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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Linda Geddes Science correspondent

Risk of penile fractures rises at Christmas, doctors find

Loving couple kissing on a Christmas evening under the mistletoe
Couples are advised to be aware of the risk of injury, and exercise caution in the run-up to Christmas. Photograph: AleksandarNakic/Getty Images

It may be the season of loving and giving, but doctors have warned against embracing this spirit too enthusiastically – at least where sexual relations are concerned. They have discovered that the Christmas period is associated with a significantly increased risk of penile fractures – a medical emergency in which the erection-producing regions of the penis snap, usually as a result of forceful bending during over-enthusiastic sexual intercourse.

“This injury tends to occur during wild sex – particularly in positions where you’re not in direct eye contact [with your partner], such as the reverse cowgirl,” said Dr Nikolaos Pyrgides, a urologist at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, who led the research.

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