[ ARC forum 2 ]

What it is, is a little tight. No panic.

Written by Paul B. at 08 Aug 2002 00:10:48:

As an answer to: What is it written by George at 07 Aug 2002 19:05:26:

> I have noticed that I have what you call a phimotic ring. However when I am flacid I am still able to pull back all the way.

That is probably a good summary. Beware the "medicalisation" of this situation - you obviously have a foreskin that retracts, but you have a minor problem with it, which you need to sort out. When however, you start using terms like "phimotic ring", that tends to make you think of doctors and the like, but unfortunately, only a small proportion of doctors, especially in America, have any expertise in dealing with simple problems, and tend to use quite bizarre approaches if faced with them, in particular, surgery!

> When I have an erection I able to pull back, however it hurts. Sometimes I pull my foreskin back to just behind the head.

Noted, but the point is that it does come back. The principle that you need to apply here then, is that of exercise, you keep doing it just like you would exercise to build up your muscles, so that it gets "used" to doing what you want. What will happen in the process, is that the skin will stretch.

> This doesn't give me any serious pain, however still puts a lot of pressure on my penis.

Then that conclusively proves that the problem is minor, and will be readily settled by simply doing just that, pulling it back, repeatedly, and it will get ever-so-slightly easier each time.

Fascinating thought for you - you presumably know that girls have a hymen over the entrance to their vagina, limiting their initial ability to have intercourse. You probably also know of the "traditions" that it is somehow "macho" to cause this to tear painfully the first time she has intercourse.

Well, of course, that is a thought that appeals to singularly self-centred males, but the reality of the matter is that where a girl has a tight hymen, the loving thing to do is for the guy to slowly and progressively, quite likely over a number of occasions, stretch it to "fit", whether he is doing this with his fingers or his penis. The operative principles are gentleness, persistence, and lubrication which in the boy-girl situation is hopefully provided by what the girl produces in some abundance from the vagina when she is excited by the sexual situation, and that is certainly what should be happening.

As it relates to yourself, the relevant points are that you should do it in comfort, actually enjoy the "exercises", and you may find it a lot easier if you use a lubricant as you do the sliding back and forth.

> You seem to call this paraphimosis. You also say that you should seek medical attention and after 20 minutes can be very serious.

Who is this "you" you mention here? This is where you are being badly misled by the "medicalisation" of the situation. You have but a simple problem, easily dealt with by exercising. Paraphimosis on the other hand, describes a situation where the foreskin has been pulled back forcibly in an uncontrolled manner, generally without an erection (i.e., it is tight without the erection, not tight with erection) and instead of being pulled forward again, is left there such that the part beyond the restriction swells and prevents the foreskin being pulled forward.

Now in considering such a situation, you have to ask "who would do that?" and in fact it only happens if the person is too ill, unconscious or mentally limited to correct the problem promptly. Such circumstances include drunkenness, medical manipulation under anaesthesia, senile and demented men in nursing homes, and occasionally, a small child pulling it back and then panicking, concealing what he has done.

> Is this true for me can this really be that bad. What should I do?

I trust then you can understand that this "paraphimosis" has no connection with your situation, and you can forget about it entirely.

As our Jim says, "Any questions?"


Answers: