Definition and identification of child abuse by Finnish public health nurses.

OBJECTIVE

Hypospadiacs have been reported to be sexually less active, make their sexual debut later, have more negative genital appraisal and have less qualified professions than other men. We studied whether the reported differences are due to circumcised-like penile appearance.

METHODS

We compared the social and sexual life of hypospadias patients to circumcised patients. A detailed questionnaire was mailed to 64 patients operated for hypospadias and to 64 age-matched patients circumcised for phimosis 18-31 years ago.

RESULTS

Fortysix (75.0%) hypospadiacs and 43 controls (67.2%) returned the questionnaire. Sexual life and success in life in general among hypospadiacs did not differ from those of circumcised patients. Hypospadiacs were markedly more dissatisfied with the result of the operation (33 vs. 5%). Ten hypospadiacs and one control were dissatisfied with the appearance of their penis (p<0. 01). Thirty-seven hypospadiacs (80.4%) had voiding problems compared to 20 controls (46.5%) (p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrate that even patients with a less than perfect technical result are able to live a satisfactory sexual life and to succeed in life in general. Minor differences observed in sexual life between men operated for hypospadias and other men seem not to be due to the circumcised appearance of the penis even in cultures where circumcision is uncommon.