Circumcised Vs. Uncircumcised: Is There A Difference

Can you clearly tell if a man is circumcised or not? There's a difference between a circumcised, and an uncircumcised penis that can be seen in the physical appearance. Read on to explore the dissimilar facts. A man is born with covered skin on the head of the penis. This covering is famous as the foreskin. This part undergoes surgical cutting through a procedure called circumcision. It’s done for either medical or religious reasons or mostly in childhood. For adults, it could be for religious or aesthetic purposes. Nobody is forced to cut the skin, but its presence shouldn’t be a reason to compromise your health and hygiene. Let’s learn more about the differences.

The differences between a cut and uncut penis

Circumcision has several impacts on the penis. Consider the following uncircumcised and circumcised pros and cons:

Penis size

Does circumcision really influence a penis size? When flaccid, an uncircumcised penis appears somewhat bulkier due to its foreskin. But, this foreskin retracts to the point of disappearing during an erection, meaning it doesn't have a significant effect on how big or small may look. The penis size is mainly determined by genes, which bring out its physical expression and phenotype. Another effect on size is blood circulation towards the penile tissues. Cutting the foreskin has nothing to do with this tissue network or the magnitude of the penis except for looking a bit less bulk in a flaccid state.

Hygiene

Hygiene is critical for an uncircumcised penis. Extra attention is vital to prevent smegma accumulation. It's best to regularly clean the area underneath the foreskin to clear any bacteria, oil, and dead skin cells. The buildup of these materials can result in foreskin and glans inflammation, plus smell. When it occurs, phimosis- difficulty in pulling back the foreskin, can potentially come in, which might require professional attention. Advisably, retraction only applies to adults. Note that it can be dangerous to forcefully do it before puberty. On the other hand, a circumcised penis is free from complications. Simply wash it during bathing to clean. There's only one thing, dryness, and irritation for lack of a foreskin. This can be eased by wearing loose underwear; avoid tight outfits.

Physical form

In a flaccid state, the foreskin of a penis covers the glans making the penis head almost invisible. However, when erect, it retracts exposing the glans. There being no foreskin on a circumcised penis, the glans is always outside, whether standing or not. The penis tip is also different in texture; feels thinner with more sensitivity.

Impact on sexual arousal

Research in 2016 suggested that an uncut penis has more sensitivity to arousal by touch. But, this study further said there’s no implication that one feels more pleasure than the cut. Another study in 2011 claimed that circumcised men reported orgasms difficulties. Come 2012, another study responded by making this research questionable. The 2011 study mentioned that sexual satisfaction and circumcision are not related.

Benefits of male circumcision to a woman? There have been many inconclusive studies regarding circumcision's effects on sex, whereby each research brings up a conflicting finding. For instance, a study in 2013 sampled 1059 uncut men and 310 cut ones. The cut men reported lesser sex sensitivity around the glans than the other group. Nevertheless, another 2016 study compared sex stimulation between 32uncircumcised and 30 circumcised men aged between 18 and 37 years. The finding demonstrated no significant difference between their penile sensitivity. Additionally, in 2012, there was a lack of scientific evidence supporting previous research, which suggested that cutting affects sexual performance. In their conclusion, they said that removing the foreskin lack a long-term impact on sexual function.

Effect on lubrication

Does being uncircumcised increase or reduce lubrication for sex? Well, the penis is naturally lubricated by the foreskin. Nevertheless, nobody has so far confirmed that a circumcised man will need additional lubrication to get equal sexual satisfaction as the uncut. It may mean an occasional need for more lube in instances like anal sex. Therefore, don’t rely on misinformation since there's no proof that one may not get sexual satisfaction or penis health without natural lubrication.

Is there a difference between sperm production and fertility?

Cut or uncut, it doesn't matter to fertility or sperm production. There's no direct effect linking the two aspects. It's because sperms are produced in the testicles and not the penis or foreskin. Fertility is largely dependent on your diet, lifestyle, and overall wellbeing. For the circumcised, good news reduced the risk of balanitis and phimosis, which might bring infections and inflammation. So far, no research proves that circumcision helps infertility.

Penile cancer risk

Are you wondering whether a cut or an uncut foreskin can risk penile cancer development? Yes, uncircumcised males are highly at risk of contracting penile cancer because they’re prone to infections brought by phimosis and smegma. The two conditions are major risk factors for penile cancer. The basic way to lower the risk is proper hygiene maintenance on the penis. Can a woman get an infection from an uncircumcised man? Ladies with circumcised partners have fewer chances of contracting cervical cancer, as reported by ongoing research.

Infection risk

The risk of infection mostly relates to hygiene, as earlier discussed. An uncut foreskin traps moisture that develops a good surrounding for bacterial survival. Even women with uncircumcised men partners have larger possibilities of getting bacterial vaginosis. The uncut men can also spread more other infections, including UTIs, STDs, and yeast infections.

The bottom line

Circumcision can probably be for religious, cultural, or personal purposes. For adults frequently developing infections, they may be advised to cut the foreskin for health needs. Generally, there’s no universal recommendation to cut the foreskin in men. This is because cut or uncut has not many effects on risking many conditions. Besides, your overall sexual health isn’t in danger. Maybe the only concern is having to regularly clean the foreskin if uncircumcised to decrease infection risks. Other measures could involve using condoms in intercourse to prevent risking STIs contraction, though this is crucial for both the cut and uncut males. The same applies to maintaining proper hygiene of the genitals to reduce risking the spread of STIs.