Uncircumcised Penis

Uncircumcised Penis
How to Care for an Uncircumcised Penis

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Barbara Poncelet, CRNP, is a certified pediatric nurse practitioner specializing in teen health.
Jonathan Jassey, DO is a private pediatrician at Bellmore Merrick Medical and is board certified by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

With circumcision rates decreasing, more parents are wondering about the meaning of being uncircumcised. An uncircumcised penis is the natural default state, present at birth, with the foreskin intact. Circumcision removes the foreskin and is performed for a variety of cultural reasons on newborns, and as a treatment for some conditions for older children and adults.

Often, once parents make the decision to not circumcise their baby, they're unaware of what to do with their child's uncircumcised penis. They may have heard confusing, conflicting, or just plain wrong information about how to care for an uncircumcised penis . Let's set the record straight on what's normal, what's a problem, and what's an emergency.

At birth, a baby's penis still has a layer of skin over the head (glans). This layer is called the "foreskin" or "prepuce," and it is attached to the head of the penis.

This is completely normal and does not mean there's something wrong. As the child grows, the foreskin begins to separate naturally, or "retract," from the head of the penis.

As the foreskin starts to retract, sometimes a white, cheesy material builds up under it. The material, called "smegma," is made up of the skin cells that slough off during the separation process.

Sometimes smegma may develop into white pearl-like lumps. Though these lumps can look like an infection or a cyst, they're completely normal. 1

Parents are often concerned that the foreskin isn't separating fast enough, and they will make the mistake of pulling on it to loosen it from the head.

Never pull hard on the foreskin to separate it from the tip of the penis.

In addition to pain and bleeding, the trauma of pulling on the foreskin can cause a kind of scar tissue to form between the foreskin and the head of the penis. This scar tissue can interfere with normal and natural separation.

Basically, forcing the foreskin back instead of letting nature take its course creates a permanent problem. The foreskin usually doesn't completely separate from the head of the penis until the time puberty hits, although it sometimes happens in kids as young as five years old.

The best advice for parents is to keep the outside of the penis clean when your child is a baby, and encourage them to do this themselves as they get older. When it comes to cleaning the foreskin, the American Academy of Pediatrics says that an occasional retraction with cleansing beneath will do for kids who haven't reached puberty. 2

There's no need to do any special cleansing. Simply pull the foreskin back away from the end of the penis as far as is comfortable, wash the head of the penis and the inside fold of the foreskin and rinse well with water (soap can irritate the sensitive skin on the head of the penis).

Then pull the foreskin back over the penis. Once they start puberty, teens should clean beneath their foreskin as part of their daily routine.

If your child reaches puberty and the foreskin is still stuck to the head of the penis , it may be time to call a pediatrician or family healthcare provider. They can prescribe a steroid cream that can speed up the process of separation. It's a simple treatment that has good results.

At any age, if the foreskin looks red and/or swollen, or if urination is painful, your child may have an infection of the foreskin or a urinary tract infection. It's important for a provider to treat this infection as it can get worse without treatment.

If the foreskin won't retract at all, the foreskin may still be attached to the head of the penis, which can be normal depending on the child's age. Additionally, the end of the foreskin can become too tight for it to come back over the head of the penis. These issues, called phimosis, can also be treated by your provider with a steroid cream or, if necessary, by circumcision depending upon the situation.

Paraphimosis is another problem that is an emergency. With paraphimosis, the foreskin has been pushed back over the head of the penis, but it becomes stuck behind the head so that it can't be pulled back down over the glans. 3

This can be quite painful, and the tight skin can begin to cut off normal blood flow to the head of the penis. If your child has this problem, it's important to see a doctor right away.

If your doctor isn't immediately available, a trip to the emergency room will be necessary. With some lubrication, a provider can help get the foreskin back over the head of the penis. Sometimes, an emergency circumcision is necessary.

Sonthalia S, Jha AK. Smegma pearl . Indian Dermatol Online J . 2017;8(6):520. doi:10.4103/idoj.IDOJ_384_16
American Academy of Pediatrics. Care of the uncircumcised penis .
Hayashi Y, Kojima Y, Mizuno K, Kohri K. Prepuce: Phimosis, paraphimosis, and circumcision. Scientific World Journal . 2011;11:289-301. doi:10.1100/tsw.2011.31
Behrman RE, Kliegman RM, Jenson HB. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics , Elsevier/Saunders.
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Care of the uncircumcised penis .
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I don't have a particularly interesting sexual history (I've never slept with anyone who didn't grow up on the east coast, read a lot, and harbor a very strong opinion about Back To The Future ) — but there is one quirk in my sexual past: I've dated a lot of guys with uncircumcised penises . They comprise one quarter of my total sexual partners, including one serious and one mega serious relationship. And they all happened at once — I went through a five-year period where I only saw uncut penises, and then I never saw one again. Now that I've settled down with a circumcised dude, the whole thing feels almost like a long, slightly hooded dream.
I realize that my experience sets me a little bit apart; I loved my time with uncut dongs, while supposedly, 54 percent of American women prefer a circumcised penis . Hey, I'm not gonna tell you you're wrong, or that you should be touching some different penises; but I will say that uncircumcised penises have an unwarranted bad rap in the States. A lot of women who have never encountered one in the flesh (as it were) are freaked out by the mere idea of a penis with a little bit extra — they fear that it will be dirty, diseased, and ejaculate in about 45 seconds. While we are all entitled to enjoy the boner style of our choice, we shouldn't be making choices out of fear — especially when those fears are pretty much unfounded. There's nothing to be afraid of when it comes to uncut penises. So sit back, relax, and join me for a trip through six of the most commonly asked questions about our fleshy friends down under. It's just a flap of skin, guys!
Historically, circumcision was a religious ritual for Jewish and Islamic families; and in the late 1800s, some doctors believed that it was the cure for paralysis. Circumcision became popular in the U.S. when childbirth moved from the home to hospitals in the early 1900s, with circumcision rates for newborns rising from the '50s through the '80s. U.S. circumcision rates peaked in 1981, with 64.9 percent of male babies in the country circumcised. The rate has bounced around since then, but is currently dropping, with current rates hovering around 58.3 percent. Researchers speculate that this is due to conflicting medical opinions on circumcision — the American Academy of Pediatrics, for example, has flip-flopped a bit over the past 40 years on whether circumcision is good for all babies , most recently extolling some benefits of circumcision, but stopping short of outright recommending it.
As far as the percentage of men who are already circumcised, research pegs it as primarily a white phenomenon in the U.S., with 91 percent of white men circumcised . In comparison 76 percent of black men are circumcised, and 40 percent of Latino men. The Midwest is the most circumcised area of the U.S. , where nearly 66 percent of all men are circumcised; the lowest circumcision rates are on the West coast. And men born outside the U.S. are less likely to be cut, too.
When it's erect, an uncircumcised penis looks almost exactly the same as a circumcised penis — the foreskin retracts, and if you're not paying close attention, you probably won't notice any difference. When it's not erect, an uncircumcised penis looks kind of like the sleeve of a sweater when you pull your hand inside it — the skin of the penis shaft extends over the head, rather than ending at the head, like it does with circumcised guys.
Several studies have found that guys with intact foreskins are more likely to get certain STDs — for instance, a World Health Organization study conducted in Africa found that circumcision reduced the rate of heterosexual HIV infection by around 60 percent, and some studies have found higher incidences of HPV and herpes in uncircumcised men. Other studies have found no higher incidence of STDs in uncut dudes than with dudes who got the snip.
The most established health risks related to uncut penises primarily impact the penis-haver — for instance, uncircumcised men are more likely to come down with UTIs , which can't be transmitted to a partner ; they're also more likely to get penile cancer than circumcised men. But contrary to popular belief, uncircumcised men aren't more likely to have a yeast infection , or give one to their partner.
However, none of this is a reason to start panicking if you find a little extra tubing in a dude's shorts; though some of this research has postulated that it's easier for men with intact foreskins to contract some STDs, this doesn't mean that most men with foreskins have STDs. Think of it more like the way that women are more likely to contact STDs than men, due to the construction of our vaginas — our equipment is more vulnerable, but that definitely doesn't mean that all women have STDs. And so it goes for uncircumcised penises. Just make sure to wrap up any uncircumcised penises you meet the same way you would with any circumcised penises, and you'll be good to go.
Some people claim that intercourse with an uncircumcised penises feels different , and one study out of Denmark reported that women with uncircumcised partners were twice as likely to enjoy themselves in bed, and were three times less likely to experience sexual pain. As someone who once enjoyed the aforementioned five-year uncut hot streak, I never felt a difference. Many people report that their uncut partners are more sensitive in bed , which I do agree with; but I mostly found it to be a plus (who doesn't want to feel like they're doing a great job?)
There's a lot of talk about uncircumcised men being less likely to receive oral sex , but most anecdotal research hasn't shown that most partners of uncircumcised men are avoiding it. Again, personally, by the time oral sex is on the table, a dude is totally erect and you really can't tell the difference, so if you ask me, there's not really any reason to be shy about it. If you ask me.
Uncircumcised penises can have a distinct smell . But that depends on the specific hygiene habits of the penis-owner — smegma can collect under the foreskin if it's not pulled back and washed while your dude showers, and that can give their junk a pungent or musty smell. And smegma isn't just awkward-smelling — letting it build up can make a guy more prone to infections. But smegma build-up isn't inevitable for uncut guys — if he's keeping his junk clean, it shouldn't be any smellier than anyone else's junk.
Hey, you're the one who's looking at his penis — ask him yourself . Some uncircumcised guys will want to be stimulated in ways that incorporate their foreskin, and some won't. A good rule of thumb is to put yourself in your uncut guy's shoes/ pants — you wouldn't want your new partner dismissing your fun business as freaky or weird-looking, so it's nice to give uncut dudes the same benefit of the doubt, too. Just keep a cool head, and you, too, can someday write an article informing the Internet about your vast body of uncut wiener knowledge.
Images: torbakhopper / Flickr, Giphy (7)

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In this edition of Sexual Resolution , our resident sex therapist Vanessa Marin answers a reader's question about becoming more familiar with her partner's uncircumcised penis.
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Sex should be fun, but it can also be complicated. Welcome to Sexual Resolution , a biweekly column by sex therapist Vanessa Marin that answers all your most confidential questions to help you achieve the healthy, safe, and joyful sex life that you deserve. In this column, she answers the question from a reader who has just hooked up with her first uncircumcised partner.
DEAR VANESSA: I had my first hook-up with someone new, and realized that he's uncircumcised. I've never been with an uncut dude before. I hate to say it, but it kinda grossed me out. It looks so much different from what I'm used to. How do I get over this? And what do I do with this extra skin? I really like the guy, so I want to figure out how to get past it. - Not A Foreskin Fan, 24
DEAR NAFF: When he was a tiny infant, your partner’s parents chose not to cut off a totally normal, natural part of his anatomy. You may not be personally used to seeing foreskins, but that doesn’t make them unusual, weird, or gross. They’re as normal and natural as your labia.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that although the majority of adult men in the U.S. are circumcised, the numbers are tipping away from circumcision. In fact, only about 58 percent babies born today in the United States are circumcised. Despite the fact that more and more parents are choosing not to circumcise their babies, circumcision is still seen as the “norm.” As a result, a lot of women haven’t seen uncircumcised penises before, and expect to see a circumcised penis when they hook up with a new partner for the first time.
It’s OK to need some time to adjust to seeing your first foreskin, but
be clear with yourself that there's nothing wrong with his body.
These expectations can sometimes inadvertently lead to body-shaming . It’s one thing to say you’ve never seen a circumcised penis before, but it’s another to say that your partner’s penis “grossed” you out. Try to imagine if the tables were turned. How would you feel if you knew your partner was turned off by the physical appearance of your labia? How would you like knowing that he was unfavorably comparing your body to his past partners? That likely wouldn’t feel very good for you, so try thinking about your partner’s genitals more kindly.
However, it’s a great thing that you’ve recognized that you want to change your attitudes about foreskins. It’s OK to need some time to adjust to seeing your very first foreskin, but try to be clear with yourself that this is not because anything is wrong with his body. (And for the record, keep your opinions to yourself. Sharing them will only hurt his feelings.)
To help yourself get past your initial discomfort with an uncircumcised penis, I recommend trying to seek out more of them. Look at pictures of uncircumcised penises online and try to find porn with uncircumcised men. The more uncircumcised penises you see, the more you will be able to realize that uncircumcised penises can be just as sexy as circumcised ones.
Ask your partner what he likes when it comes to his foreskin.
When it comes to getting intimate, you don’t usually need to do anything differently with an uncircumcised penis than a circumcised one. Typically, the foreskin na
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