BY: DUSTIN BATTY
Diphallia, penal duplication, or more simply, double dick syndrome, is a medical condition wherein the subject is born with two penises. This condition may sound like a dream for some, especially since the man known only as “Double Dick Dude” came out and began sharing his experiences three years ago. For most people who suffer from it, though, diphallia is more of a curse than a blessing.
According to Medical Daily, this rare condition only affects about one in 5.5 million boys. The first reference to diphallia is in a report by Johannes Jacob Wecker, a Swiss philosopher, alchemist, and physician. Wecker came across the corpse of a man with two penises in Bologna, Italy in 1609. Since that time, only around a hundred confirmed cases of diphallia have been reported.
The fact that this condition manifests so infrequently is a good thing, because it is often accompanied by serious medical complications. These complications range from the development of a malformed urethra, bladder, and/or anus to issues with the kidneys or spine. Though surgery is performed to correct these birth defects when possible, people born with diphallia often die at a young age from infections and kidney failure. Many of these complications are described in an article in the Iranian Journal of Pediatrics.
Medical experts hypothesise that diphallia can manifest between the 23rd and 25th days of gestation if the foetus is “deeply disturbed by trauma, drugs or infections.” An article in the Journal of Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons says that diphallia can occur in three ways. The first is called “true diphallus,” which means the patient has two independent penises. The second is called “bifid phallus” or “bifid diphallus,” which means that the patient has a cleft penis. The third is called “pseudodiphallus,” which means that the patient has one normal penis and one “rudimentary” (underdeveloped) penis. The medical complications associated with diphallia can occur with any of these manifestations.
Though the famous (infamous?) Double Dick Dude apparently has two fully functioning penises and no associated congenital complications, his condition is extremely rare. In fact, he may be the only person alive for whom that is true. Diphallia is very uncommon, and in the vast majority of cases, very dangerous.
