In a very small number of male babies – about 0.3 percent – there is an abnormality in the position of the urethral opening on the penis. In epispadias, the opening is on the upper surface of the penis, and the penis may curve upward; in hypospadies, the opening is on the underside of the glans (head), and the penis may curve downward. In rare cases, the urethral opening lies between the genitals and the anus, and the genitals may appear to be female. Surgery can be carried out in the preschool years to correct the defect, allowing normal passage of urine and, in later life, normal sexual intercourse. Neither of these conditions, even in the severe form, causes infertility.
