Hey Dr Sue — Are Blue Balls Real?

Yes, they are! It even has a real scientific name — epididymal hypertension.

If you’ve never heard of blue balls before it’s the tight, sometimes achy, feeling that guys can get in their testicles when there’s a big build of blood and muscle tension and then… no ejaculation. This usually happens when sex play gets interrupted for some reason. Is it uncomfortable? From what I’ve heard, yes. Are you going to die from it? Absolutely not.

What do you do if this happens to you? Honestly, the quickest way to get rid of that feeling is to ejaculate, either with a partner or by yourself. If you’re about to say something to the effect of “but my partner got me all hot and bothered, don’t they need to help fix it?” Seriously? You’re asking that? No, the answer is no, under no circumstances does your partner need to help fix it. If they offer to help that’s one thing, but otherwise no.

What if you don’t have testicles? Can you still get blue balls? Yes, yes you can. I’ve heard it called female blue balls (not my favorite term), blue vulva, and blue bean (bean meaning clitoris in case you’re not familiar with that term). What is it? The same kind of thing we see in guys. There’s a build up of blood and muscle tension in the genitals and then things get cut short and there’s a feeling of tightness or an ache. Orgasm and/or ejaculation usually make…