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Miscellaneous
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Sex and spinal cord injuries
Originally Published: April 28, 1995
~ Last Updated / Reviewed on: July 18, 2003
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Dear Alice,
Boy do I have a question for you, Alice! A friend of mine has a spinal cord injury and is paralyzed from the waist down. I was wondering if he is capable of having an erection and ejaculating. Also, if a male has a catheter inserted into his penis, is it possible for him to have intercourse? Will the catheter cause him to feel uncomfortable during intercourse? Will the catheter cause any discomfort for the women?
Sign me,
Dear Wanting to be informed, A man's sexual response following spinal cord injury is largely determined by the level at which his spine was injured. This is because the nerves that supply the sexual functions stem from the lower segments of the spinal cord, resulting in paralysis of certain body parts, such as the lower extremities and trunk of the body. For a man, spinal cord injuries affect orgasm, erections, and ejaculation. Despite all this, men with spinal cord injuries have desire, erogenous zones, and feel pleasure. Many men who have lost all genital sensation are still capable of orgasms through stimulation of other body parts. A weak erection may be helped through the application of a tight rubber ring around the base of the penis. The constriction of blood flow often maintains the erection long enough for intercourse to occur. The ring needs to be removed directly after intercourse to prevent damage to the skin. For those unable to have an erection, surgical procedures exist to implant devices into the penis so that they can manually initiate an erection, or that leave the penis semi-rigid permanently. Orgasm, ejaculation, and the expulsion of semen may be assisted by using a finger-shaped electronic probe placed in the rectum to stimulate the prostate gland and seminal vesicles to produce semen. Ejaculation may also result from placing a powerful vibrator on the glans of the penis. If ejaculation is not physically possible, then sperm can be retrieved medically. Men who use indwelling catheters need to remove the catheter before intercourse, as movement during sex could push the balloon of the catheter through the sphincter of the bladder, resulting in serious damage. To help prevent a wet intercourse experience, men with spinal cord injuries can empty their bladder right before, and can avoid drinking fluids for an hour or two ahead of time. For more information, read Sex and Disabilities in Alice's Sexuality archive, and also contact the:
Ask for their free resource guide for people with spinal cord injury and their families.
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