes, there are actually disorders where the doctor might want to see an erect member. But have no fear… no need to resort to sinful behavior.

Intracavernosal injection test

During this test, the doctor injects a medicine (usually prostaglandin E1) into the base of the penis to make an erection. This is called an intracavernosal injection. A similar medicine may also be placed into the urethra, the tube through which urine leaves the penis. This is called an intraurethral injection. The fullness of the erection and how long the erection lasts are measured.

 

[ALLGIRLS]

I smell a troll

There’s always these crazy questions, most likely w/ the intent to prove that the Catholic Church is “unreasonable” in her moral teachings. After all, how could giving yourself an erection be a sin if you have to for medical purposes?

And I’m sure the next question will be “And since having an erection w/o ejaculating is painful and medicallly dangerous, can the man then masturbate, just to get rid of the erection, which he only needed for medical reasons, anyway?”

Don’t feed the troll!!!

In Christ,

Ellen

 

[Lux_Caelum]

I was drinking a can of Coke while reading CAF. Thankfully, I finished it before reading this. I’m afraid I would have blown a whole mouthful all over my monitor.

In my wildest dreams, I cannot imagine why a doctor would need to examine a man’s erect penis. That said, your question did get my imagination going:

“Well Rick, that’s quite a problem you’ve got there. Don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. Just to be on the safe side, maybe I’d better check it out while it’s erect. Get it up for me, will ya Big Guy?”

ROFL. Wow, that was funny and your response was too. “Hey there, everything looks normal but could you stroke it a few times? I’d like to see what happens.”

 

[Newbie2]

It is not possible to get an erection for medical purposes. That’s a ridiculous notion.

“Not possible” or “Not necessary”?

I’m pretty sure it’s “possible”…otherwise, how are “reproductive samples” collected?

 

[LilyM]

“Not possible” or “Not necessary”?

I’m pretty sure it’s “possible”…otherwise, how are “reproductive samples” collected?

Not necessary.

Can be collected by means of a special condom - perforated with a few holes. Used during sexual relations, it allows enough semen to get through so that it isn’t in breach of Church law against contraception, but retains some in the condom as well, enough to provide a sample which can be tested.

Sounds like much more fun getting a sample by being intimate with your wife than masturbating!

 

[Newbie2]

Not necessary.

Can be collected by means of a special condom - perforated with a few holes. Used during sexual relations, it allows enough semen to get through so that it isn’t in breach of Church law against contraception, but retains some in the condom as well, enough to provide a sample which can be tested.

Sounds like much more fun getting a sample by being intimate with your wife than masturbating!

Well, yes.

What I meant was that for certain procedures, an erection is…um…mandatory, and I was sort of addressing the “non-Catholic” way of collecting a sample.

I’m not aware of any procedure that requires such a “state”, but there may be. If so…it certainly isn’t for pleasure that one would “achieve” such a state…especially if the diagnostic procedure involved a catheter or needle. YOW!!!

 

[LilyM]

Well, yes.

What I meant was that for certain procedures, an erection is…um…mandatory, and I was sort of addressing the “non-Catholic” way of collecting a sample.

I’m not aware of any procedure that requires such a “state”, but there may be. If so…it certainly isn’t for pleasure that one would “achieve” such a state…especially if the diagnostic procedure involved a catheter or needle. YOW!!!

I don’t understand your question. The poster TOLD us how an erection is ‘manufactured’ when required - prostaglandin is injected into the penis to make it happen. Such a procedure is fine - it’s similar to the phenomenon of waking up in the morning with a completely involuntary erection.

Neither of these have anything to do with sexual stimulation or arousal, unlike masturbation which is all about sexual stimulation and arousal. Which is probably what is meant by ‘pleasure’.

Put it in context with other sexual sins. Adultery consists of the voluntary act of (or desire to) have sex with someone other than your spouse. You might do so and not end up getting any ‘pleasure’ out of it per se, but it’s nonetheless sinful, no?

 

[twf]

No AllGirls, I am not a troll…as you can see I am a senior member…and if you check my past posts you can clearly see that I am a sincere, practicing Catholic. Seatuck’s answer was actually useful…YES there are certain conditions where the doctor does want to examine the penis erected…in my ignorance I didn’t realize that there was medication for that purpose. Thank you…my question is answered.

 

[Doople]

What if, for whatever reason, a doctor needs to examine a man’s erected penis. What moral options are available to a Catholic man? He can’t masturbate…he can’t look at erotic materials…he can’t entertain lustful fantasies. What could an understanding doctor suggest as an alternative means of examination?

CCC 2352:

Part of the Catechism’s definition of masturbation includes the INTENT of gaining sexual pleasure. If the intent is purely medical, is the act still always intrinsically wrong?

There are drugs that can be injected to make the penis have an erection. This is done sometimes to see if a scar is healed or to see if it functions. No masturbation is needed.

Different question, **what if they need a sperm sample and you are unmarried? **(IE - for a paternity test, police request it?)

 

[JPUSC]

Yes, there are actually disorders where the doctor might want to see an erect member. But have no fear… no need to resort to sinful behavior.

Intracavernosal injection test

During this test, the doctor injects a medicine (usually prostaglandin E1) into the base of the penis to make an erection. This is called an intracavernosal injection. A similar medicine may also be placed into the urethra, the tube through which urine leaves the penis. This is called an intraurethral injection. The fullness of the erection and how long the erection lasts are measured.

Ouch, that sounds like it hurts. I’d rather do it the normal way, ha.

 

[Earnest_Bunbury]

This is 15 posts of my life I won’t ever get back! 16 for the next guy. Enough!

 

[Newbie2]

I don’t understand your question.

Which question?

 

[LilyM]

Which question?

I mean your statments - as in the ones in post 11 which I quoted, duh.

 

[LilyM]

There are drugs that can be injected to make the penis have an erection. This is done sometimes to see if a scar is healed or to see if it functions. No masturbation is needed.

Different question, **what if they need a sperm sample and you are unmarried? **(IE - for a paternity test, police request it?)

Sperm isn’t needed in such situations, because they’re not looking to match sperm per se (as if a baby has sperm anyway!) What they ARE looking for is just to match your DNA with that of the baby, or with the DNA extracted from fluids found at a crime scene or on a victim.

There are a million other ways that authorities can get a sample of your DNA to do this matching. They can do a blood test, get a sample of your hair, swab of the inside of your cheek and so on.

 

[ALLGIRLS]

No AllGirls, I am not a troll…as you can see I am a senior member…and if you check my past posts you can clearly see that I am a sincere, practicing Catholic. Seatuck’s answer was actually useful…YES there are certain conditions where the doctor does want to examine the penis erected…in my ignorance I didn’t realize that there was medication for that purpose. Thank you…my question is answered.

twf:

I want to apologize for assuming you weren’t asking a sincere question . I should have checked you’re status b/f giving a kneejerk response. It just seemed like one of those “gotcha” posts that this board tends to attract. Again, I’m very sorry. :imsorry:

In Christ,

Ellen