Stories of service members who have lost limbs or suffered traumatic brain injuries as a result of blast injuries in Afghanistan or Iraq often make headlines, but another devastating consequence of these blasts is rarely discussed.

Between 2001 and 2013, more than 1300 male service members experienced urogenital injuries: 86 were classified as severe penile injuries, according to the US Department of Defense Trauma Registry. On average, these men were just 24 years old when they sustained these life-altering injuries, which can make urination, physical intimacy, and fathering a child more difficult.