# Not circumcised **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 10, 2004, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-circumcised/233571 "2004-03-10T23:23:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cillasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Cillasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cillasi)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-circumcised/233571/21 "2004-03-11T20:06:14Z")
I don’t see anything wrong with attempting to methodically retract the foreskin while in a warm tub of water, for instance, just in case it’s a bad case of smegma buildup, but I have to agree with the majority. See a doctor. As embarrassing as it may seem, it’s not something the average doctor hasn’t previously seen. You can do some pretty nasty damage trying to “fix it” yourself. Make sure there are no odd physiological reasons why you should not be tugging at yourself before you start tugging at yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-circumcised/233571/22 "2004-03-11T20:53:09Z")
Injudicious attempts to retract a phimosis may lead to [paraphimosis](http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic2874.htm). This is a true urological emergency, where the tip of the penis can strangulate and be lost. ---
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-circumcised/233571/23 "2004-03-11T20:57:33Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > Injudicious attempts to retract a phimosis may lead to [paraphimosis](http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic2874.htm). This is a true urological emergency, where the tip of the penis can strangulate and be lost. So **Jojo** ’s advice boils down to: get drunk, hop in bed, and hope your dick doesn’t fall off inside? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-circumcised/233571/24 "2004-03-11T20:57:35Z")
WARNING. The above-cited paraphimosis link contains _within it_ another link to some very educational medical illustrations about paraphimosis. But you probably don’t want to open said second link at work, or if you’re squeamish. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-circumcised/233571/25 "2004-03-11T21:01:40Z")
**Warning**. Damn. The original link has the same pics at the bottom of the page. Sorry about that. I’ve notified the mods. You might want to avoid the link in the meantime. ---
**Author:** ![Jake4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bc8723/32.png) [@Jake4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake4)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-circumcised/233571/26 "2004-03-11T22:04:30Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Indeed, for the next few years I made sure to do this vigorously on a very regular basis. I got it, jjimm, even though nobody else did. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-circumcised/233571/27 "2004-03-11T23:00:34Z")
> [@Jake4](#): > > I got it, jjimm, even though nobody else did. 🙂 🙂 I got it too. I make sure to slide my foreskin foreward and back on a quite regular basis - this activity also has protective effects on the prostate. It’s purely a matter of medical necessity. Can the man in question slide his foreskin back when he’s flaccid? I couldn’t work it over my erection until I was a teenager (/me drifts into TMI territory) but hopefully he can at least manage when soft for the sake of hygiene. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-circumcised/233571/28 "2004-03-12T00:58:32Z")
Isn’t this something that doctors tell parents about? When I was a baby, the doctor asked my parents whether they wanted me circumsized, and they decided not to snip. Upon hearing this, the doctor instructed them on how they should take care of baby’s foreskin, and to instruct me on how to do so myself when I was old enough. This included cleaning and retracting it to make sure the opening in the foreskin grew with the rest of me. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-circumcised/233571/29 "2004-03-12T01:25:54Z")
Well here’s a topic to make me feel down (as well as slightly ill ☹ ) I get that problem the OP spoke of. I can just about roll back the foreskin when unaroused but no way when erect. But I _have_ been to the doctor (UK NHS)about it and he said a circumcision was unneccesary, I just need time to let it loosen naturally. Which seems unlikely, the only plus point of being a virgin being that I don’t have to worry about it splitting :o ---
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-circumcised/233571/30 "2004-03-12T01:49:02Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Isn’t this something that doctors tell parents about? When I was a baby, the doctor asked my parents whether they wanted me circumsized, and they decided not to snip. \ 😃 I find it interesting how many guys around here are uncut, when it’s overwhelmingly common in the US. Do we have a lot of non-US people around here, or is there a negative statistical correlation between circumcision and intelligence? ---
**Author:** ![Jojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecd19e/32.png) [@Jojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jojo)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-circumcised/233571/31 "2004-03-12T01:55:46Z")
Huh? I just came back to this thread and I’m affronted. Nay, offended even. Take note people because I’m about to beat a doctor in an argument about medical matters. Qadgop said: > [@](#): > > Jojo’s medical advice is extremely bad, and inappropriate for this condition, unless recommended by a competent physician, and then only after a thorough examination. Please disregard it. Following Jojo’s advice could endanger both one’s sex organ and one’s life. The way I read the OP it sounded like this was the boyfriends first sexual experience. He tried to have sex and then, _for the first time in his life_, his foreskin retracted and it hurt like hell. My advice was to try again a few times and to see how it goes. Quote from my post: > [@](#): > > So my advice to him would be: before you start seeing doctors and having them cutting things off, be a man, bear the pain and see what happens. It may well get better the more sex you have. I’m sorry, Qadgop, but this is sound medical advice. In many situations, if you think you have something wrong with you it’s a good idea to wait a few days and see if it clears up before you panic. The advice people are giving in this thread to immediately rush out to see a doctor and possibly look into surgery is hysterical and unnecessary (at this stage). I had exactly the same thing happen to me with my first sexual experience - so that means that I am a valid case history. After a week or two of fairly intensive sex the problem, pretty much, went away. It was still pretty tight down there but the skin stretched enough to allow sex without undue pain. The problem got less and less the more sex I had. I would venture to suggest that this has been a fairly common problem throughout the history of mankind and that most of the time it has been cured by just getting on with it and stretching the skin. Remember I’m assuming that this was the OPs boyfriends first sexual experience, and therefore my advice to try sex a few more times before panicking is perfectly valid and sound. Your advice is liable to lead to excessive worry and panic. My advice is (I think) medically more sound. Leave it a while and see what happens. ---
**Author:** ![Chotii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Chotii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chotii)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-circumcised/233571/32 "2004-03-12T02:29:02Z")
One of the problems with “just going to a doctor” is that not all doctors are created alike. Some doctors seem to think circumcision is the answer to _any_ problem with the penis, if the prepuce is present. Some doctors are going to jump to ‘cut it off and it won’t be a problem’. Some doctors think just _having_ a prepuce is a problem. The OP needs to find a foreskin-friendly doctor. There are some out there. check the NOCIRC website ([nocirc.org](http://nocirc.org)). Look around on the circumstitions website. There’s even a page on paraphimosis there. Some phimoses can be dealt with through gentle manual stretching. Some will require the judicious application of a steroid cream to thin the skin. (See this [peer-reviewed article in the British Journal of Urology](http://www.cirp.org/library/treatment/phimosis/berdeu1/) regarding the use of steroid creams in cases of clinically-diagnosed phimosis. Some cases may be improved with a minor cut on the underside of the prepuce, damaging the ridged band. I can’t imagine advising a frenulumectomy, considering the concentration of nerves it contains, but… _I_ tend to think that gentle, persistent stretching, _just_ to the point of discomfort, will accomplish a great deal. A lot of circumcised men are choosing to re-grow a ‘fauxskin’ this way. I can only imagine that an intact prepuce can be equally altered, given time and persistence. And anyway, the biggest reason I think it’s worth exploring non-surgical solution to this, no matter WHAT any individual doctor may recommend, is that if he has the surgery done, the prepuce removed…and then later finds he regrets it, it takes _years_ (average about 3 per the guys on the restore-list) to re-grow a fauxskin. It can be done, but better to salvage what he has than try to grow a new one later. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-circumcised/233571/33 "2004-03-12T02:40:58Z")
**Jojo** , you are aware that people have been banned for offering incorrect and dangerous medical advice, right? Personally, I’d listen to an actual physician over a “valid case study” (not…you’re an anecdote, the plural of which is NOT data). ---
**Author:** ![Jojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecd19e/32.png) [@Jojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jojo)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-circumcised/233571/34 "2004-03-12T02:56:33Z")
I like Chotti’s advice, that sounds reasonable to me. Jayjay, ok I freely admit that I have no medical qualifications whatsoever so take my advice as you wish. Qadgop is (I think) a qualified doctor and I would recommend you take his advice over mine 99.9 times out of a 100 when it relates to medical matters. I’m just giving my opinion as a non-medical case history, ignore it if you wish. Although I come from a family of doctors and nurses so I’m not completely ignorant of medical matters. So, for example, I know that there is room for opinion and case histories within medicine. Qadgop (if he’s like most doctors I know) won’t be particularly upset by me arguing with him. From the link Qadgop gave, it seems paraphymosis is pretty rare in the general population: (Bolding mine) > [@](#): > > **A rather uncommon condition,** adult paraphimosis is often a result of well-meaning efforts of a health care professional. > > * * * > > **Paraphimosis is not a naturally occurring phenomenon.** > > Frequency: Paraphimosis is a relatively uncommon phenomenon and occurs less often than phimosis. > > **Paraphimosis is almost always an iatrogenically induced condition that occurs in men in hospitals and nursing homes. It usually does not occur in men in the private community except when self-inflicted.** > > Being prudent with foreskin manipulation is the most important key in preventing paraphimosis. I think we can conclude it’s a pretty rare condition. Not so common as we need to worry overmuch about it. ---
**Author:** ![greenteeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@greenteeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greenteeth)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-circumcised/233571/35 "2004-03-12T03:07:01Z")
> [@Mathochist](#): > > I find it interesting how many guys around here are uncut, when it’s overwhelmingly common in the US. Do we have a lot of non-US people around here, or is there a negative statistical correlation between circumcision and intelligence? I think you’d be suprised how large is the number of US uncircumcised men. I think about a third of babys are not circumcised and that has been a pretty steady percentage for at least 20 years or so. I’m not circumcised because I was born in a German hospital when my father was stationed there in the late 70’s. Oddly enough, I was born tongue-tied and the Germans did feel free to cut away that issue. Anyway back to the OP. I’ve never experienced that issue. I can’t even imagine my foreskin being streched that far when erect. Though to be honest, I am pretty well fully retracted when flacid and have been since I was about 11-12. ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-circumcised/233571/36 "2004-03-12T07:45:06Z")
D’ya think y’all scared off SS500 with the talk of smegma? I’m a woman, and even I knew that boys were supposed to clean themselves by retracting the foreskin when bathing so they could clean the glans of their penises. Are all boys not taught this? Icky. ---
**Author:** ![Chotii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Chotii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chotii)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-circumcised/233571/37 "2004-03-12T08:54:12Z")
> [@greenteeth](#): > > Oddly enough, I was born tongue-tied and the Germans did feel free to cut away that issue. Well, tongue-tie _can_ affect the ability to breastfeed, and it _can_ affect speech in later life, depending on how severe the tie. My twins were born tongue-tied. We had their sublingual frenulums clipped because, as I was breastfeeding, I needed them to not _hurt_ me. It improved our mutual quality of life: they could breastfeed, so they received the best food biology has designed for babies, and they didn’t hurt me, which also made me happy. So, yes, I can see why the doctors in Germany might have done this to you - to correct a very real, very immediate problem - versus infant circumcision, which tends to be justified medically as a prophylactic measure, to stave off the risk of problems down the road. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-circumcised/233571/38 "2004-03-12T09:00:48Z")
> [@ss500](#): > > hello everyone, > well this is a problem my boyfriend has. he is not circumcised. and he is 20 now. last week we tried to have sex. but it hurts him whenevr i move the skin backwards. he says he has never pulled it backwards before and it hurts him whenever i try to put the head of the penis out from the skin. EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! He hasn’t pulled the foreskin back and cleaned the head for _how_ long? **Gross!** No wonder it hurts, he’s got all sorts of gunk clogging up the damn thing. > [@](#): > > Do u guys know wht to do abt this?? Tell him to pull that skin back (gently, if he’s a wuss), and give it a good cleaning. Then tell him to do this every time he takes a bath, for general sanitary purposes. The pain will go away once he gets that thing cleaned up, and he gets acclimated with his new toy. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-circumcised/233571/39 "2004-03-12T13:06:19Z")
Jojo, SHUT UP. You’ve freely admitted that you have NO MEDICAL QUALIFICATIONS and the board’s resident doctor has stated that your advice could lead to a MEDICAL EMERGENCY leading to LOSS OF THE PENIS or worse. Your advice is bad, and stupid. It could lead to tearing of the prepuce and loss of sensation. Or it could potentially lead to paraphimosis. Your advice, gleaned from one isolated anecdote and apparently having known a nurse or two does NOT beat the advice of a doctor, who, after all, went to school to learn these things! I say this with kind intent. You believe that you are giving good advice, but the plain fact is that you’re not. The OP’s boyfriend should see a doctor and you should stop giving dangerous advice. Qadgop strikes me as a good enough guy to respect a simple difference of opinion, as you said doctors generally do, so when he says things like > [@Qadgop the dude who has actual](#): > > Following Jojo’s advice could endanger both one’s sex organ and one’s life. we can safely surmise that your bad, bad advice is not simply a matter of a different opinion - it’s a suggestion that could lead to VERY BAD THINGS. Do not argue with the doctor, especially when he’s noted that your advice could KILL THE PERSON YOU’RE ADVISING. ---
**Author:** ![Martiju](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@Martiju](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martiju)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-circumcised/233571/40 "2004-03-12T13:20:01Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > Well here’s a topic to make me feel down (as well as slightly ill ☹ ) > I get that problem the OP spoke of. I can just about roll back the foreskin when unaroused but no way when erect. But I _have_ been to the doctor (UK NHS)about it and he said a circumcision was unneccesary, I just need time to let it loosen naturally. Which seems unlikely, the only plus point of being a virgin being that I don’t have to worry about it splitting :o Pushkin My experiences were with UK NHS doctors too. I saw three who said either a) don’t bother me with such stupid things, b) it’ll sort itself out and, c) finally, yes we can see there’s a problem, let’s see what we can do. Once I had been referred to a specialist, they had no doubt that it could be sorted. They actually tried to avoid doing a circumcision but when the frenulumectomy didn’t work they booked me in. It was well worth it and I can’t tell you how pleased I was to have persisted. Incidentally, I saw that first doctor (in the rural south west) when I was 17. I finally had the op and the relief when I was 23! My advice would be not to put it off. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-circumcised/233571.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-circumcised/233571.md?page=3)