Male menstruation
Encyclopedia
Male menstruation is a term occasionally unofficially used for a type of bleeding in the urine or faeces, reported in some tropical countries. It is actually caused by parasite infestation of the urinary tract or intestines by Schistosoma haematobium
, and cases of it are actually schistosomiasis
, formerly known as bilharziasis. In some tropical peoples that work in wet places such as rice fields, most boys pick up Schistosoma, and start the bleeding, about puberty when they start working in the rice fields, and uneducated locals think that it is normal and refer to it as the male equivalent of female menstruation, and call it by their native language word for "menstruation".
In at least one case, it was reported that a boy in an affected area started work in a factory instead of the rice fields, and so did not pick up Schistosoma, and did not develop the bleeding, and his father took him to a doctor asking for investigation of primary amenorrhoea.
In some cases of this affliction, the condition is unnoticeable until after a slight shrinkage of the penis. This event is not common amongst all males, but it can be harmful if signs are not noticed and treated. Males between the ages of 13 and 21 are recommended to visit a doctor at least twice a year to ensure there are no possible signs. Some signs, which do not always happen, are a yellowish discharge from the penis, excitedness when least expected, and an odd feeling which many with this condition call undescribable.
This is to be distinguished from genuine menstruation
in an anatomically intersex
human who has a functioning menstruating womb but external sexual organs which are on the male side of ambiguous in form, or the menstruation
experienced by trans men.
Schistosoma haematobium
Schistosoma haematobium is an important digenetic trematode, and is found in the Middle East, India, Portugal and Africa. It is a major agent of schistosomiasis; more specifically, it is associated with urinary schistosomiasis....
, and cases of it are actually schistosomiasis
Schistosomiasis
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by several species of trematodes , a parasitic worm of the genus Schistosoma. Snails often act as an intermediary agent for the infectious diseases until a new human host is found...
, formerly known as bilharziasis. In some tropical peoples that work in wet places such as rice fields, most boys pick up Schistosoma, and start the bleeding, about puberty when they start working in the rice fields, and uneducated locals think that it is normal and refer to it as the male equivalent of female menstruation, and call it by their native language word for "menstruation".
In at least one case, it was reported that a boy in an affected area started work in a factory instead of the rice fields, and so did not pick up Schistosoma, and did not develop the bleeding, and his father took him to a doctor asking for investigation of primary amenorrhoea.
In some cases of this affliction, the condition is unnoticeable until after a slight shrinkage of the penis. This event is not common amongst all males, but it can be harmful if signs are not noticed and treated. Males between the ages of 13 and 21 are recommended to visit a doctor at least twice a year to ensure there are no possible signs. Some signs, which do not always happen, are a yellowish discharge from the penis, excitedness when least expected, and an odd feeling which many with this condition call undescribable.
This is to be distinguished from genuine menstruation
Menstruation
Menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining . It occurs on a regular basis in sexually reproductive-age females of certain mammal species. This article focuses on human menstruation.-Overview:...
in an anatomically intersex
Intersex
Intersex, in humans and other animals, is the presence of intermediate or atypical combinations of physical features that usually distinguish female from male...
human who has a functioning menstruating womb but external sexual organs which are on the male side of ambiguous in form, or the menstruation
Menstruation
Menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining . It occurs on a regular basis in sexually reproductive-age females of certain mammal species. This article focuses on human menstruation.-Overview:...
experienced by trans men.