Gentlemen, let’s go back to that moment you first dipped your pen, so to speak. The awkward fumbling around, the worrying if everything was going to work, the crying and apologising afterwards. Ah, to be young again.

Now imagine you were the 21-year-old recipient of the world’s first penile transplant, and it came time to see if everything downstairs was in full working order. Doctors, including the now famous Dr. Andre van der Merwe, initially gave the young man some sobering news. Here’s Newser:

Though van der Merwe says he expected sex to be viable in about two years (the amount of time it takes a man who has had his penis severed and then reattached to regain all function), the patient had sex far, far earlier. “Intercourse at five weeks was really scary…because I didn’t think there was a way that his body could have healed completely at the suture line. … But everything seems to be fine.”

From two years down to five weeks? It’s a medical miracle. Here’s hoping he takes it easy on his new member and rubbers up with an extra-strong Durex for reinforcement.

Van der Merwe also spoke about an interesting new donor coming forward to meet the growing demand for the surgery. Newser again:

…someone volunteered to donate his and be genderless, [but] the doctor says he’d be too wary of such a donor later changing his mind and “[hunting] down the person who has his penis or something”.

There’s a reality TV show in there somewhere. They just need to get that Hollywood voice-over guy on board and we have a hit.

[source:newser]