Few would argue that circumcision changes physical sensitivity in the penis. By definition, circumcision is the cutting away of the foreskin, a part of the body that is rich with nerve endings. Circumcision also impacts the structure of the penis, and has a corresponding impact on penile sensation.
A 2007 study funded by an organization which opposes circumcision, and published in the journal BJU International, found a difference in fine touch sensitivity between men who were circumcised and those who were uncircumcised (such that circumcised men had less sensitivity to fine touch in all but one area of the penis). This same study also compared the sensitivity thresholds at various points on the penis and concluded that the most sensitive part of the uncircumcised penis was more sensitive than the most sensitive parts of the circumcised penis. The authors argue that the parts of the penis removed by circumcision represent the most sensitive parts of the penis. This study cannot be considered conclusive, but it offers another piece of information for us to consider when thinking about sexual sensitivity and circumcision.
But physical sensitivity is not necessarily the same thing as the subjective experience of sexual sensation. Another consideration should be the actual sexual experience of men who are circumcised and uncircumcised. Knowing the density of nerve endings in the penis is one way to measure sexual sensitivity, but what do men say when asked about the impact of circumcision on their sex lives? In other words, if there is a loss of sensitivity, do they feel it?
Obviously for most men who were circumcised at birth, they have no point of comparison, which makes answering the question impossible. A few studies have asked men who were circumcised as adults to compare physical sensitivity. Results from two such studies suggest there is a reduction, but the reduction may not be as great as one would think.
A recent study published in January 2008 in BJU International found that circumcision did not impact sexual satisfaction or pain during or after intercourse.
On the other hand another smaller study of men who were circumcised as adults found 18% reported a reduction in penile sensitivity. And in yet another study, men reported a reduction in penile sensitivity but no reduction in overall sexual satisfaction.
The bottom line: It seems safe to say that circumcision impacts the physical sensitivity of the penis, but the extent to which this reduction in sensitivity is experienced as a problem or a loss for men is unclear. In practice, most men who are circumcised still find the head of the penis to be an extremely sensitive part of the body when compared to, say, their forearm. And from the research that’s available, they don’t seem to experience it as sexual loss.
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