How circumcision could affect your sex life, according to experts
Topics: Sex and Relationships, Health
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock
Topics: Sex and Relationships, Health
Experts have explained how circumcision can affect your sex life off the back of many studies on the matter over the years.
Newborn circumcision rates in the US have declined to below 50 percent as of 2022, which is down from just over 54 percent in 2012.
There are regional and demographic variations, while some men may decide to have a circumcision later in life due to health reasons.
Hussain Alnajjar, a consultant urological surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic in London, explained to the Mail some of the health impacts men can suffer from having a circumcision, including the impact it can have on your sex life.
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Many men could undergo the surgery because of phimosis, a condition where the foreskin is too tight to be pulled back over the head of the penis.
Alnajjar explained how the majority of these cases are as a result of lichen sclerosus, a nasty inflammatory skin condition which impacts the head of the penis.
Urine usually triggers the condition, which in turn can activity in the bedroom.
Alnajjar explained to the Mail: "Urine is toxic to the skin – and when an uncircumcised man goes to the loo, some of it can get trapped under the skin, causing chronic inflammation.
"In time, that inflammation causes a build-up of scar tissue in the foreskin which makes it tight.
"Many men find this adversely affects their sex life because erections can be painful."
As a result, circumcisions for those suffering with phimosis can be beneficial for the sex life.
The expert went on to say that changes in sensitivity is one of the main concerns raised by men when they are recommended to have a medical circumcision, but Alnajjar has downplayed these concerns.
While increased sensitivity can happen, the health expert stated 'it’s not common and most patients get used to it'.
Like Alanjjar states, the impact of circumcision on a man's sex life can very much depend on the person, with some people reporting it can reduce sensitivity in bed.
On the other hand, a 2013 review in the Journal of Sexual Medicine claims that a circumcision does not make or break a person's sex life, detailing that men who don't have foreskin do not notice any reasonable differences when it comes to sexual function, sensation, satisfaction, or even pleasure.
Health experts note that your partner may notice differences in the bedroom too depending on whether their other half is circumcised or not.