Chapter 5 begins with griffins and gorgons, exploring the connections between wondrous objects and hybrids. Gorgons also prompt a discussion of gender and hybridity. This chapter juxtaposes the gorgon and other female demons who threaten mothers and children with the satyr, an exaggerated figure of the man identified by and with his penis. These matched exaggerations, by turns horrific and comic, illustrate the function of the hybrid as a projection of certain human anxieties: what if the man were no more than his erection? What if the woman were as dangerous as she is beautiful? What if a mother devoured her children instead of protecting them? Each caricature exists as a counterpoint to the ordinary men and women encountered in our daily lives, but in recognizing these alternatives the Greeks are also using the contrafactual to ask what exactly it means to be human. For this reason, transformation is a recurring theme in early Greek culture, with a wide range of applications from the stage to ritual initiation. Here too the cosmos is a space of entanglement. If a human shares some characteristic with an animal, does the divine also partake of this mutability?

Surgical correction of Peyronie’s disease remains the gold standard of treatment. The goals of surgery should be cosmetic improvement and the preservation or restoration of sexual function. Preoperative workup should include objective assessment of both curvature and erectile function, and shared decision-making with the patient to clearly understand expectations for surgery is critical, as there is a risk of penile shortening and erectile dysfunction with any Peyronie’s surgery. Peyronie’s surgeries fall into three broad categories: plication procedures, plaque incision and grafting, and placement of a penile prosthesis. While direct comparative studies are rare, plication surgeries are the most commonly performed, as they are technically simpler and have excellent satisfaction rates. Grafting techniques are most indicated for more severe cases. Prosthetic placement is appropriate for patients with concurrent erectile dysfunction, and placement alone can correct cases of mild curvature. Additional techniques to straighten the penis can be employed if needed.

Norms in sexual development as people get older, age of puberty and first sexual experiences, and variation in these. The role of cultural norms and parenting in sexual development norms and also biological factors.