Microplastics in human penis raises questions

Microplastics have been discovered in penises for the first time, raising questions about a potential role in erectile dysfunction, reports The Guardian newspaper of UK and Nature, a multidisciplinary science journal. Both quoted a recent study elaborated in the IJIR: Your Sexual Medicine Journal.

It quoted a study that analysed tissue samples taken from five men who were undergoing surgery for an inflatable penile prosthesis, which is a treatment option for men with severe erectile dysfunction. The microplastics detected ranged in size from 0.5mm down to 0.002mm. Researchers said the penis could be particularly vulnerable to contamination with microplastics due to high blood flow during erections. Microplastics find their way into the human body by eating, drinking, and breathing and tiny particles have been detected in the blood as well.

Microplastics were found in the blood for the first time in 2022.

A study published in March this year found patients with microplastics in their blood vessels were more likely to suffer stroke, heart attack or early death.