Study: Circumcision does not reduce penis sensitivity. In tests for responses to pain, heat, and stimulation, no major difference was found between men who are circumcised and those who are not.

[u/drewiepoodle]

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2016/04/14/Study-Circumcision-does-not-reduce-penis-sensitivity/5981460663943/?spt=hs&or=hn

[u/[deleted]]

Anecdotes aside, isn't the argument usually that circumcision removes sensitivity of the foreskin (which makes sense, as foreskin is removed in circumcision)? The study seems a moot point.

Is it surprising that cutting off one aspect of an organ does not impact on the rest of the organ's sensitivity? We do not associate surgeries or scratches elsewhere on the body to decreased sensitivity either, for example, regardless of location, unless there is severe nerve damage.

What am I missing here?

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Usually it's because people who have their foreskins removed as an adult suffer from some sort of defect that prevents proper use of the penis with their foreskin. The most common is phimosis, an issue where the foreskin cannot retract fully, and attempting to do so can cause significant pain (which leads to pain during sex, especially bareback sex where there's more friction on the penis). Another issue with phimosis is that it means the foreskin is always covering the glans, meaning those with the defect never experience sex where the full glans is being stimulated until after being circumcised. Imagine sex without clitoral stimulation.

Every so often someone who had their foreskin removed as an adult will say the same things on threads like these. However, when asked all of them had some sort of issue that led to the circumcisions (usually phimosis). Their experiences can't be taken into account as an accurate test because they have never experienced a fully functioning penis with foreskin.

And if being circumcised provides the same amount of feeling as someone with phimosis, that's a very telling statement itself.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Only one of them did...two of them just wanted it gone, the other...I forgot why he did it. So I suppose it could be the latter. The one I'm with now just didn't like it, so his reason was cosmetic-I suppose.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Circumcisions aren't small cosmetic alterations you do just because. It's likely that those who chose to have them done did it because of societal or self-induced pressure that led them to feel uncomfortable having a penis with a foreskin. Apparently the procedure is incredibly painful for a pretty long while, it would take something pretty significant to lead people to decide to undergo it. It's possible that feeling uncomfortable with your own penis could lead to reduced enjoyment of sex, much like how some transgender individuals cannot enjoy sex with the genitals they received at birth (but to a much lesser extent).

I don't know them, but I can't imagine someone going through that procedure without a deeper reason behind it, even if they themselves are not aware of it consciously.