Psychological Effects of a Circumcision

Some Men with a Circumcised Penis Seek Foreskin Restoration

Aug 27, 2009 Karen Stephenson

Many men are emotionally hurt due to having a circumcised penis. Loss of sexual pleasure and in some cases, being made to feel less of a man has caused anger and grief.

Circumcision has been a ritual in many cultures for centuries. Almost as long as circumcision has been around, so have procedures to restore the prepuce. The past thirty years has seen a movement for foreskin restoration that does not stem from social or religious beliefs; it stems from men being disturbed by their body being altered after birth.

Physical and Psychological Sexual Effects

Men who are circumcised experience sexual consequences. In the book entitled What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Circumcision by Paul Fleiss, M.D., and F.M. Hodges, D. Phil., the authors state there are many psychological drawbacks to being circumcised, many that affect their sexuality.

The loss of skin results in decreased mobility when having sexual intercourse. Foreskin aids in the gliding motion as well as providing stimulation over the glans and in turn, the glans stimulate the erotogenic nerve endings that are in the foreskin. A more serious problem with the lack of skin is that the extreme tightness can cause the penis to bend or curve during erection. This can damage the developing internal erectile bodies, resulting in permanent curvature.

The glans, without protection of the foreskin, becomes damaged over time. In order to protect itself, the exposed mucous membrane on the glans thickens and develops a cornified layer of keratin. This sclerotic thickening is called keratinization. As a result, the glans looses its healthy look and becomes dull, tough and leathery. The nerve endings become buried under the dry layers of keratinized tissue.

Other Forms of Psychological Damage

In the book The Joy of Uncircumcising by Jim Bigelow, Ph.D., there are numerous anecdotes from men who have felt traumatized throughout their life as a result of being cut. Some men have been emotional hurt by their partners when told men who were not cut look more attractive.

Some men are very angry, frustrated and hold deep resentments toward their parents and toward doctors that perform these procedures. In Iowa, one man refers to his being circumcised as penis mutilation and feels he is not “normal”. Another man, from Peoria, says he was humiliated by his cousins at a young age when they called him "deformed".

Ken, in Ontario says he is so angry that female circumcision gets attention yet innocent boys losing part of their genitalia gets no attention. He asks: “What the hell is the difference?”

Penis Restoration Movement

Up until the 1960s most foreskin restorations were done under some sort of social or political duress. In the early 1960s, Dr. Jack Penn published the results of a penis restoration procedure he had done for a 35 year old man who was psychologically damaged as a result of being circumcised.

The following is a timeline of the penis restoration movement as written by Jim Bigelow, Ph.D., in The Joy of Uncircumcising:

  • Early 1960s First modern surgical foreskin restoration in Johannesburg, South Africa.
  • Mid – 1970s Many doctors receive inquiries in the U.S. regarding surgical foreskin reconstruction.
  • Late 1970s Early surgical techniques pioneered.
  • Early 1980s Nonsurgical procedures experimented with and loosely documented.
  • Mid 1980s Both surgical and nonsurgical methods improved and documented.
  • Late 1980s Surgical foreskin-expansion methods and devices pioneered.
  • Early 1990s Nonsurgical skin-expansion system revised, codified and made available more widespread. NORM was founded in San Francisco to support men in foreskin restoration. NOHARMM organized to give circumcised men a voice. All procedures were refined, simplified and improved.

Further Reading:

The History of Circumcision

Penis Restoration Techniques

The copyright of the article Psychological Effects of a Circumcision in Men’s Health is owned by Karen Stephenson. Permission to republish Psychological Effects of a Circumcision in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Circumcision Ritual in Asia, Wikimedia Commons Circumcision Ritual in Asia
   
What do you think about this article?
NOTE: Because you are not a Suite101 member, your comment will be moderated before it is viewable.
post your comment
What is 8+0?