FOR International Men’s Day 2024, UK-based charity Lepra is raising awareness of a condition which, despite the availability of a simple surgical fix, has a profound impact on the physical, social and emotional health of men.
Hydrocele causes fluid to collect around the genitals leading to extreme swelling. 1% of men globally will be affected by the condition in their lifetime. It is estimated that half of men infected with the neglected tropical disease ‘lymphatic filariasis’ (LF) in childhood will develop the complication of hydrocele in adult life.
Over 657 million people worldwide remain threatened by LF, caused by filarial parasites, transmitted through mosquitoes, the infection causes damage to the lymphatic system which can remain hidden for some time before symptoms show. To have the greatest impact possible on this neglected disease, Lepra focuses its work in the highly endemic areas of India and Bangladesh, supporting some of the world’s most vulnerable people.
With hydrocele, the scrotum can become so swollen, that it becomes difficult for men to even walk, they struggle to maintain work and a livelihood to support their family. Often unable to have sex, men find their relationships can be put under strain and single men can find it difficult to find a partner accepting of their condition. Overall, hydrocele attracts significant prejudice, and discrimination and invariably leads to social isolation and emotional health difficulties.
Due to the social stigma surrounding the disease and concerns about the potential cost of surgery and travel for treatment, many men delay coming forward causing their condition to worsen, risking potential complications such as infection and infertility.
Unlike many diseases and conditions, however, hydrocele can be cured through a straightforward surgical procedure, a hydrocelectomy, with a recovery period of as little as two weeks.
Lepra’s State Coordinator, Rajni Kant Singh knows only too well the prejudice surrounding hydrocele. He said:
“I carried hydrocele for 6-7 years without telling anyone, only my wife and I knew. One day my brother noticed me walking strangely and he said you must come with me to see the doctor. The doctor took some tests and asked me to return the next day. It was a simple procedure that only took half an hour with local anaesthetic and now I am living a very normal life.”
Despite the progress Lepra has made in tackling the physical and social impact of hydrocele, there is still much work to be done. According to WHO, in 2023 there was an increase of 25,8886 men globally diagnosed with hydrocele and 7,380 surgeries reported.
On 20 November 2024, Lepra is set to announce its new ambitious global strategy, which offers hope to thousands of men living in endemic areas of India and Bangladesh. Working in partnership with national and local government and existing healthcare structures, Lepra helps by providing specialist treatment services to support people to overcome the physical, social, and emotional impact of their diagnosis.
Thanks to Lepra’s advocacy at the state level, in August the Government in Bihar (India) committed to providing additional funding to greatly increase the availability of surgery for men affected by the condition. To date, a total of 4000 surgeries have been successfully conducted, and it is hoped that through partnering with local government and endemic communities, Lepra can continue to improve the availability of care for people affected by LF across other states of India.
The involvement of people affected by LF is at the core of Lepra’s approach. Throughout India and Bangladesh, Lepra facilitates networks of community support groups, run by trained volunteers, who play a vital role in providing information and awareness campaigns prior to local screening drives. The groups help people to understand the importance of early detection and treatment, to allay any fears and to break down social stigma around the disease.
Please help Lepra this November, a donation of £15 will enable a trained community volunteer to provide an awareness-raising campaign to facilitate life-changing surgery and support the social and emotional impact of men’s diagnosis.
To find out more or to support Lepra, please visit www.lepra.org.uk or scan the QR code.
