This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Justin Lehmiller, a social psychologist, researcher and award-winning educator. For more information:
Website | Publications | Instagram
If you’re reading this article right now, especially if you sought it out specifically, then you already know some of the commonly held beliefs around circumcised and uncircumcised penises. For example, some argue that cut (circumcised) penises are cleaner, while others argue that uncut (uncircumcised) are able to feel more fully the pleasures of sex.
The debate over circumcision is one that health professionals still haven’t completely figured out. Aside from religious reasons, the medical community is actually quite split on whether circumcision offers enough health and hygiene benefits to warrant it as a routine practice. In some parts of the world (namely, Sub-Saharan Africa), it is sometimes used as a preventative measure for contracting HIV – but in developed countries, the cut v. uncut debate comes down to 2 things mainly: cleanliness and pleasure.
So we’re going to break down each of the points and allow you to come to your own conclusions about what, to you, sounds better: being cut, or being uncut?
Cut v. Uncut: Cleanliness & Hygiene
Unlike the amazingly unbelievable vagina, penises are not self-cleaning reproductive organs. And when it comes to keeping a penis fresh enough to show off to polite company, uncircumcised guys can run into a bit more trouble than circumcised guys because dead skin cells and oils can accumulate under the foreskin, which can lead to odor, irritation, and (in some cases) pain.
That being said, most uncut guys do a good job of keeping their penises clean. After all, it’s not hard to clean a penis, and concerns about foreskin hygiene can be easily addressed through regular bathing in which the penis is cleansed with plain soap and water.
Cut v. Uncut: Infection Risk
As in the previous point on cleanliness, uncircumcised penises can be fertile breeding grounds for bacteria – warm and moist – which is how they like it. Again, most uncut guys are likely to clean their privates thoroughly enough to see their own reflections, however if cleanliness is not maintained, it may put their female sex partners at increased risk of bacterial vaginosis. However, while some studies have found that circumcision is linked to reduced rates of bacterial vaginosis, others have not.
Cut v. Uncut: A Woman’s Pleasure
Research on how male circumcision affects female pleasure is a bit of a mixed bag. While a majority of studies suggest that women tend to prefer circumcised penises for various reasons (including sexual satisfaction), other studies find no difference in women’s preferences, and some women prefer uncircumcised penises. However, we have to take this research with a grain of salt because many of the women surveyed have not had direct experience with both kinds of penises, so their preferences might just be based on their assumptions.
That said, circumcision status is not the key driver of female sexual pleasure. After all, studies consistently show that clitoral stimulation, not vaginal penetration, is key to most women’s orgasms.
Cut v. Uncut: Male Pleasure & Sensitivity
When a male is circumcised, he has the foreskin of his penis removed, and that skin is home to fine-touch nerves that add a lot of sensitivity. And actually, research finds that the most sensitive part of a circumcised penis is the circumcision scar on the underside of the penis.
In theory, a cut penis might be a little less sensitive to light touch than an uncut one due to the removal of tissue and nerve endings. Even so, however, research finds this doesn’t seem to translate to issues with sexual function. Both circumcised and uncircumcised penises work the exact same: according to a Danish study, the odds of erectile difficulties and premature ejaculation are split right down the middle, unaffected by whether or not the subject was circumcised.
See Also:
Discover sex toys for men:
[carousel_slide id=”43613″]