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World's Second Man With Three Genitals Discovered
The rare case was published in the Journal of Medical Cases. Surprisingly, the abnormalities in the 78-year-old man were discovered only after his death. He had spent his entire life donating his body to science.
According to doctors, only one of the three organs was functioning. One was in the correct position, and the other two genitals were attached to the skin of the scrotum.
It is believed that the man may have lived his entire life without even knowing about his "remarkable anatomical features", as scientists put it.
Doctors at the University of Birmingham Medical School say only one in five to six million boys is born with more than one penis. There are just over 100 cases of bicephaly – having two penises – recorded worldwide. However, he is only the second person in the world to be recorded as having three reproductive organs.
The first case was reported in Iraq in 2020. Triphalia was diagnosed in a three-month-old boy from Dohuk. Urologists discovered that the extra penis had no urethra and decided to perform surgery to remove it.
The Birmingham scientists noted that the third additional organ had different anatomical features. It lacked a cavernous body, spongy tissue and urethra.
In the article, doctors said this could leave a man living with "functional disabilities." These could include urinary tract infections, erectile dysfunction, or fertility problems.
Another disorder may be dyspareunia, or prolonged or recurrent pain in the genitals, occurring immediately before, during or after sexual intercourse. This can be a real problem, as secondary and tertiary reproductive organs may become erect.
Scientists still cannot understand why such deviations occur. There is no single known risk factor, but it is believed that it occurs randomly during the development of the reproductive organs in the uterus.