One testicle

[Englishman2024]

Hello all,

Due to a birth defect I was born with one ball/nut/testicle. Whatever you want to call it.

I have went on to be a father without any difficulty. I don't take that for granted after reading some threads on here. I was fitted with a prosthetic in my teens.

I've had 2 long term relationships but both of them never knew. Or if they did, they didn't mention it. I've had casual encounters and nobody has said anything afterwards. I've never confided in it to anyone. Maybe I feel ashamed even though it isn't my fault.

When I went to get a vasectomy obviously I had to tell them because it impacts the procedure. The surgeon was impressed about how good a job that was done with the prosthetic. I think he was referring to the way it looks and feels.

Other than the prosthetic and the initial investigation when I was very small, I haven't needed any medical input. Out of curiosity I tested my testosterone and it was quite high.

I think I've lived a normal life and it hasn't really impacted on me so far. The way I look and function is normal.

Question is, 1) would this put you off a long term relationship if you knew?

2. Should I mention it to any future partners and if so when? Or should I just keep living as I am.

Thanks for listening, any comments welcome, good and bad.

It wouldn't bother me in the slightest. I'm sure nobody would notice. One ovary here ✊

Of course it wouldn't put me off! If I were you, I'd mention it in a serious relationship, but not otherwise.

I don't understand the need for a prosthetic testicle. Very confusing. It isn't like you need to walk on it or need the counter weight for balance.

Who is it for?

It would be a non issue for me. Men evolved two testicles for the reason that you can still procreate if you lose one. Which you have proven.

Of course you can tell your partner. It really is a non issue.

Similar reasons for getting an implant after a mastectomy I suppose.

I’m not sure I’d even notice if someone just had one tbh. I’d just think the other had popped back inside for a bit

Well I have no idea either but I'd imagine they might be quite convincing and from what OP says, they did a pretty good job.

I have found this thread really interesting as my son had to have one of his testicles removed when he was 2 years old. I was so upset when it happened and I had lots of worried about what his future would hold in terms of relationships and fertility.

He’s 10 years old now and has always known that most men have two but he has one, and he understands why.

When he had the surgery we were told about the options of a prosthetic when he was post-18 years old but the surgeon said most men do not go on to have them these days.

When I see my son when he’s in the bath/shower he very obviously looks physically different and I do still worry about his future sometimes.

I’m not sure how much of a secret it will be as he announced last year, to his whole school year during the sex Ed. classes that he only has one testicle so its a regular topic of banter on the playground or when any friends come over 😂 My son embraces it, finds the jokes funny and has never been embarrassed talking about it so I’m glad he has that resilience at least.

But back to your post, I don’t think you ‘should’ have to tell women but I don’t understand why you think you should? What difference does it make to anything?

I also don’t think a woman would care at all.

@SmallIslander thanks for your kind words. Not pickled in a jar because it didn't exist in the first place haha .

@HeadInTheSand0324

It's great that your son is owning it. But I felt it was important and I did the right thing to keep it a secret, particularly in those teenage years. People can be cruel at secondary school. I remember one lad getting stick for it because his grandma told a mother, who then told her mouthy son. Then it was going around the school and people were taking the piss. I know it's a different era now.

The prosthetic helped me be free from having uncomfortable conversations. Yes there is some women I probably should have told about it. But there's times when I just wouldn't have wanted it brought up. For example, around the pool on a lads holiday. I just wanted to fit in and have a laugh.

Fertility wise I was never worried. And I was proved right not to worry.

I wish your son all the best and I'm sure it won't cause him and issues. I hope my story and the comments that follow give you confidence.

@SwordToFlamethrower I think just for confidence to appear "normal" and avoid difficult conversations.

@kkloo thanks for getting back on that and the reassurances. "Cute and adorable" and bollocks in the same sentence, I didn't think I'd ever see that! 😂

This

Awww your son sounds like a lovely boy. ☺️

You tell if you want to. I would not care one bit! I'd find it interesting, definitely not off-putting!
But you should mention the vasectomy, that is potentially important regarding a future.

He is - he takes it all in his stride.

I remember not long after he had it removed (he was somewhere between 2-3 years old) we were coincidentally getting him some new clothes, including pants, and he said to me, “Do I need special pants now that I’ve only got one basketball instead of two?”

😂😂

I told him the word he was looking for was testicle, not basketball 😂

We still laugh about that now and we always have a little private snigger if anyone mentions playing basketball or if it comes on the TV.

The current household humour is when he’s talking to his younger brother and the subject of “balls” comes up (my youngest is at ‘that’ age where balls is a funny word) and my oldest will shout, “I don’t have “balls” though do I?! I just have a ball!”

He gets very defensive if it’s even inferred that he has two of them!

😂😂

@HeadInTheSand0324 Haha. That is brilliant, what a character!

Both my brother and my best friend from school are missing a bollock. Brother had a testicular torsion in is late teens and it had to be removed and my friend had testicular cancer in year 8 in school. He has a prosthetic but my brother didn't bother.

Both are very upfront about it and neither seem to have had any trouble with women. Plenty of girlfriends and both now happily married with multiple children.

My cousin once dated a man with one testicle and she said she preferred it as it’s far easier to fit one in the mouth than two 😂 She said they regularly used to joke about it and that he found the sex based humour reassuring.

@HeadInTheSand0324 😲 looks like the prosthetic was a mistake haha.

I wouldn't care. There is no need to worry. Only mention it if you want to!

No, wouldn't put me off. If a woman likes you (loves you, even) it won't bother her in the slightest and you should feel confident enough to tell her.

@ICanBuyMyselfFlowers72 thanks. It'll be a big step to say it but I think I will with the right woman. I guess it would be good for her to know, like a show of faith, that she was the first to be told after all the years of saying nothing.

Appreciate all the feedback and encouragement and I hope this thread can support others in this situation or parents of them.

I had a good friend back in my 20s who had a ONS with a very handsome guy, who then went very weird on her afterwards. Finally he “ admitted” he only had one testicle. He was absolutely cut up about it and admitted it as if it was something shameful or a character flaw. She hadn’t noticed and didn’t care. However the relationship went nowhere, as if his body image issue was too much for them to overcome. She met someone else soon after. I still think of them. She died young.

Probably stating the obvious, but testicles play very little/ no part in a woman’s pleasure during sex.