Should I get circumcised or not?

I really can't comment on the rest of your comment as it isn't something I know about, but why do you think you'd have to tell your parents?
According to your profile, you're 22 - even if you're still at home, there is no reason you have to tell them exactly what is going on.
If you do have a circumcision, I'm sure that you can tell them something that doesn't necessarily require details.

 

I don't think circumcision is the only possible solution. The NHS doesn't tend to like getting the knives out, so I think it's likely that they would try some other methods first. I think you can use some kind of cream on the area, Kara will probably know.

Also, as blightedsight said, you're old enough that everything the NHS does for you would be completely confidential. So I'm sure there would be no harm in visiting your GP and at least seeing what your options are.

 

I have no personal experience, but my partner was circumcised as an adult. I can't remember the name of the condition, but basically the foreskin became very brittle and kept splitting.

His was day surgery - in and out in a couple of hours. He didn't have any great side effects apart from soreness and tenderness for a couple of days. He had stitches which floated off in the bath after a while. He's quite squeamish about medical matters, but he made no big deal of the procedure, so I conclude that it is something that most of us could do if the need was there.

I agree also that this is a private matter at your age and, provided you can arrange for a friend to collect you from the hospital after the surgery and give you a few hours out of the spotlight, your parents need never know. Do you have someone who could collect you after surgery? If you don't, you might be kept in hospital for longer while they make sure you've recovered from the anaesthetic properly.:smilewave

 

There are several causes for the inability to retract your foreskin.

The easiest to resolve is frenulum breve. The frenulum is the flap of skin that attaches the head of the penis to the foreskin on the underside of the penis (the underside being the section where the head penis rests against the scrotum when soft). In most guys, the frenulum is long enough to allow the foreskin to slide backwards. In frenulum breve, the frenulum is short and rigid and doesn't allow the foreskin to pull back. The solution is a quick procedure to trim the frenulum.

Phimosis is a condition where the foreskin doesn't retract over the head of the penis. This can be because the opening (foramen) of the foreskin is too small or it can be because there's a band of scar tissue in the foreskin that keeps it from stretching. There are options for the case where the foramen is too small. In situations where the cause is scar tissue, there aren't as many options.

Your first step is to see a physician to have an exam. The physician can determine the cause of your inability to retract your foreskin. Usually, circumcision is a last resort.

There's an old thread on the forum that documents an EC member's experience with phimosis and circumcision:
http://emptyclosets.com/forum/health-well-being/10825-curious-about-my-penis-non-circumsized.html

 

You should go see the doctor. If it's not too bad, they may give you a cream that you can use and it will help to loosen things when you use it with different stretching techniques. As someone already mentioned, circumcision is usually a last resort, so don't freak out just yet. I had the same sort of problem for a while and I remember being really worried about it, but I was able to stretch it out.

 

How hard do you try to pull your foreskin back? You may be holding back because you are scared of hurting yourself.

Before you do anything else you should try taking a bath and pulling your foreskin back as much as you possibly can. If it hurts a little, thats fine, just keep pulling until you are definitely at your limit. Try it a few times and try to beat your personal best each time.

 

Hey Gazza.

Full disclosure, I'm anti-circumcision except in the most extreme and necessary cases. (Bobbgooduk's partners case sounds like one of those necessary cases, for example.) In the states doctors are pretty pro-circumcision, any issue with the foreskin is likely to result in an encouragement for the individual to be circumcised. I'm not sure how things are in the UK, it will likely depend on the doctor.

Thankfully, in the case of Phimosis (with exception to really, really bad cases) it can be cured without circumcision. Phimosis is a rather common issue, and I've known guys who've managed to cure it through stretching techniques. It takes time, though.

Here is a link that discusses how to do it. It's simple.

Just remember, you shouldn't experience any pain. It will take time, from weeks to months depending on how bad it is. I've seen progress pictures and videos of guys doing the stretching; so I do know it works.

I still think you should consult with a doctor, just make it clear to him that you have no intention on getting circumcised. If he is adamant and won't even CONSIDER other options, then I encourage you to seek a second opinion. Surgery should always be the last resort.

In most cases, a doctor is going to prescribe a steroid cream which will help you with your stretching.

Finally, there are some guys out there who've gone their entire lives without being able to fully retract their foreskin. Being circumcised is a decision that you have to make, but you're perfectly capable of living your life happily without a fully retractable foreskin. So, even if the stretching doesn't work for you, living with the condition is still an option. My point is that you should never feel pressured into doing something to your body that you don't want to do to it.

I'm pretty sure that stretching will work for you, though, because you can retract it some when not erect. You've lived with the condition all or most of your life, waiting to see if stretching will work for you isn't going to be harmful.

 

Mine was like this when I was younger and I started stretching it and now it's completely normal. Only very gently and gradually though. Mine was due to never actually pulling it back properly as a child, so it never stretched.

 

Andrew's thread is- I think- a good representation of a young boy's experience with his first surgery. The first couple of days after any surgery aren't a lot of fun- especially if you've never been through it and don't know what to expect.

Andrew was 15 when he had his surgery. He really tried to avoid it but his surgeon was very good about explaining why his best option was a circumcision. He was also afraid of telling his parents about the problem.

In the end, it was okay. While he was in the midst of it, he was having a rough time emotionally and being a young teen, he was pretty freaked out at first. I do wish he would update the thread now that he's older and has a different perspective on the experience.

There's some other threads that I can share with you about the experience. But let's see what your doctor recommends.

 

The questions you should be asking yourself are things like; does it impede your ability to enjoy sexual pleasure (i.e. can you reach an orgasm)? Is it ever painful when erect? Are you having issues with hygiene? Etc. Etc.

If the answers to questions like this are no, and you don't want a circumcision, then there is no need to have one.

I'd say exceptions to the rule are individuals like Bobbgooduk's partner whose foreskin was splitting open, which was likely painful and was putting him at risk for infection. Not to mention that it was likely impeding his ability to enjoy sexual pleasure.

So long as it's not interfering with your ability to live your life and interfering with what your penis was designed to do; there really is no need to get circumcised.

That being said, I still encourage you to see a doctor. It's difficult to say without an examination whether the problem is your foreskin itself or if its the frenulum. Different solutions are required if the issue resides with the frenulum rather than the foreskin itself.

If the issue does reside with your foreskin, your doctor can prescribe a steroid cream to assist you in your stretching exercises.

I know it can be embarrassing going to a doctor about these issues, but I assure you that they are quite common. You have nothing to be embarrassed about, and while it can sometimes be awkward a good doctor is going to work to put you at ease.

You're an adult, so unlike when you were a kid, no one can force you to have a circumcision. There is no risk in him telling your parents, and them making that decision on your behalf against your will. Simply be clear, upfront, and honest with him that you have no intention of getting a circumcision and that option is off the table. If he seems pushy about it, and doesn't even want to consider another solution then my advice is to find another doctor.

Though, I think the UK will be more understanding than the US where the majority of guys are circumcised at birth against their will, and thus a circumcised penis is considered normal.

 

There's nothing weird about the residue - it's there to keep things waterproof. I think it's called sebum. With modern washing rituals, it tends to get showered away, but in your case, the tightness of the foreskin will make that more difficult.

ANYWAY - I think you've made the right decision to go to the doctor.

It's awkward to talk about your penis - we all agree with that - but you need to get it checked out

I don't think the doctor will even raise an eye-brow:smilewave

 

Sorry to hear of your problem,even though you dont want to be circumcised(neither do I)I would still recomend that you make an appointment to see your GP and show him/her the problem, and ASK THEM what your options are and say that unless it is vital for your health,that you dont want to be cicumcised.

I tend to think that the NHS is under such cutbacks that surgery will be the last option that they would consider.You are far more likely to be given a steroid cream and told how to do some stretching in a safe way(cheaper for them).

After suffering a road accident five years ago,I have been in and out of hospital dozens of times for several operations,one thing that i have learned from my expierience is that the doctors and surgeons are human,they are willing to listen and to explain any alternative treatments available.

I can only praise the NHS for what they have done for me,if you ever need to go into hospital for any kind of surgery you can be confident that they will do all they can to keep you vitually pain free and comfortable.

Good luck,and ask about your options.

 

:bang: What he's suggesting may tear the skin which causes scaring, which makes the skin take even longer to grow loose. Never apply tension that causes pain. ZERO PAIN. Any pain indicates tearing the skin. Even if these tears are microscopic, they will heal with scar tissue that's fibrous and makes stretching slower.

Let's talk about the source problems, there are actually two things that can make the skin grow tighter: scaring (from tearing the skin) and yeast infection. A couple of common signs of yeast infection (besides tightening skin) are itching and smegma. (The skin proliferation the yeast stimulates also creates smegma.) A simple home remedy for yeast infections is cranberry juice. But see a doctor for anything serious, s/he can prescribe powerful oral antifungal drugs. Dryness is the natural enemy of yeast, so once you've got the skin loosened up, it should never be a problem.

Until you've got the skin loosened, you can probably still clean under the skin very well with a tube to direct a gentle jet of water under the skin. Don't use too much pressure or scald yourself, but that should help you until the skin's loose.

That's another thing, there are different ways to get looseness. You probably have a ring of tightness? The obvious stretching is using gentle tension to make that ring grow looser, but the less obvious stretching is pulling that ring away from your penis. This stretching is actually much easier because of how much more skin it's acting over and how much less fibrous that skin is (vs the phimotic tissue). This will make your foreskin slightly longer, but it should relieve the uncomfortable tension on the skin much more quickly than the radial stretching.

The thing to remember is that regular gentle PAINLESS tension will stimulate the skin to grow. It may take time. If there is a lot of fibrous scar tissue that needs to readjust its fibers it may take weeks before you see any progress, but it will happen eventually.

Also don't feel weird for having foreskin. Even in America where everyone thinks they don't like foreskin, no one actually dislikes it when they see it. Once you've got it working properly, you'll see. It's really interesting how it rolls/glides. And it's uniquely human. It will be a while (months) before yours is able to move easily, but you'll really enjoy it once it does.


But your post was so long ago, you must have found a solution by now already. (I guess, I'm posting for others with this problem more than you.) What did you do btw? And how are you?

 

Gazza,
Take it from someone (really shy) who has had circumcision and two other operations down there...

the main obstacle I think you are encountering is
- (justifiable) apprehension about whether you are getting the correct professional advice
- frustration
- fear of pain

The first two just take courage to confront it with your doctor. But the embarrassment will only be 2-3 minutes of examination. And the relief afterwards will be well worth it

If you are particularly squeamish about, or unhappy with, your current GP you are allowed to ask to see another in the same practice - that is quite common

The third issue (fear of pain if you go down the surgery route) - I have to say I experienced no pain whatsoever during or after these procedures. That is because of various things that can be given to you to numb it out. And after 2-3 days there was no need to take anything.

So my advice would be ... to take a deep breath and make an appointment with your doctor. It is quite possible there are non-surgical answers.

Clearly, just doing nothing about this is causing you distress and turmoil - perhaps more distress than if you were to take things forward with your Doctor

 

I'm "uncut" as a child i decided on my own to stretch mine out, and it was painful at first, the more I pulled though the less pain there was, Now my foreskin is totally retractable w/o pain, you gotta be patient and do it daily, and hopefully in a few weeks you'll notice improvement, do not give up