An autopsy assistant has answered the question of what exactly happens to your penis when you die.
When it comes to what happens when we die, most discussions are focused around whether there's an afterlife waiting for us or if we'll see our lives played back to us in a final 'best bits' montage.
However, not many of us really think about what happens to our bodies when we kick the bucket, which is understandable as our physical form doesn't really matter to us after death.
For those who are morbidly curious, an forensic technician and autopsy assistant recently created a Reddit thread allowing anyone with questions or thoughts about what happens to the body after you die to get answers.
Advert
Because, of course, it's the internet one Redditor was bold enough to ask: "What happens to d**ks when the body decomposes? Do you ever chat with your coworkers about the body's d**ks?"
The original poster was unfazed by the question - and revealed the surprising thing which happens to mankind's third leg.
"They bloat pretty intensely, turn green, and get maggoty just like the rest of the body," OP replied to the question.
Truly a lovely mental image.
The OP went on to reveal that the penises of their dead patients are often discussed among co-workers - but don't worry, it's purely for medical reasons.
"We do have to talk about them sometimes," she wrote, explaining that the appendage is inspected for 'genital warts, trauma, tattoos and silicone implants' to mention on the body exam form.
She also revealed that circumcision used to be notified on documents, however, medical professionals are now moving away from that as its 'just not worth notating'.
"We have to remove jewellery if they have genital piercings, and if there is a catheter, we have to remove that as well," she added.
Hopefully this satisfies your curiosity.
As for why piercings are removed during an autopsy, OP went on to add that this is common practice as anything that can be removed from the body is returned to family (excluding anything illegal of course).
She also added that this includes items such as sex toys - not like this would be too embarrassing after we've died.
And if the thought of having your naked body or piercings removed makes you feel uncomfortable, just wait until you find out what happens to your tongue after you die.
Brenna Cooper