Despite our deepest desires and wildest wishes, most of us aren’t perfectly symmetrical. Our eyebrows are angled slightly differently. One arm is just a tiny bit longer than the other. Maybe we even need two different sizes of shoes. Your testicles, as another two-part component of your body, are no different. But is there ever a reason to worry about your balls looking more like cousins than twins?
That depends — have they always been different, or is their asymmetry a new development?
“There’s almost always a small discrepancy in testicular size,” says Joshua Gonzalez, a board-certified urologist and sexual health advisor for Astroglide. “The testicles usually stop growing after puberty. So if there’s a new or sudden change in size in one or both testicles, you should see a doctor.”
For that reason, it’s important for you to keep an eye on your testicles and maintain familiarity with them. That way, if something does change, you’ll know it. “I always encourage my patients to examine their testicles monthly,” Gonzalez tells me. “They should inspect for changes in size and texture. One finding to be concerned about is if they feel a hard lump within the testicle itself. This could represent cancer, and they should have a doctor examine them.”
There are a handful of less scary reasons why your balls might suddenly be different sizes, too. One is epididymitis, or an inflammation of the epididymis, a duct behind the testicles. Typically, your balls will feel sore and swollen along with a small increase in size. It can happen randomly, or it can be the result of a sexually transmitted infection like chlamydia. Other potential causes include testicular torsion, wherein the testicles and spermatic cord become tangled or twisted, or a benign cyst. Again, all are 100 percent doctor-worthy, and all will require some kind of treatment.
But if you’ve always had mismatched balls and now you’re sitting here wondering why you couldn’t have been born with a beautiful, perfect, symmetrical sack, there’s really not much of an explanation. It’s just one of those things! If anything, it might be genetic. So why not ask your dad if he’s got mismatched balls, too?
Magdalene Taylor
Magdalene Taylor is a staff writer at MEL. She covers internet culture, sex and the online adult industry. She lives in Brooklyn but is from God's Country, Western Massachusetts.
