Re: Pinhole phimosis and female reactions to it

Written by Bob Knight on 17. November 1999 at 21:40:52:

In Reply to: Re: Pinhole phimosis and female reactions to it written by IA on 11. November 1999 at 09:06:56:

>>I'd like to start out by saying that this is a wonderful forum which has greatly helped me in dealing with my condition.
>>I would like to direct discussion into a slightly different aspect of this condition which many of us face. I am 23, and I have secondary pinhole phimosis - I cannot really retract my foreskin at all.
>>I don't have any problems with it physically - sexual or hygenic. However, I dread having to explain my condition to each new girlfriend (not that there are that many!). Clearly, it's embarrassing to discuss, especially at the often delicate and critical moment of a first sexual encounter with a new partner. For example, what is the appropriate time to mention the problem? Should it mentioned at all? Basically, I fear a negative reaction from my partner upon seeing a "different" looking penis. What I'm curious to find out (and I may not be able to here with prodominantly male readers) is how have women typically reacted to this situation? In my case, I have asked my girlfriends if they feel it is a problem, and they have said no. But I wonder do women generally desire a penis that is "normal," or would having "special equipment" (as one forum contributer wrote) be exiting to a woman?
>>Right now I am between girlfriends, so I am leaning towards a partial circ anyway - just to avoid the issue altogether. But I am a little afraid to go under the knife down there - especially when it works fine. Since I am not physically bothered by my condition, I wanted to weigh all of these more physcological factors in as well before making a decision. I welcome and would apprieciate any and all comments on my thoughts and questions.
>>Thanks, Greg

>Hi,

>I also suffer from pinhole phimosis, although I have never had it looked at by a Doctor. The hole just seemed to close up when I was about 6 or 7.
>Since then I have never been able to retract my foreskin and the hole is only about 4 - 5 mm in diameter. This used to cause problems with urinating as the hole isn't dead centre so I would tend to spray a bit to the right. Over the years I have learned the right way to stand and pull the skin one way and my aim then becomes accurate (no more wiping the floor and seat every time) :)
>I have never had any hygene problems as I always make sure I get water in it while showering, I then swill it round inside to make sure it is all clean under there.

>To answer your question, I have had quite a few sexual partners (I'm 29) and not one has ever questioned my condition. I assume a lot of girls just aren't familiar with the way a penis 'should' look, so they don't say anything for fear of sounding naiive. The few who have noticed it is different just say "Oh aren't you circumscised, I've never seen an uncircumsciced one before". Thankfully I live in a country where nearly everyone is circumscised, so most women have never seen anyone uncircumscised and have no idea how the foreskin should function.

>I have been worried about it most of my life and was very nervous about anyone finding out. However once I became sexually active I found it to be a benefit. In a similar way that a condom reduces sexual feeling, my foreskin also reduces sensitivity of my glans. This enables me to have sex for a much longer period of time than most other guys and stops any embarrasing premature emissions. Women seem to like guys who can go for more than 2 minutes :)

>I think as I get older and sensitivity reduces, or married, and the flame starts to weaken over time, (I am told it does), then I will consider getting an op on my foreskin to open up the hole to enable retraction. Then I will have an extremely sensitive glans that has never really been touched and it will be like being a teenager again :) (I may end up a 2 minute man)

Seems to me both of you guys have a problem in not being able to retract
the foreskin fully in order to clean the penis & keep it free of dirt &
potential infection. Of course you both may be highly resistant to the
bacteria that normally collect & multiply under the foreskin, and you
may never have problems with infection or soreness, as many owners of
tight foreskins do. However, if neither of your foreskins can be made
to stretch so as to permit retraction, then it is always possible to
get a physician to remedy the situation. Many of these folks (especially
in the USA) will immediately recommend circumcision, but this drastic
approach is seldom (if ever!) necessary. What the doctor can do instead
is make a slit (& this can be very small) in the foreskin on the top side
of the penis, to allow the foreskin to be retracted so as to expose the
glans fully when bathing, urinating or having sex. (Yes, this may turn
you into a 2-minute man, but you can probably learn to manage this by
practicing and learning to hold back on orgasms. You could consider it a
growth process.) When he/she treats your phimosis, the doctor also needs
to check the frenulum to make sure it doesn't adhere to the foreskin or
glans in such a way that it inhibits free movement. More important than
what a girl thinks when she sees your equipment (in the long run, at
least!) is keeping that equipment in healthy working condition. Looks
as if neither of you have been seriously damaged so far by your pinhole
phimoses, but your expressed concern may be justified: it still would
seem to be a good idea to get rid of them ASAP, and walk the world
looking more or less like other men. Good luck & cheers, Bob.