Question: I am trying to find out if I need to tell my husband, or just strongly suggest, that he sees a doctor. I think he should go, but reminding him I'm not a doctor, and anything that appears suddenly, with no obvious cause which results in pain/impaired function or both needs to be seen by a doctor don't appear to be good enough reasons for him. He needs to understand why something has to be looked at - he's got difficulties on the autistic spectrum, paranoid schizophrenia and is a non-drinking alcoholic. He's flatly refused to see a doctor (embarrassment?! and an unwise decision on his part, but there's nothing I can do about it), but has agreed to let me try to find some info on how seriously he should be taking this. Recently, the only way to get him to go to the doctor after coughing persistently for 3 months, it was necessary to tell him as a long-term (often heavy) smoker coughing badly for 3 solid months he needed to be checked out to rule out lung cancer (it was clear; cough likely caused by viral infection as the oral cavity and throat were, and are, rather inflamed). Feel free to be blunt; he understands the need to address majorly scary (to most) stuff.

His general health is good, with BP, heart and no signs of diabetes/pre-diabetes. He's a white male, 37, 14stone and 6ft tall. His BMI is just on the overweight side of the border - he hasn't made it to obese yet. He takes regular physical activity, and regularly rides 30 miles cross-crountry - including the 600m difference between home and the top of the hill above us. He occassionally suffers ocular migraines, and despite having a lot of discomfort in his muscles and joints from knees to neck has yet to make time to do the remedial exercises advised by the physio to correct his posture, gait and skewed pelvis and spine so still walks like a cock-eyed XXXXXXX Other major medical events include appendectomy and crush injury to the left foot (both full recovery with no after-effects or long-term damage), and most of the usual childhood illnesses.
Medication: Prescribed 10mg Zyprexa (olanzepine) pd, and supplementary px of 2.5mg Zyprexa which is PRN. OTC medications are rarely taken, but if he does then it's usually 1-2 500mg paracetamol tablets; usually about once every couple of months.
He is self-employed, and works full-time as a freelance specialist writer in the US and UK.
In the last few days he has suddenly noticed what looks like a hard, raised white line along his penis. It's not painful to touch (except if he keeps fiddling with it to see if it hurts....!), and looks like a vein, except it isn't blue. He has no pain or difficulty urinating, but noticed it 3 days ago when masturbating; although it doesn't appear to be around the entire circumference, he was unable to get, and keep a full erection. I forgot to ask if he had been ale to ejaculate.
I've not been able to find any information that describes these symptoms on patient medical information sites, and flatly refuse to try trawling through more specialist medical sites; I'm his wife, not his doctor, and wish things to stay that way. I'm also not familiar enough with either GUM or urology to make any educated guesses at what terms to use.