5 Injuries People Have Actually Gotten From Sex, According to ER Doctors

Sex should be a fun and pleasurable experience that leaves you in a state of post-coital bliss — not one that sends you to the emergency room.

Unfortunately, injuries from sex do happen from time to time. Minor ones can often be managed at home, but more serious injuries may require a visit to the ER.

“As an ER physician, I’ve seen a wide range of injuries, but some of the most surprising and delicate ones involve sex-related mishaps,” Dr. Jordan Wagner, known as Doctor ER on YouTube, told HuffPost. “These injuries can be both embarrassing and painful, but they’re more common than you’d think.”

Below, ER docs share how these injuries happen, how they’re treated, and offer some words of warning so you can (hopefully) avoid them in your own bedroom.

1. A penis fracture

Penile fractures, while uncommon, can occur during sexual activity due to direct trauma to an erect penis. The penis does not contain bones, so the “fracture” is actually the tearing of the tunica albuginea — the outer lining of the tubes (called the corpora cavernosa) that fill with blood to create an erection.

ER doctor Joe Whittington, who runs the Dr. Joe MD TikTok account, recalls a man in his early 20s who came into the ER with a suspected penile fracture.

“It was his first sexual encounter, and he recounted how during the intense activity, his penis slipped out and bent forcefully against his partner’s pelvic bone,” he told HuffPost.

“He immediately heard a popping sound, followed by sharp pain, swelling, and bruising. We quickly confirmed the diagnosis and scheduled him for emergency surgery to repair the ruptured tunica albuginea.”

After surgery, the man was advised to abstain from sexual activity and given pain medication, Whittington said.