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The good news is that these injuries are not usually serious, though a boy will usually feel pain and could even feel nauseated for a while. Some sports require boys to wear special underwear with a shield, called an athletic cup, to protect the penis and scrotum, but most of the time boys don't wear this kind of protection. It can happen if someone bumps or kicks a boy there. It can happen while he's riding his bike or playing sports. Unfortunately, there are lots of ways for a boy to hurt his penis or scrotum. This area also has a lot of nerve endings - which make it extra-sensitive - so if a soccer ball accidentally whams into a boy in that spot, it really hurts. But unless you count your underwear, there's no protection for a boy's penis or scrotum. Muscles protect other internal organs, like your liver and kidneys. The bones of your ribcage protect your heart and lungs. The scrotum (say: SKRO-tum) is the sac that hangs below and holds two small organs called testicles (say: TESS-tih-kulz). You might have grown up calling it something else, but penis (say: PEE-niss) is the official word for this part of a boy's body. Why? And more important, what do you do if you're having pain or another problem "down there"? Yow! If you're a boy, you probably already know your penis and scrotum are sensitive.
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