CARNAL NATION

As they said on Saturday Night Live "In the rare case the erection should last more than twenty-four hours, call a friend and brag about it." For Dawud Yadulla it wasn't something to brag about. The former inmate is suing a prison nurse who failed to treat a 55-hour erection caused by an increase in his anti-psychotic medication. Yaduallah, 43, says diagnostic mistakes by nurse Judith Lovelace left him "irreparably injured" with "severe damage to his penis, including erectile dysfunction, inability to ejaculate and pain during sexual intercourse."

The New York Daily news reports that Yadallah (formerly David Hanley) is seeking a "stiff punishment" for "cruel and uncivilized conduct," because the nurse sent him back to his cell with an ice pack rather than sending him to a doctor for treatment. Yaduallah's lawyer, Elmer Keach III, said "The medical literature is clear that if you see a doctor within 24 hours, you generally won't have any permanent damage. He didn't see a doctor for over two days."

Priapism—a prolonged erection unrelated to physical or mental stimulation—can lead to lasting physical harm in as little as six hours due to limited blood flow in the penis. If you have an erection that lasts longer than a few hours in the absence of stimulation and becomes painful, don't worry about embarrassment. Worry about your future. The important thing is to get help quickly.