The Uncircumcised Penis Debate - Are Woman For or Against?

When it comes to the male anatomy, there are two distinctive ways that the actual penis itself can appear: with or without a foreskin. Sure, a man can try all sorts of tricks to see what makes him look bigger, longer or more attractive, but by the time a man reaches adulthood he is probably pretty used to the equipment that does - or perhaps doesn’t - come with his package. However, even with only two choices out there, the decision on whether or not to circumcise baby boys is one fretted over by many parents. But is there really a strong preference for one over the other? Are women more attracted to an uncut penis than a cut penis, or vice versa? Learn more about the great foreskin debate, as well as how to keep the penis healthy in any form.

What do Women Think?
As with every matter of opinion, there is no single answer that applies to every woman in the world. The U.S. does continue to have a high circumcision rate, and of U.S.-born men, the majority are circumcised at birth. That being said, some of woman’s preferences are certainly culturally based, and they may have never had a face-to-face encounter with an uncircumcised penis. This doesn’t mean they would not like an uncut penis; it just means they have never had the pleasure of trying one out.

Are there advantages or disadvantages to being circumcised?
In the U.S., the reason most people give for having their babies circumcised is hygiene. A circumcised penis is easier to keep clean, does not produce the same buildup of dead skin cells and bacteria (i.e., smegma), and has a lower risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections. Additionally, men who have their foreskin intact tend to have a higher rate of urinary tract infections; whereas men who are cut rarely get UTI’s. Does that mean men who have a foreskin are unclean or dirty? No. It just means they will need to take more care during the shower routine and retract the foreskin to clean under it.

Perhaps the biggest debate regarding the foreskin is whether it increases or decreases sensitivity. The foreskin itself has very few nerve endings, but the glans is jam-packed and therefore extremely sensitive. Men with the foreskin intact make the argument that their penis is more sensitive because the foreskin protects the delicate head of the penis, whereas the uncut penis has no protection and therefore becomes desensitized from friction of clothing and so forth. The only way to know for a man to know for sure what he prefers is to go from being uncut to cut, but he sure will have a hard time reversing that if he prefers the former.

Should a man get circumcised to get more ladies?
There are legitimate reasons to have a circumcision done as an adult - for instance, chronic infection or an inability to retract the foreskin are both situations that put one’s health at risk -- but undergoing surgery as a means to get more women is probably not well-judged. Anytime a person undergoes elective surgery, they are taking on certain risks, so they need to be 100% sure they are doing it for the right reasons. If a man is suffering from severe self-esteem issue or has difficulty becoming intimate with a woman because he is embarrassed about his foreskin, he may want to discuss these fears with a therapist before going ahead with a circumcision - because there may be another cause of the sexual shame. The last thing a man wants is regret for a surgery that is pretty much irreversible!

Keeping the penis clean
Whether or not the penis is circumcised, men need to maintain excellent hygiene to protect their sexual health. Daily showering with soap and water is a necessity, and men with a foreskin need to retract it and wash underneath. Finally, after stepping out of the shower, apply a penis health cream (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil) especially one formulated with vitamin A to help bust odor-causing bacteria - because foreskin or not, any partner would be turned off by a smelly penis.