Penis captivus
Encyclopedia
Penis captivus describes a supposed event that occurs in rare instances during heterosexual intercourse
when the muscles in the vagina
clamp down on the penis
much more firmly than usual (a form of vaginismus
), making it impossible for the penis to withdraw from the vagina. There is only one known report of penis captivus, in a letter to the British Medical Journal relating to an apparent case in 1947. According to the BMJ
, this condition was otherwise unknown in the twentieth century. Penis captivus should not be confused with the relatively common condition vaginismus
, though a relation between the supposed event of penis captivus and the occurrence of vaginismus is assumed in the existing descriptions.
The first report of the phenomenon, in an 1884 article by the fictitious Egerton Yorrick Davis in The Philadelphia Medical News, was later discovered to be a hoax perpetrated by Sir William Osler
. Historians speculate that he was annoyed by an editorial published in the same journal by Dr. Theophilus Parvin, "An Uncommon Form of Vaginismus". Both men served on that respected journal's editorial board.
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
when the muscles in the vagina
Vagina
The vagina is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. Female insects and other invertebrates also have a vagina, which is the terminal part of the...
clamp down on the penis
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
much more firmly than usual (a form of vaginismus
Vaginismus
Vaginismus, sometimes anglicized vaginism, is the German name for a condition which affects a woman's ability to engage in any form of vaginal penetration, including sexual intercourse, insertion of tampons and/or menstrual cups, and the penetration involved in gynecological examinations...
), making it impossible for the penis to withdraw from the vagina. There is only one known report of penis captivus, in a letter to the British Medical Journal relating to an apparent case in 1947. According to the BMJ
BMJ
BMJ is a partially open-access peer-reviewed medical journal. Originally called the British Medical Journal, the title was officially shortened to BMJ in 1988. The journal is published by the BMJ Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Medical Association...
, this condition was otherwise unknown in the twentieth century. Penis captivus should not be confused with the relatively common condition vaginismus
Vaginismus
Vaginismus, sometimes anglicized vaginism, is the German name for a condition which affects a woman's ability to engage in any form of vaginal penetration, including sexual intercourse, insertion of tampons and/or menstrual cups, and the penetration involved in gynecological examinations...
, though a relation between the supposed event of penis captivus and the occurrence of vaginismus is assumed in the existing descriptions.
The first report of the phenomenon, in an 1884 article by the fictitious Egerton Yorrick Davis in The Philadelphia Medical News, was later discovered to be a hoax perpetrated by Sir William Osler
William Osler
Sir William Osler, 1st Baronet was a physician. He was one of the "Big Four" founding professors at Johns Hopkins Hospital as the first Professor of Medicine and founder of the Medical Service there. Sir William Osler, 1st Baronet (July 12, 1849 – December 29, 1919) was a physician. He was...
. Historians speculate that he was annoyed by an editorial published in the same journal by Dr. Theophilus Parvin, "An Uncommon Form of Vaginismus". Both men served on that respected journal's editorial board.