Saturday, April 28, 2012

Science: "Can You Die If Someone Squeezes Your Testicles Hard Enough?"

From Gizmodo:
Today it was reported that a woman killed a man by squeezing his testicles. My immediate question was: can you die if someone squeezes your testicles hard enough? I asked Dr. Irwin Goldstein, urologist and San Diego Sexual Medicine's director. Here's the answer:
Yes, the testicles are exquisitely sensitive to touch and there is a huge release of adrenalin when there is excessive force applied to these organs.
Testicular pain is referred to the lower abdomen, mesenteric plexus, and causes men to stop abruptly what they are doing, lie on the ground, close their eyes and bend their knees.
A heart attack could certainly result from severe testicular pain from squeezing.
So there you have it. Maybe the man in China didn't die specifically from the testicle squeezing—we don't have access to his autopsy report—but yes, apparently any man can die from a heart attack caused by severe testicular pain.
HT: The Rhetorician