Medical Questions » Male Problems Questions » Question No. 606
| Question: | I am 16 and one of my testicles doesn' t descend at all into my scrotum. I' ve kept this low-key because I didn' t know who to tell. I hope you can help. |
| Answer: | The testicles start their life inside the lower belly, and about the time of birth, move through a canal in the groin to rest in the scrotum. Occasionally in babies, one or both testicles may retreat into this canal, but should always come down easily with rest (check them when the baby is asleep, and not when crying) or with light finger manipulation.
If the testicles do not rest easily in the scrotum by five years of age, they should be placed there surgically.
By 16, your testes should certainly be in the scrotum. If one is not, you should see your GP at once to arrange for a minor operation (performed by a surgeon) that will move the testicle into its correct position. If it is left up in the groin, it will not function properly, and in later life may become cancerous.
A man may function normally sexually, and father children, with only one testicle, but the risk of cancer is a significant one, and a man of any age with an undescended testicle should seek a surgical repair.
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