Topic Overview

When your child injures his or her genital area, the pain can be quite severe at first. Usually, the pain subsides over the course of a few minutes to an hour. The severity of the pain is not always an indication of the severity of the injury.

After an injury to the genital area, it is important to watch for urinary problems. A visit to a health professional is usually required if your child:

• Is unable to urinate.
• Has increasing trouble urinating.
• Has blood in his or her urine.

An injury can also damage the urinary tract. The kidneys are not as protected by the rib cage in children as they are in adults. Most injuries are “blunt” injuries, usually involving falls, such as landing on a bar, or car accidents. A blow to your child’s back may injure a ureter or kidney.

Sexual abuse and objects being placed in the urethra may injure the urethra or bladder. You may feel uneasy if your health professional brings up the issue of child abuse. Health professionals have a professional duty and legal obligation to evaluate the possibility of child abuse. It is important to consider this possibility, especially if there were no witnesses to your child’s injury.

If you think your child has been abused, call your local child protective agency, police, or a health professional. There are resources available for help.