It is a circumcision myth that the foreskin is nothing more than extra skin!
WHY DO MEN HAVE A FORESKIN?
The foreskin has three distinct functions: protection, sensation and mobility.
The glans is the most sensitive part of the penis. Over time it can lose sensitivity if there is constant rubbing against clothing.
The foreskin protects against this.
There is also a collection of sensitive nerves and the back and forth mobility increases feelings of pleasure as it assists the movement during sexual activity.
If the glans is exposed without the protection of the foreskin, the glans (head of the penis) develops thickened skin as the clothing causes ongoing friction.
As a consequence, sensitivity during intercourse may be diminished and the rubbing can cause discomfort or pain. Without the mobility of the foreskin, many people will require artificial lubricants to assist intercourse.
Can you live without the foreskin?
Yes. Many men are circumcised for a variety of reasons.
Circumcision will always remove the functions of protection, mobility and some sensation because it removes the mobile tissue containing the ridged band of sensory nerve endings.
Some men are okay with this and people who have been circumcised in infancy or childhood may not remember anything different.
Some intact men have shorter foreskins than others and therefore have an exposed glans even without being circumcised however these men will still have the ridged band and the nerve endings.
Is circumcision harmless?
The Australian Medical Association has warned parents against circumcising their baby boys unless it’s ‘absolutely necessary.
The WA Australian Medical Association president Mark Duncan-Smith said there’s only a handful of medical reasons why someone would need to have their foreskin removed.
Some men report pain or itching sensations similar to those described by people with phantom limb syndrome. Phantom limb syndrome isn’t widely understood however when the nerves in the foreskin are removed this can affect the sensations of the connected nerves.
Other complications include tightness from excess skin removal. As with any surgical scar, there is the possibility that stitch tunnels and skin bridges will be caused.
These are holes in the scar that can make maintaining personal hygiene more difficult.
These particular complications will often be unrecorded if performed during infancy as only surgical complications tend to be considered.
It is another circumcision myth that the procedure of amputating the foreskin is a simple one.
Surgical complications can include –
- Infection of the wound requiring antibiotics or surgical drainage
- Death by sepsis
- Ongoing bleeding and hemorrhage leading to further surgery (this can be exacerbated by haemophilia, anemia or other blood disorders affecting clotting. These conditions are sometimes unknown prior to circumcision when performed on infants.)
- Cosmetic disfigurement or dissatisfaction
- Swelling leading to further surgical intervention (oedema)
- Complications related to the anaesthetic, or cardiovascular problems include chest infection, pulmonary embolus, stroke, deep vein thrombosis, heart attacks, death.
- Urethral fistulas (an opening to the side of the urethra due to sliced shaft or glans)
- Partial or absolute removal of the penis
- Buried penis (due to the loss of shaft skin causing the tightness to pull the penis inside the scrotum)
For men who have long term complications such as abrasion or desensitivity, there are steps that can be taken to improve these issues.
Tighter underwear or those made from softer materials (including silk) can reduce friction.
Can circumcision prevent penile cancer?
There are reports that men who are circumcised have a lower chance of getting penile cancer than those who were not.
Penile cancer is very rare. The incidence of penile cancer is between 1 to 15 people in 200,000. A few of these cases may be prevented by circumcision, however, this would require tens/hundreds of thousands to prevent one singular case.
The rate of complication is magnitudes higher, and one study found fatalities caused by circumcision to be more than 1 in 50,000 neonates in hospital settings alone.
Does circumcision prevent HIV and STD’s?
This Circumcision Myth is one of the most concerning!
The only way to properly prevent HIV is safe sex. Education is also essential, as without the correct information people may become riskier with their sexual practices and actually increase the transmission of STD’s.
The lack of education in Africa has led some recipients of circumcision to assume that they are protected from HIV. These men sometimes abandon the use of condoms increasing the risk.
Education is therefore key. Additionally, the studies that have demonstrated some relationship between circumcision and HIV rates only test for female to male transmission.
A more complete study ought to include transmission rates to women and other men.
The lack of aftercare in the developing world also leads to significant complications including necrosis of the penis, unsanitary surgeries leading to infection, use of illegal circumcision techniques (and further complications). You can find out more from the VMMC Experience Project featuring the individual experiences of people in African.
There are also cases of boys in Africa being circumcised without their consent and without the knowledge of their parents, as well as cases of kidnapping and bribery.
Finally, this ought not to be a justification for routine circumcision in areas with low risk of HIV as complication risk and dissatisfaction outweigh marginal benefits.
The Circumcision Myth we hear the most!
Isn’t circumcision cleaner?
The best way to stay clean and healthy is to wash with warm water and non-aggressive soaps in sensitive regions. There is absolutely no substitute for washing and regularly cleaning yourself.
This is true if you have a foreskin or if you have not. Always stay hygienic to stay healthy.
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