sci.med newsgroup
Date: Mon, 09 Sep 1996 18:55:48 GMT

Robin Stuart wrote:
>>Or, due to the difficulties experienced when attempting to retract his
>>foreskin, a boy may believe this act to be unnatural, and he may even grow
>>up adapting to this unconscious anatomical inhibition.

Steve Ward wrote:
>This seems highly unlikely. Most boys will compare 'notes' etc with their
>peers.
[snipped]

Unfortunately there are a percentage of boys who are not able to
compare 'notes' and do indeed grow up to have psychological problems
of a varying severity.

I now know of several cases where boys have passed through puberty,
and reached the state of manhood with undiagnosed problems.
Including a man who discovered he was unable to have sex on his
wedding night because of phimosis.

Undoubtedly this is an extreme case, but underlies that point that
both men and boys can - over time, adapt their beliefs and thinking
patterns to accommodate their anatomical conditions.

Psychological problems are real, and not as rare as might be believed.

For myself, I reached the age of 26 with undiagnosed phimosis. At
this time I was suffering deep emotional scarring from the discovery
that I made at the age of 15.

The inability to retract my foreskin led me to make incorrect
assumptions about myself, including the idea that I was never meant to
have sex.

The lack of information available to me, assisted in the physical and
psychological trauma that I suffered from for many years.

I suspect that many boys and men are ignorant of their own bodies.

Perhaps only an increase in awareness, and the ability to talk openly
and freely will cure many of these problems.

Dave.