I was asked this question in class recently-for the first time! Love it when I have to research! This is the what I found out:
⏺⏺Most people with a penis have two testicles in their scrotum — but some only have one. This is known as monorchism. Monorchism can be the result of several things. Some people are simply born with just one testicle, while others have one removed for medical reasons.
⏺It’s estimated about 1 in every 25 people with penises are born with undescended testicles. In most cases no treatment is necessary, as the testicles will usually move down into the scrotum naturally during the first 3 to 6 months of life. But around 1 in 100 has testicles that stay undescended unless treated.
⏺ Cryptorchidism is defined as the absence of one or both testes from the scrotum. This condition originates during fetal development. It is the most common birth defect of the male genitalia.
⏺Testicular regression syndrome, or vanishing testes. During embryonic or fetal development, various disruptions of the testicular development can cause its complete failure and a missing testis. The damage to testicular tissue activates the immune system cells, which then resorb the testicular tissue. In such cases, the testis is present neither in the scrotum, nor in the inguinal canal.
⏺Surgical removal of the testis. Because of various testicular tumours, the testis may have to be removed.
👏 Most people who have one testicle have normal sexual development and are perfectly capable of having children 👏
👩⚕️ If you ever have any worries about your genitalia, go see your doctor.
FUN FACT-testicles are constantly producing new sperm in spermatogenesis. The full process takes about 64 days. During spermatogenesis, testicles make several million sperm per day — about 1,500 per second!!🥳
(Main source -fertilitypedia.org)
It is always interesting to think about why I am being asked these questions-is the person actually asking for themselves, a sibling, did they see it on TV and wondered if it could be true….? I ask my classes to write anonymous questions and hand them in on folded paper so they can feel free to ask anything. When they are my own class (I am also a class teacher so teach them all the subjects all day long, apart from when I move around the school to teach Relationships and Sex Ed to other classes) I can generally tell who has asked what question, based on the handwriting, which can be really helpful in case anyone is asking something which raises a red flag for me.