I Give Men Blue Balls. Is It Fair?
How gaining insight into men’s physiology empowered me to be more assertive of my boundaries
I first heard the expression “blue balls” about two years ago. My date at the time casually said, “thanks for the blue balls,” after a make-out session that went from hot to cold. That night, we had kept all our clothes on, and to me, our embrace felt barely heated — just torrid kisses with strategic hand placement to heighten the romantic tension.
I don’t fully remember why that day we didn’t consummate the lust we reciprocated for each other; however, I vividly remember him walking out of my place, walking like a cowboy, visibly ill at ease in his pants. I attributed that to a lingering boner; I had no clue that it was actually linked to an unsatisfied one.
What are blue balls, really?
According to the “Oxford dictionary”— I actually mean Google, but I believe the source was legit enough — “blue balls” refers to pain experienced in the testes and scrotum resulting from prolonged sexual arousal without ejaculation. Testicles do not actually change color, in case you wondered!
The scientific name for this temporary condition is epididymal hypertension, and unless relieved by an orgasm, the pain may last for a few…
