What is Genital Injury?
Genital injuries include any injury or damage to the reproductive organs, either internally or externally. Injuries can occur from sexual abuse, assault, and rape when girls place various objects (crayons, pins or toilet paper) into the vagina while exploring their bodies. when a boy gets his zipper caught in penile skin or falls with legs apart on a hard surface such as a bar or middle of a bicycle (straddle injury).
Symptoms of Genital Injuries
Some of the symptoms of genital injuries may include:
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Bleeding
- Pain in the groin
- Genitals or abdomen
- Vomiting
- Painful or inability to urinate
- Foul-smelling vaginal discharge.
- Serious injuries can lead to penile fracture, testicular rupture, amputations and penetrating injuries.
When you present to the clinic with genital injuries, your doctor obtains detailed information about the type of object that has caused the injury (sharp or blunt), performs a thorough physical examination and may order imaging studies to investigate internal damage.
Depending on the cause of injury, your doctor will prescribe NSAIDs and medication to control inflammation and pain. You will be advised to control swelling with rest and ice application. Strangulation injuries such as zipper injuries are managed by carefully cutting open the constricting agent and releasing the underlying skin/tissue. Treatment may sometimes include surgical removal of damaged tissue and repair of lacerations with sutures.