Circumcision - Penis SensitivityTest

Morris L. Sorrells M.D. discusses the penile sensitivity tests he and other doctors conducted that studied circumcised and intact penises. They concluded that circumcision ablates the most sensitive parts of the penis.

Why do/did you have foreskin?

The foreskin occupies a prominent position on an important organ. The foreskins location and structure indicate that it is the most important sensory tissue of the penis. Its persistence over millions of years suggests that it has played a role in the propagation of the species.

A well-integrated organ

Structurally, the penis is highly integrated. The glans, foreskin and skin of the penile shaft function as a single unit, not as a collection of separate parts with entirely different functions. The functions of the glans and foreskin are similar, and overlapping, but come fully into their own at different times during intercourse.

Simple sensations

The outer surface of the foreskin is specialized to detect feather-light touch and other sensations, including painful ones. The infamous zipper injury is an extreme example of the sort of damage the outer skin was designed to detect and prevent, long before the zipper posed a threat to the uninitiated.

Compared with the true (outer) skin of the foreskin, the glans is only feebly sensitive to light touch, pain, heat and cold. This is part of the reason we call the foreskin the primary sensory tissue of the penis. Without the foreskin, the end of the penis is numb to a host of sensations that tell the owner whether one of his most prized organs is in good company, or should move to safety.

Complex sensations

Thanks to its ridged band, the inner lining of the foreskin is specialized sexual tissue. The ridged band readily expands and contracts and is obviously designed to detect stretching forces. When penile shaft skin tugs on the ridged band, special genital corpuscles in the peaks of the ridges detect movement and trigger ejaculation. Stretching of the ridged band may also trigger and sustain erection.

Electrical stimulation of the glans triggers nerve impulses that pass to the spinal cord and then to the muscle of ejaculation. Clearly the glans has much in common with the foreskin. Where foreskin and glans part company, functionally as well as physically, is in their sensitivity to light touch, pain and heat and cold. Contrary to common opinion, the glans is not highly sensitive to a broad range of stimuli.

Foreskin vs. glans

It is unclear whether the ridged band simply plays backup for the glans, or whether the two have different functions. The location of the retracted ridged band on the erect penile shaft suggests that the difference is one of timing. Possibly, the foreskin and its ridged band are designed to ensure that sexual reflexes are triggered when, and only when, these structures are stretched during intercourse. The biological importance of the ridged band to conception is self-evident, but there is still a major gap in our understanding of the relation between form and function of the penis.

Dartos muscle

Penile skin has two important characteristics, apparent only on erection. Firstly penile skin tenses, stiffens and shortens, firming up the connection between shaft skin and ridged band. This change allows for the transmission of movement from the base of the erect penis to the ridged band.

Secondly, penile skin undergoes a marked frictional change, brought about by stiff, forward-pointing skin folds. The mechanism is similar to that which raises goosebumps.

The changes in penile skin are brought about by contraction of the Dartos muscle. Between them, stiffening and frictionality ensure that the ridged band is instantly alerted to changes in position of the penis within the vagina.

Why two layers?

The double-layering of the foreskin allows the delicate ridged band, which normally is safely hidden from view, to be deployed on the upper surface of the penile shaft during erection. There it stands a better chance of being activated. Double-layering also eases vaginal entry by offsetting the frictional resistance of erect shaft skin.

Summary

The various parts of the penis, including the foreskin, form a functional whole. The foreskin is the primary sensory tissue of the penis. The ridged band of the foreskin is built to trigger orgasm and ejaculation.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• circumcision
• pressure
• sensitivity
• penis
• foreskin
• glans
• British
• Journal
• Urology
• human
• rights
• infant
• genital
• mutilation
• child
• medical
• abuse
• sexual
• function
• doctors
• nurses
• NCLEX

[webserfin]

I only dated one guy with an uncircumcised penis...man it smelt gross...and it didn't turn me on what-so-ever because it looked really unattractive *shudders*.... bleh....

[Bonobo3D]

@webserfin So you are judging all intact men on one sexual experience? Sounds like you came to that experience with some pre-judgment and baggage of your own.

[webserfin]

@Bonobo3D lol you don't know me well-enough to make such heavy assumptions of me lying. Judging on all your replies, you seem to carry a lot of hatred towards the people who are cut rather than the issue itself. And by the way, I was indeed sharing an opinion. I wasn't asking anyone to engage themselves in a debate with me especially someone like you who's showing a high amount in aggression and trying to imply your opinion bias theirs with personal opinion *Yawn* Have a Nice Day :)

[Bonobo3D]

@webserfin

"Lying"? I didn't say that. I have no "hatred" of people who are cut, I am one of them. What I do have difficulty with is people who justify forced genital cutting of children with their own prejudices, based usually on very limited sexual experience. You yourself said it was based on one person you dated.

Circumcision of children is always justified by flimsy and prejudiced excuses such as you revealed.

[LethalDozePL]

why is talking about sexual pleasure such a taboo in the US

[Bonobo3D]

@LethalDozePL Religion.

[Bonobo3D]

@hudna1 And some men think oversized breast implants "looks better" than natural breasts.

What you seem to be unable to see, past your own sexual preference for a surgically simplified and reduced penis, is that this is being forced upon infants and children without consent.

[Bonobo3D]

@vash1053 A person who is colour blind doesn't know what they are missing either.

To impose colour blindness on an infant or child, or any other sensory deficit is morally and ethically wrong.

Some men have, because of peer pressure, had themselves cut as adults, often with grave regrets. Many men are now creating a pseudo foreskin through foreskin restoration. Their accounts of improved form and function also contribute to this discussion.

[webserfin]

Oh man lol. You Preach about how Circumcision is Wrong and Prejudice against people yet when it comes down to people on this Video whose actually Cut. You lack empathy towards the people who try to give you an instructed dialog on their opinion. I mean if you were Truly compassion to this issue you'd be committed to be more sympathetic to "Us unfortunate Cut Guys" But you'd rather debate instead, and refuse to reply to the Prejudice that a lot of the Uncut men posted in this video. lol

[Omnislash2000]

@hudna1

You're either Jewish or Muslim aren't you? lol.

[Sub4SubbingMe]

Loved being cut lol u all ppl jeolous u werent cut so try to make shit up! go clean u dick