An Open Discussion on Circumcision

[thecloudsandrain]

Hello Everyone,

After recently writing a thread on some issues in the bedroom I did some of my own research (can we call the internet research?) and have concluded that my issues may stem from a lack of sensitivity brought about by a circumcision performed on me as a baby.

It is said that the difference in sensitivity between a circumcised penis and an intact penis can be experienced by stroking the back of your hand (circumcised) and stroking the palm of the hand (intact). Though, I do feel the palm doesn't adequately replicate the level of sensitivity as I can put my palm under hot water where in the case of an intact penis it actually hurts to do so, from what I've read. After a circumcision,through the process of keratinization, the skin on the head of the penis becomes thicker which makes it difficult for nerve endings to sense anything coming into contact with the head of the penis. As I've been circumcised for nearly 27 years, my penis has had plenty of time to not only keratinize but also become desensitized to the rubbing of my trousers, masturbation, etc. A lack of sensitivity down below has definitely been my experience and I think it has effected my ability to sustain a lasting erection. From what I've read, some individuals don't experience a loss of sensitivity, but it seems to me these individuals may have had their circumcision procedures performed later in life, and therefore may not have a significant level of keratinization.

I made this thread because I thought it would be beneficial to have a discussion on what your experience has been like after having been circumcised. Though I can climax, I really feel like I'm not experiencing what sex should actually feel like. Those that haven't been circumcised can also chime in, and of course, if anyone is interested, they can do their own research.

thecloudsandtherain

 

[Franco]

thecloudsandrain,

I can't say that I agree with any of the assessments that are being made here about circumcision as a baby causing you to lose sensitivity in your penis. I was circumsized as a baby, and I find myself constantly fighting the urge to ejaculate prematurely when I'm with a woman. It's taken some time (and lots of practice) to be able to control it, but I definitely don't feel any "lack" of sensitivity in that area as I find it very easy to cum whenever I want to (barring me being borderline blacked-out drunk, or having just gone a round of sex minutes before the the current round).

I do find it interesting that there are lots of guys on this forum who have trouble with the opposite -- by that I mean getting an erection, staying hard, and finishing during that erection. This has never been an issue for me, and I've always found it much more difficult to maintain an erection during sex without finishing early. A combination of experience, breathing, and mental fortitude has increased my duration during sex, but occasionally I can also "cheat" by just having a few drinks in me before getting started if I know I want the sex session to be a longer one.

I can't speak for everyone, but I don't think an early circumcision has anything to do with the sensitivity of your penis (unless maybe there was something that went wrong during the circumcision -- this might require research to see what "failed" circumcisions have done to men). The only connection I've found linked to sensitivity has more to do with watching porn and the "mental" aspect of it. I was never really one to watch a lot of porn, and even at my peak I was probably only watching porn 3-4 times a week, which apparently is rather low compared to the average man. I now only watch porn at most twice a week but sometimes not at all, as well. I know my roommate actually has had trouble staying hard and finishing sometimes, but I also know he watches porn much more frequently, so I feel like that probably is a large portion of the reason.

I'd be interested in hearing anyone else's input on this.

- Franco

 

[Lotus]

I was also circumcised as a baby and I don't have any problems with sensitivety either. The first 3-4 times I had sex I was alway ejaculating prematurely. It wasn't until I had a steady girlfriend 3 years later was i finally able to work on some control.

Even now I still have to pay attention or risk cumming early and this is with condoms on. I don't even trust myself to have sex without condoms on and risk it. I am defintley closer to overly sensitive then de-sensitized and I did have phases where I watched a substantial amount of porn.

Drinking I still find myself very sensative and can cum pretty much whenever if I need to, I actually tend to cum a lot faster because I lose a lot of the control I require to maintain.

It is interesting to hear what factors causes different people to have different experiences. I know I have had friends that say they last 20-30 minutes on their first go rounds, but growing up everyone wants to say they can last forever so I'm not sure how credible those accounts are.

 

[Zoro]

I am uncircumcised and with my first girlfriend I could NOT cum during sex. We would fuck until we got tired or sore. It felt good, but I did not have much sensation. Blowjobs did nothing for me as well.

I was using porn heavily at the time (at least 3-5 times a week)

That may be your issue if you have been wankin and pankin too much. Now that I have significantly cut down (still having issues quiting) I have normal sensation. Since then, blowjobs have stolen my heart.

 

[Chase]

Clouds-

I did some research on this a year or so back, because there's a great deal of opinion/information/misinformation being bandied about.

What I discovered was that the foreskin:

• Contains the highest number of specialized nerve endings called Meissner's corpuscles in the penis
• Provides a protective layer over the glans that reduces keratinization-causing abrasion and some STDs
• Lubricates the penis head, allowing easier entry into less-lubricated vaginas

According to the research, uncircumcised men last longer during sex (which surprised me at first; I thought more sensitivity would equal swifter ejaculation... seems the opposite is the case).

There also doesn't seem to be any "sex crazed" effect - at first I thought the cultural practice might have appeared and taken hold in certain societies (like Jewish society and American society) because it made men less desirous of sex and more likely to focus on productivity (and the most productive societies tend to be the most dominant ones in their heydays), yet I can tell you anecdotally that some of the most sex-crazed men I know have all been clipped, and there are quite a few Nobel prize winners who have not.

Whatever the extra nerve endings in the foreskin do, I'm not certain they increase pleasure, since uncircumcised men actually last longer in bed. It may be that they sense a woman's mucous production and better help a man time his ejaculation to when his woman is closer to orgasm and more likely to be receptive to his sperm, or some other possibility no one's investigated yet.

Even if they did increase sexual pleasure, the human brain is a remarkably adaptable organ, and tends to rewire itself to work with what it's got, especially when the body is damaged early in life before much of the brain is "set". e.g., if a bunch of the nerve endings are removed from your hands as an infant, most likely by the time you're an adult you'll have a close approximation of the hand functionality and sensitivity to a non-modified individual, so long as you still kept some sensitivity throughout fingers and hands post-surgery.

The most significant bad effect from a missing foreskin in my estimation is the lack of natural lubrication on the penis-head; this means if you're not a big fan of foreplay, you've got to keep some lube handy to compensate for your lack of it. Some might reason that this is good as a "rape prevention" measure, but there's a lot of research showing that women produce a great deal of vaginal mucous when they think they're about to be raped. The lubrication of the glans seems to be most useful for males initiating sex with bored long-term partners.

In the United States, foreskin removal apparently became popular in the early 20th century following the rise of Freudian psychology, due to a belief that males that had been circumcised would be less "sex crazed" and more stable, productive members of society (they also used to remove the clitorises of young women who masturbated excessively in those times). By the time this belief was debunked, the practice was already entrenched, so American health associations began to assert pseudo-scientific "health benefits" (latest research seems to suggest the foreskin has a slight protective effect against most STDs, if any effect).

Anyway, if you're having trouble with sensitivity, a few other things you can try:

• Going bareback, assuming it's a girl you've verified is STD-free (condoms really kill the joy sometimes)
• Having a girl tease you more and engage in more foreplay before the act (works for both guy and girl)
• Trying out different girls (some girls' vaginas are loose, or extremely wet, which reduces friction and, thus, sensation)

Chase

 

[SwissChocolate]

Hey Radeng, it's really intriguing that you were able to use meditation to control your body in such a manor. I am uncircumcised and also have trouble cumming to BJ's. Can you please elaborate on how you utilized meditation to tackle sensitivity, your mental approach to sex, etc.
Thanks,
Alec

 

[PinotNoir]

I've been circumcised and can get a boner in a heartbeat. But, admittedly, I do have a problem with cumming inside of a woman; it seems to take me a lot longer than my other guy friends. This may be due to past porno and masturbation though I suspect than circumcision. Correlation doesn't prove causation, so it's hard to know for certain.

Dropping porn and masturbation though has helped me a lot in being more sensitive, so it might help.

I think circumcision was smart in the past with less means of cleaning the inside with soap, etc. to remove smegma/dick-cheese. However, now, I don't think it serves any purpose except for tradition. If I ever have boys, I don't plan on getting them circumcised.