I am uncircumcised. I was watching porn and the guy in the video pulled the skin back on his penis. I can't do that. Will this change over time?

Dear Shoemaker,

Forgive me for repeating an answer that I've given before, but we've received other questions like yours and here's my usual response:

I'd like to preface this by saying I'm not a physician. So if you have concerns or questions after reading my answer, please consult your healthcare provider.

Some people have the incorrect notion that foreskins should retract from the time boys are very young. However, it isn't until the age of 10 years and five months that even half of all uncircumcised boys can retract their foreskins. Among boys who are 16, somewhere between 8% and 20% still can't retract their foreskins.

The following from Doctors Opposing Circumcision states it pretty well: "Occasionally a male reaches adulthood with a non-retractile foreskin. Some men with a non-retractile foreskin happily go through life and father children. Other men, however, may want to make their foreskin retractile. The foreskin can be made retractable by: manual stretching, and/or application of topical steroid ointment. Male circumcision is outmoded as a treatment for non-retractile foreskin, but it is still recommended by many urologists because of lack of adequate information, and perhaps because of the fees associated with circumcision."

Unfortunately, we live in a circumcision-happy culture. As a result, many healthcare providers will give your foreskin a diagnosis of "Phimosis" and tell you that you need to have a circumcision. But unless there's information you are holding back, or a serious medical condition is hiding in your foreskin, I would not want a surgical knife near the end of my penis. That's because a foreskin is a very good thing to have.

If you are interested in being able to retract your foreskin, search through the sites I list below on the subject of phimosis and see if any of their recommendations make sense for you. The first article, published in the British Journal of Sexual Medicine, describes ways of masturbating that might be of help in coaxing your foreskin to retract:

http://www.cirp.org/library/treatment/phimosis/beauge2/
http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/
http://www.cirp.org/
http://www.nocirc.org/
http://www.noharmm.org/home.htm
http://www.circumstitions.com/

Best wishes,

Paul
author of "Guide To Getting It On!"

if you are interested in Paul's book:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1885535694/goofyfootpres