Dear Dr. Date,
Through my years, I have heard the tales of how circumcising the penis came about and that this procedure has become less and less popular. But I have also heard that uncircumcised men experience more pleasure during intercourse. Is this true? Do women experience greater pleasure with an uncircumcised man? Please set us all straight on this issue.
— Man
Did you know, my male friend, that women are sometimes circumcised just as men are? It’s true!
Sometimes women will have the clitoral hood surgically removed to provide better stimulation to the clitoris during sex. As to your question, it turns out some women are only sexually turned on with a partner who is circumcised. These women get the title of “acucullophiles.”
The roots of circumcision are both medical and ceremonial. Seeing as how early medicine often involved elaborate ceremonies, it’s easy to get confused about why we do things the way we do.
Circumcision is an ancient ritual/procedure that is documented across all cultures. The reasons for this are fairly easy to surmise.
Should the foreskins stay attached to the penis, they make an excellent reservoir for the secretions produced by glands just beneath the head of the penis. If enough of these secretions accumulate, a cheesy substance commonly referred to as smegma forms. If not removed through cleansing, smegma can produce a putrid odor. Amenities such as soap and running water are relatively recent developments, so stopping smegma and its resultant stench might have been a top priority for men of centuries past. There is a more painful side as well. Uncut men are 10 times more likely to suffer from a urinary tract infection, a rather uncomfortable condition. Again, antibiotics are mere babies in the history of medicine. Since the culprit of these ailments seemed to serve no function, it’s easy to see why people started cutting them off.
Currently, circumcision is an important part of many cultures and religions. I’m not quite sure why I’m circumcised, though. I don’t remember either Lutherans or South Dakotans being particularly preoccupied with circumcision, so I’m going to guess that my parents had my future health in mind when they signed the snip-snip form at the hospital. Check out my source book, Foreskin Restoration (Uncircumcision) by Mark Waring.