Lawsuit Alleges Sex Gel Destroyed Man’s Penis

A Philadelphia man has filed suit in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Appeals alleging that a personal lubricant caused permanent disfigurement and loss of sensation in his penis.

In court papers, Michael Lowe claims a personal lubricant he purchased from a local shop caused his manhood to burn and swell. As a result of the desensitizing and disfiguring effects of the defective gel, Lowe is suing both the local point of purchase as well as The Kama Sutra Co. and Kamsut Inc. of Thousand Oaks, California.

Prior to the September 1, 2012 incident, Lowe had used Kama Sutra Pleasure Balm Prolonging Gel without a problem. On that particular day, he applied the product with the intent of having sex with his fiancée.

However, the couple was temporarily interrupted during intercourse, and while awaiting his partner’s return, Lowe began to experience “excruciating pain and pressure in his penis,” according to the Courthouse News Service. Once he removed the condom, Lowe’s member became abnormally and grotesquely engorged and he sought emergency medical treatment thereafter.

According to Lowe, the lubricant-stimulated swelling irreparably damaged the tissue and nerves of his penis, permanently scarring and disfiguring him, in addition to causing a permanent loss of sensation and proper function – as Lowe is now incapable of ejaculating.

Thomas Kline of Philadelphia’s Klein and Specter is representing Lowe in the case. They are seeking damages for injuries sustained, recovery for lost wages, as well as compensation for pain, suffering, and humiliation.

A lubricant is a substance introduced to reduce friction between moving surfaces such as flesh against flesh – as in the case of personal lubricants which are designed to enhance human sexual activity. Lubricants are specifically made to be applied with or without condoms and can be oil, silicone, or water-based.

Certain personal lubricants maintain the integrity of barrier prophylactics when used in conjunction, as some petroleum and oil-based products can degrade the elasticity quality of latex condoms, causing breakage and slippage. Allergic reactions are also possible. Therefore, it is wise to research the product for its ingredients and intended application.

Specialty lubricants have grown popular in recent years, as they’ve been enhanced to create a warming, cooling, or tingling effect, and come in various flavors. There are organic varieties as well as sperm-friendly (fertility) and sperm-inhibiting (spermicide) specific brands.

[Image via Flickr]