Paraphimosis: That's The Whole Point -- To Find Out

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Written by Charles II at 07 Oct 2000 18:12:40:

As an answer to: Re: Hope This Helps written by Wolf at 07 Oct 2000 05:28:15:

>>Have you tried retracting the foreskin -prior- to an erection
>DON'T YOU EVER THINK OF performing this rather dangerous stunt. You never know if you'll get a paraphimosis from it.

RESPONSE
And that's just the point, you'll never know. Too many boys and men go through life in ignorance, never knowing that their foreskin is made to retract for a reason. Long before the age of puberty, normal childhood adhesions have separated the foreskin from the penis head in all but a small handful of normal, healthy boys. As puberty approaches, smegma and other secretions begin to cause itching that encourages the foreskin to be retracted. The penis begins to grow at an accelerated rate, and it wants to get out and breathe. By adulthood, many men's foreskin will naturally retract and atrophy, but this is often not soon enough to avoid problems. It should be helped along at every chance. If phimosis is discovered, or paraphimosis is so severe that the retracted foreskin is uncomfortable and strangling the penis, retracting is the way to find out so it can be corrected right away.