What's Happening on the Other Side of Circumcision

The decision to circumcise boys at birth is largely cultural and/or regional. In the US, black baby boys are circumcised at a rate of about 68%—rates tend to trend higher in major metropolitan areas, in families that are privately insured, and regionally, in the midwest. If you’ve ever had sex with a man from outside of the US, you might have noticed that circumcisions are far less common. Whether you’re circumcised or not, you probably don’t know much about what goes on on the other side of the spectrum, so I interviewed a man who has experienced both to find out why he made the switch, and a urologist who has performed the procedure many times.

It's Too Big. It Won't Fit. 

For D. Wayne, the decision to circumcise was both a matter of both pleasure and pain. "While I was masturbating, there was a tendency of the opening to be stuck under the head," he reported, having undergone circumcision at the age of 21. "Maybe it was too small or maybe when I got hard the head became too big." That mismatch between the elasticity of his foreskin and the size of his penis head made most sexual experiences uncomfortable for him, if not altogether painful. "It wasn't much of an issue for me when masturbating myself, right? Now, when I started to become sexually active, that's when it became a problem because I was with somebody." The decision to remove his foreskin was one he made happily, without recommendation from a doctor, as it is usually an elective procedure.

Pain or discomfort when erect due to tight foreskin—clinically termed as phimosis—may be more commonplace among uncircumcised men than you assume. It stands as one of the most common reasons that men seek out a medical solution, but recurrent inflammation of the glans (balanitis), irritation of the glans, collection of urine under the foreskin, and trauma to foreskin or frenulum during sex are others, according to Dr. Ranjith Ramasamy, a urologist, which is the surgical specialist that normally performs the procedure. In commentary for sex: the newsletter, he stated that remaining uncircumcised is perfectly fine, "as long as foreskin doesn't prevent intercourse or cause pain during intercourse." Which means if you’re already sexually active and you haven’t experienced any of these symptoms, getting circumcised is completely unnecessary.

Scared of Horny

Recovery can be a significant factor for adult men in the circumcision process. While D. Smith noted that he was in and out of surgery for the procedure itself, he needed three full weeks to recover, meaning sex of any kind (including masturbation) was off the table. It may sound difficult to some people, but that part, too, was easy for him to cope with. "My brain knew that, 'hey, something is going on down there,' so it stopped my body from going through that cycle and I never had an issue with getting hard while it was healing." This is typical for men who undergo the procedure, and phantom erections, if they do happen, will likely only prolong or delay healing. 

Had Him at Hello

Finally, I wondered if men who circumcise in adulthood ever regret their decision. The procedure is noted to be at least 98% successful, with the only complications being an infection, which is possible in all surgical procedures and remedied with a course of antibiotics, or a cosmetic mishap, which can be corrected in a revision. When asked if he ever misses his foreskin, D. Smith said, "No, absolutely not." Not only was hygiene easier, but he noticed the circumcised version of his penis received more attention than its hooded first form. While it didn't make sex physically more pleasurable, he was able to better focus on the deed after the procedure, which eventually led to a more pleasurable sex life. 

All in all, both doctor and patient stated that circumcision is a matter of preference, for the user and his partner. While it is of course a one way street, anyone curious about undergoing the procedure should rest assured that the differences will be minor, and the overwhelming majority of patients are happy with their new manhood. 

You can find Dr. Ranjith Ramasamy at https://drranjith.jac.ae/ or on Instagram at @ranjithramamd

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