Okay, so this is just a transcript of my latest YouTube video in case anyone wanted it.
By far the question I most often get asked regarding my disability is "can you have sex?" The simple answer is “yes.” However, it really isn’t all that simple. My injury level is T6-8, but it is incomplete. This causes a lot of problems when trying to classify things that I can or cannot do. When dealing with incomplete SCIs (spinal cord injuries) no two cases are the same. There are basically three different things that happen when it comes to male SCI patients’ ability to have sex. Some can get erections and ejaculate, some can get erections but cannot ejaculate, and others cannot get erections at all. This is all depending on where the injury is, if it is complete or incomplete, and if it is incomplete, the degree of …well for lack of a better word, “incompleteness.”
There is actually a 4th thing that can happen, but it is more of a side note than a distinct difference. Some paraplegics that can ejaculate experience what is known as retrograde ejaculation. This means that the semen goes into the bladder rather than out the penis.
Because of the incomplete nature of my injury, my doctors over the years haven’t told me much since it varies from person to person and there isn’t a definitive answer for any particular question. As a result, I’ve had to learn a lot about my injury on my own.
If you will all indulge me for a moment on a short little tangent about what I just mentioned I will give you an example. Shortly after the accident happened, my mom was taught how to cath me for when I had to urinate. At the time, the doctors assumed I would have to use this method in order to pee. However, it turned out that I did not have to do it this way. Other people that have the same spinal cord injury level may have to do it that way. …or possibly even a different way that I’m unaware of. Pretty much the only difference there is from me taking a piss and a “regular” person is that I do it sitting down.
Anyway, back to the original topic of sex. I mentioned at the beginning about the 3 (well, 4) options. For me, it is option number two. I can get an erection on my own (that is without the help of a pump or Viagra or something similar), but I never ejaculated. Now without getting into too much gross detail, there have been occasions when after a period of arousal, I had to urinate and found what appeared to be semen coming out of my penis. So it is possible that once in a while I’ve experienced retrograde ejaculation and not realized it. Additionally there have been times where pre-ejaculate has come out. The bottom line, though, is that I’ve never ejaculated while erect.
Now since this happens to numerous paraplegics and (possibly) quadriplegics, a few companies have come up with products that are meant to fix this issue. Some men are able to ejaculate with the help of a vibrator by placing it on the head of the penis. One particular vibrator specifically designed for paraplegics is made by Ferticare.
However, the for some SCI patients, having an orgasm with a vibrator can be dangerous. Some people with lesions above the T6 level may experience AD (autonomic dysreflexia) as a result of having an orgasm depending on various circumstances. Autonomic dysreflexia symptoms can include stuffy nose, headaches, profuse sweating, goosebumps, high blood pressure for a short period of time, and just a general feeling of uneasiness. Although those things don’t sound too bad, in severe cases it can lead to stroke, edema, or even death. AD is usually triggered by painful sensations, but can also be brought on from pleasurable ones as well, though this is much more rare.
I just want to take some time to discuss something that I probably should have talked about earlier in the video, but I wasn’t sure where to fit it in. For the most part, the general public view paraplegics and quadriplegics as non-sexual beings. For many, if not all, paras and quads this is untrue. I know that I enjoy not only sex, but also the emotional closeness that comes with having a romantic partner and intimacy with them. That is actually the best part about sex, for me. You don’t have to take my word for it, though. In doing a little bit of research for this video, I found a study published in the medical journal Spinal Cord in 2006. In that study, paraplegics ranked regaining sexual function higher than regaining the ability to walk.
http://www.youtube.com/WheelzOfFortune
