Circumcision Recovery - What's The Deal?
One of the most common questions that we get from recently circumcised men is about the time it takes to recover. Most men are told that the process will be so quick that they may only need one week off work. Fast forward 6 weeks and most men are expected to have fully recovered and sex can go back on the menu… At least according to the doctors. The sensitivity change might be permanent.
Our priority: provide information to men/parents of boys with foreskin issues so they have options aside from circumcision.
Surgical alteration is a choice that only the individual should make. Informed consent is the most important factor. As with tattoo’s, piercings, and other cosmetic surgeries, infants can not provide consent. Parents with inadequate information can not give informed consent.
There are some men who make the choice to undergo circumcision. Whether this is for a medical reason, or a personal decision, these choices must be grounded in informed consent and awareness of the potential side effects. 15 Square are pro-consent/pro-bodily autonomy. That means the individual right to make an informed decision based on adequate information and alternatives.
Bodily autonomy is having the power to choose for yourself what you want to happen to your body, even if that perspective does not align with someone else’s. It is the individuals right to choose once all informed consent conditions are met. Circumcision in the current context that it is generally performed breaks this cardinal rule.
What Men Are Saying:
Men who contact 15 Square are often dissatisfied with their circumcision or frustrated at healthcare providers for a lack of information to provide legitimate consent to the procedure. They are not happy with the process that they went through. for some, they do not “fully recover” as the procedure has a lasting impact on some men. Here are some of the messages that 15 Square have received from men who have experienced the procedure first hand, all in clinical environments.
‘My circumcision was over a year ago and I still haven’t recovered.’
‘The scar line is painful even when sitting down and although I’m a fan of sports I cannot commit to any of my former hobbies.’
‘Every move I make hurts. Not only this but the loss of sensitivity is worse than I was told.’
‘The limited information that the doctors provided said that change in sexual sensitivity would be an insignificant factor. I now know this not to be true.’
‘All of my complaints have been ignored and unrecorded because so many people have undergone the procedure.’
Here at 15 Square, we have hundreds of examples similar to this. Some men feel pain and loss of sexual sensation. This is a major problem, as many of them say that there is no formal method to record a complication. Because of this, it is unknown how often these complications occur, and the information given to people over circumcision recovery is lacking key information
This can also affect neonatal circumcisions as the infant cannot complain, and although the surgery may present a surgical success, there is no way of being sure without asking the patient. In the case of neonatal circumcisions they will not have a way of being sure whether or not they have lost sensitivity, nor can they express ongoing discomfort as succinctly as adult patients.
Circumcision Recovery – How Can I Reduce The Pain?
With the constant rubbing against clothing the situation can be uncomfortable. There are a few methods of alleviating the pain.
-1: Tighter Fitting Underwear.
This stops a lot of the motion that causes the friction and pain. Loose underwear means that physical activity can aggravate the glans or the circumcision wound.
-2: Choose None-Synthetic, None Abrasive Materials For Clothes.
None-abrasive materials can help handle day to day friction and can be essential for some people who are performing sports or have an overly-sensitive/injured glans. Silk can be ideal for some men who are in the process of recovery as the friction is almost none existent compared to other materials.
-3: Use Coconut Oil Or A Moisturiser.
This prevents dryness and in turn, prevents friction. This can also help restore some of the erogenous sensitivity that some men lose due to abrasion. Avoid moisturisers that contain sodium laurel sulphate (this may further aggravate sensitive regions).
If you are not happy with your circumcision once it has healed
Are there any other options for circumcision recovery?
You Can Consider Restoration.
Although there is no reliable way to surgically restore the foreskin you can use manual stretching techniques to create a foreskin-like covering to the glans. Some journal articles and medical practitioners make bold claims regard surgical restoration, however the satisfaction levels of the patients are not recorded, and the grafted skin often leaves a cosmetically unconvincing appearance. Additionally, grafted skin is excessively thick compared to the natural foreskin, or the manually restored.
Manually restored foreskin is technically an extension of the shaft skin (and therefore slightly thicker) but it does eventually cover the glans to protect it from rubbing against clothes that some men find painful. This also restores the natural piston function that assists with intercourse and masturbation and the protection from abrasion will likely restore some of the erogenous sensitivity.
Many doctors are unaware of foreskin restoration. Whilst there are thousands of discussions of techniques and devices online, the first-hand accounts available online provide ample evidence towards efficacy. There are also images and videos depicting manual restoration, along with guides and demonstrations available upon request from 15 Square. Medical trials to demonstrate efficacy in academic literature is sparse, but anecdotal qualitative accounts from men are abundant.
Patience is the greatest virtue as this can take years depending on the type of circumcision. For those interested, we have a video guide available for members on foreskin restoration produced by our doctor. Please consider becoming a member, the membership fee is a small amount that helps us keep our charity running. Mainstream doctors do not recognise restoration devices; therefore it is up to the individual to take care and responsibility for using them. there is a Reddit forum dedicated to supporting people who want to restore. Visit Foreskin-Restoration
Circumcision recovery has left me with emotional issues. What Can I do?
Here at 15 square, we recognise that the medical institutions are lagging behind but we receive the same stories from men independently over and over again. For more information for circumcised men or intact men you can check our advice section or feel free to contact us.
Many men have kept silent on this issue over the years, and their path to any sort of circumcision recovery has been detrimentally derailed and those that did come forward were ridiculed. Luckily this is beginning to change as issues that main tackle are being taken more seriously.
We recognise that there is a serious lack of support for men, however readers may find the Circumcision Grief reddit forum valuable.
Is there anyone who can inspect my circumcision and tell me if it looks ok?
Hi there, you can contact our doctor via the “Contact us” section on the website. Hit the Medical Enquiry section and once you have made contact via email, you can tell him any concerns you may have. He will guide you further.