circumcision foreskin sex

How Does Circumcision Affect Sex?

July 1, 2022

by Intaction Staff Writers

Men circumcised either as children or adults report less intense sexual pleasure and orgasm than their intact uncircumcised counterparts, according to a new study from Belgium. Can this mean bad news for circumcised men?

A new study reveals that men who have had their foreskins removed in their early childhood or adult hood tend to experience less intense sexual pleasure and orgasms than their peers. “We’re not saying less sexual activity or satisfaction, but sensitivity,” said the study’s senior researcher Dr. Piet Hoebeke, from Ghent University Hospital.

The new study published in the British Journal of Urology International (BJUI), surveyed 1,369 men over the age of 18 in Belgium to see how does circumcision affect sex.

How Does Circumcision Affect Sex | Circumcision and Sensitivity

In the study, men were asked whether they were circumcised, and were then asked to rate how sensitive their penis was, how intense their orgasms were and whether they experience any pain or numbness when they are aroused.

Overall, 310 men who took the survey were circumcised, and 1,059 were not. Each rated how sensitive their penis was on a scale from 0 to 5, with higher numbers being the most sensitive.

Overall, uncircumcised men reported between 0.2 points and 0.4 points higher sensitivity and sexual pleasure when their penis’s head – known as the glans – was stroked during arousal, compared to circumcised men.

For example, uncircumcised men reported an average sensitivity score of 3.72 when they or their partner stroked the top part of their penis’s glans, compared to 3.31 amongst circumcised men. This was part of the study to determine how circumcision affects sex.

circumcision sex pleasure sensitivity orgasm

Researchers say intact men have greater sensation

Circumcision Linked To Premature Ejaculation

There are also links between circumcision and premature ejaculation. 

One possible explanation for any potential difference in sensitivity is that a man’s foreskin may protect his penis’s head from rubbing against underwear and clothing. It’s possible, the researchers write, that friction makes the head of the penis thicker, drier and ultimately less sensitive.

The researchers also found circumcised men were more likely to report more pain and numbness during arousal than uncircumcised men, which Hoebeke said is likely due to scar tissue. Obviously all of these factors contribute to how does circumcision affect sex.

premature ejaculation intaction

Intact uncircumcised Men Reported More Intense Orgasms

“It’s not a very big difference in sensitivity, but it’s a significant difference,” Hoebeke said in the British Journal of Urology International (BJUI).

Currently, about half of U.S. baby boys have their foreskin surgically removed at birth, but only about 30 percent of men around the world are circumcised.

Some religions, such as Judaism and Islam, consider circumcision part of religious practice, while other people blindly choose circumcision for dubious health benefits.

Hoebeke and his colleagues write in British Journal of Urology International (BJUI) that there are few studies researching whether foreskin plays a role in sexual pleasure. They want to research additional factors that answer this question. How does circumcision affect sex?

“I’m amazed that people report pain during sexual pleasure… That’s very amazing and that was unexpected,” he said.

British doctors said that although it can slightly reduce the risk of some types of infection, the risks associated with routine circumcision outweigh any potential benefits.

So Circumcision Affects Sex | What To Do If You’re Cut?

If you are circumcised, then it’s obviously too late to do anything about it, and it’s likely that this decision was made for you, before you were even totally aware of your surroundings. If you are cut it doesn’t mean you’re having a terrible sex life, it’s just that foreskin offers so much more.

While this is obviously an irreversible procedure, it doesn’t mean that you cannot help protect others from this practice. Circumcision and sexual pleasure may not be something you want to discuss in everyday conversation, but it is something that’s going to arise from time to time during your life.

What To Do If You’re Having A Baby

If you have a son, you’re going to have a decision to make. It’s not uncommon for doctors in the United States to ask new parents if they’d like to have their little boys circumcised. As mentioned above, it’s also a religious custom for several worldwide faiths consisting of billions of people overall. Traditions and mostly-debunked or at the very least dubious studies aside, this is a big decision. We hope that you make the right one.

Sex and intimacy are not things that you want to think about for your boy, but those days are going to come for him. Circumcision and sexual pleasure are relevant to him, whether that’s now or 25 years in the future. Either way, what you decide now will have a direct effect on every day of that little boy’s life. Realize that that circumcision affects sex.

Studies like the one above focused on circumcision and sexual pleasure are becoming more common. That’s because fewer people are having their children circumcised than in previous generations. If you’d like to learn more about circumcision and sexual pleasure or other topics related to circumcision, feel free to click here.

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