Not for transgendered soldiers (at least not yet), but for male soldiers who have suffered the most devastating of “hidden wounds.” According to the DOD Trauma Registry database, ” there are 1,367 who suffered wounds on their genitals during the Afghanistan or Iraq wars from 2001 to 2013.” Most are under 35. Some lost their penis. Is it any wonder that “many soldiers also deal with the stigma, shame and embarrassment that stem from lost genitals”? Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine surgeons were recently given the go signal for 60 penis transplants. The organs will come from deceased donors and are expected “to develop sensation, perform urinary tasks and even be used for sexual functions.” Does this mean that some soldiers who die a senseless death in battle might live on, so to speak, after their death?
Joining the military won’t necessarily make a man out of you. In fact, it may do just the opposite. If you are a man, why join the military and take the chance that you might lose your manhood? There is no guarantee that when you join you won’t be sent to Iraq, Afghanistan, or Syria and get part of you blown off by an IED.
10:08 am on December 7, 2015
