[ ARC forum 2 ]
Written by Paul B. at 23 Jul 2002 15:28:39: Wondering?
As an answer to: I was just wondering, because the website confused me a little written by 16 with phimosis at 23 Jul 2002 05:14:21:
> well Im 16 and as long as I can remember my forskin never contracted,
Umm, retracted is what you mean.
> for a long time I didnt know it was suposed to, but anyway I heard one method of treatment was streatching,
Well, stretching is really the only form of treatment that achieves a normally working foreskin that makes sex (intercourse, but also masturbation) smoother and with maximum sensitivity, particularly for the ladies. A "dorsal slit" or "preputioplasty" operation would be pretty close, whilst a circumcision cuts off all of the sensitive and elastic part of the foreskin, so it can't roll back and forward anywhere near as well.
> I was wondering if it was safe to just streatch myself so to speak like in the shower
Excellent idea. Read all the instructions here on stretching - you may find most of these are in the "archive" section, by the way - and go to it.
> or should I seek profesional help?
Well, that would be a very difficult thing. Question is, where would you find "professional" help in stretching? If you are thinking of doctors, then it can be difficult because very few of them, very few indeed in America for one, are used to thinking that sex is important. They are mostly not trained about sex, and often don't seem to care about it.
That means that they may for example, suggest a circumcision as a "cure" to any "problem" with the foreskin, such as not retracting, because they think it doesn't matter if you haven't got one, even if that means sex is not as good (particularly over a whole lifetime) as a result. They seem to think that if you can still have sex and make babies, what more do you want?
And, it happens, that if they talk someone into circumcision, then they make money from it - often hundreds of dollars. If they teach someone how to stretch a foreskin - they make only the consultation fee, which is generally far less. So, do you think that may affect the "value" they put on making a foreskin work properly?
To be honest, doctors can be terribly helpful guys and all, but they are running a business - to make money, and sometimes - it shows!
So, when it comes to knowing about stretching the foreskin, then as Jim says in the posting below, the genuine "professionals" are actually right here - people who actually do value the foreskin and know about stretching procedures, notably "Jim" himself and "Rood", because they have helped many men with similar stretching techniques. However there are also a few ignorant hecklers too, you have to figure out for yourself who they are, because this is not a moderated forum.
To get back to "safety" in stretching: You really must get this in context. The reason you have a foreskin that won't retract at this point, is because you haven't up till now, been doing the normal and automatic stretching you should have been whilst growing up.
Stretching is not really some "special" medical treatment, it's what a toddler does when he sits and plays with his penis, stretching the foreskin forward by a couple of inches (longer again than his penis) which "frees up" the foreskin from the glans, then at some later stage he realises that he can feel something (interesting) inside the foreskin and that the foreskin is covering over it, but mobile, so it should be possible to slip the foreskin back over it and discover what is underneath. Once he does that, he should keep on doing it just for curiosity (and because it feels good) for ever after.
Now, it appears that in your case, you did not happen to figure this out as a toddler, and kind of - forgot about it! But, there is no reason at all why you should not start going it now, and keep going until you have made up the "lost years".
Consider, men don't go to the doctor and ask for "professional help" to have sex with their girlfriend. Maybe they actually should, because a doctor should have considerable knowledge about it (he certainly should, and generally does, in regard to sexually-transmitted diseases, for one) and because if more people actually did this, then the doctors would get trained to do it which as I say, they are presently not to any great extent.
So in summary, you have the resources here, use them, and get your problem solved.