Foreskin Retraction

My first day in the seventh grade I was required to take a shower after gym class. I soon found that I was the only male that was not circumcised. Out of fear of being rideculed by my fellow classmates I would retract my foreskin before proceeding to the showers. Unfortunately, my foreskin would slide forward during the shower leaving me to exit the showers with my foreskin covering my glans. I found this extremely embarassing. Has anyone else did this?

This is the big reason that my X and I, regardless of religion, would have made our decision based on local customs. We didn't want our son to be different. Fortunately, we had a girl.

Back in the late '50s I would go to the local YMCA when they still had a mandatory nude swimming policy. So obviously everyone could see each other. But even though there were 3 or 4 out of a hundred kids non circumcised, I cannot ever remember anything being said about it, nor any kidding or joshing. I have no idea what the supervisors thought about it amongst themselves, but in any case I don't think peer pressure would have come into question on the issue.

And to be honest, afterwards, when growing older, there were hardly any situations in which I was nude enough for anyone to ever notice my condition or not. I don't think I can remember any at all in fact. So, once again peer pressure and conformity on circumcision were not really issues. And once out of your teens, people are supposed to be strong willed enough to know what is best for themselves, and not to worry about what others think.

That said, it's true that teenagers have an awful touchy character when it comes to wanting to be like everyone else.

Uncutforeskin, I did this twice when I was 14 for the same reasons: most of my classmates were circumsized while I was not. I had a very tight foreskin so it stayed pulled back. The reason I only did this twice was that I kept the foreskin pulled back and locked behind my glans for weeks until the senstivie feeling was too much to bear. I did this twice, so that time included showering after gym class.

I began taking showers after PE in the 7th grade as it was required, I was 12 at the time. The showers was a room rectangular in shape, probably a 14 X 10 room with shower heads lining the walls. My first shower entailed taking a shower with 10 boys. There were more boys in my class but at this age and grade the other boys would elect to take football or basketball and their PE period was at a different time. The 10 of us were just the boys that elected not to take up an extracurricular sport activity. Seven of the boys were circumcised. I knew little about circumcision then. I presumed that either some boys were born this way and others had skin covering the glans. I was well aware that I had a glans like the circumcised boys just covered. I had experienced in my early sex play after my foreskin had separated completely from the glans that my foreskin stayed behind the glans trapped by the coronal ridge of the glans. It was not a permanent effect but mostly due to my foreskin retracting when I was erect and as my penis soften the skin would just stay back for awhile. One boy had a very long foreskin that made it look like he an elephant trunk, he was also behind in his development. There was another boy that kept his foreskin back and I knew that he was uncircumcised because his penis looked just like mine when mine was retracted. I was one of the last boys to get into the shower as I was very nervous and I was feeling an erection coming. As I prepared myself to get in I hurriedly pulled down my briefs and retracted my foreskin while no one watched and got in. The fact that my penis was in a state of semi-erection and the glans enlarged a bit, the foreskin kept itself back during the showering event and stayed retracted after slipping my underwear back on. There was no talk about the differences between the circumcised and uncircumcised but more on how much hair we had and the size of our genitals. One boy got excited and had a full erection. No one teased or laughed which made me more at ease. I got to enjoy the showers as time went on I got to observe others develop over time. During all these events, I kept the foreskin back.

There were never concerns like this when I was at school. I hardly think that any boy would have pretended to be circumcised, and it would have pointless anyway, as it was just not the done thing to look around at other boys' penises if showers were being taken.

It seems to me there is much more sensitivity (sorry, couldn't resist) about the circumcision status of boys in the USA than anywhere else. I don't see why anyone should feel any pressure to pretend to be circumcised in order to feel they fit in among their peer group. Seriously, is it considered normal for American boys to check out each others genitals in a search for non-conformity? It seems odd to me.

As I say, when I was at school, inspection of other boys' penises was unacceptable. Personally I could not have cared less about whether others were circumcised. As for my showering practices, I retracted my foreskin and quickly washed it, but this was very brisk and my glans was not thoroughly washed like it always was when I showered in the morning. There was simply no need for it unless, while in my final year, I was expecting a sexual encounter with a girlfriend later that day. Not washing can cause problems, but on occasion so can overwashing.

I'm of a generation where it's not common to see each other nude after gym class. That said, I was taught pretty early on what circumcision meant and was even threatened with it when I had an infection as a young boy. But I didn't get to see my peers nude. At the local locker room? No one says anything. I am uncut and might get a glance or two since I am very much in the minority, but I don't keep it retracted during the shower.

If anything, the foreskin provides one last measure of modesty for a naked man, as the glans remains hidden from view... nothing embarrassing about having one.

It seems to me there is much more sensitivity (sorry, couldn't resist) about the circumcision status of boys in the USA than anywhere else. I don't see why anyone should feel any pressure to pretend to be circumcised in order to feel they fit in among their peer group. Seriously, is it considered normal for American boys to check out each others genitals in a search for non-conformity? It seems odd to me. .

That is well put. And it begs the question about being overly self-conscious about aspects of the body. To me it also suggests, at the very least, a hint of insecurity.

Part of the national social mythology of the US consists in thinking that citizens, especially males, are individualists, uncompromisingly steadfast in their personal beliefs, however much they might clash with other social norms. But on the other hand there is such a push towards conformity with the group. This is, to me at least, very contradictory. Especially since I have experienced both ways of social thinking.

That is well put. And it begs the question about being overly self-conscious about aspects of the body. To me it also suggests, at the very least, a hint of insecurity.

Part of the national social mythology of the US consists in thinking that citizens, especially males, are individualists, uncompromisingly steadfast in their personal beliefs, however much they might clash with other social norms. But on the other hand there is such a push towards conformity with the group. This is, to me at least, very contradictory. Especially since I have experienced both ways of social thinking.

Totally agree with you. It does suggest insecurity and a mentality predisposed to worrying about whether they are 'normal'. It seems that in American society, individuality only goes so far but does not extend to all things.

Certainly in the UK, in my day at least, the mentality was "don't look, don't ask".

Totally agree with you. It does suggest insecurity and a mentality predisposed to worrying about whether they are 'normal'. .

Maybe this is something that becomes more important as a person grows older. By which I mean that when I was around 10 and went to the local YMCA for nude swimming, there were maybe 4 or 5 uncut boys amongst 70 or so, and no one seemed to make a remark about it or think it odd. There were other things to do in the swimming pool at that age. But oh, the supervisors ... he he ... they had a sharp eye for such things.

From what I've read here and on other forums, it seems that by the time high school comes along, everybody wants to fit in and be like everyone else and be popular and accepted. Normal enough of course ... but still.

Maybe this is something that becomes more important as a person grows older. ...

From what I've read here and on other forums, it seems that by the time high school comes along, everybody wants to fit in and be like everyone else and be popular and accepted. Normal enough of course ... but still.

Yes, that seems mainly true. There is a certain stage before adolescence when people become more concerned with how others perceive them. It can actually be unacceptable to stand out. Girls become interested in their appearance, and can become anxious about it and can see themselves as having body issues. Boys typically become competitive over physical prowess and ability to attract girls. The question of 'normality' is not necessarily about wider society, but conformity with the standards of a small group. At the tough high school I attended, any boy perceived to be weak in any way would be singled out for some merciless mistreatment from the cerebrally challenged bully types that infested the place. There were others among us, myself included, who took a dim view of this and intervened when we could. We were streetwise and physically capable but had brains too, so the bully types avoided us. If they had been honest, they knew they were outmatched and were afraid. Within their own little sub-culture, the bully types seemed to be competing over who had the most criminal convictions and had committed the worst offences. Some had already done time in the 'universities of crime' that were the borstals in those days. To be of a criminal nature was 'normal' to them.

Back to the issue of foreskins and pretending not to have them, the matter of wanting to feel 'normal' in our adolescent years did not extend to comparing penises. Trust me, that behaviour would have been seen as far from normal. It seems peculiarly American.

I read in one of my wife's posts that in her school year, some girls had chosen to start shaving their pubic hair by the time they were around 15, but apparently there was no pressure for everyone to do it. She has said that girls were not comparing each other, so among that group there was no particular pubic hair style that girls had to have to be part of their friendship group and be seen as 'normal'. Similarly, she says they did not compare naked breasts, and I would have been surprised if she had said they did so. Apparently there was some discussion of size but this was always when they were fully clothed.

I'm curious...at what age can it start to retract?

I'm curious...at what age can it start to retract?

Well @funtimes I have read about all this and I learned there is no "correct" age for it but it could happen when a little boy is about 2 or it could happen when he is teenaged or grown up. About 50 to 60% of 10 year old boys can still not retract it but that is normal and it does not mean there is anything wrong with them.

Thanks Amethyst....what a range! Fortunately erections are more predictable!

I was never faced with the opportunity for this as although uncircumcised and already in the usa for more than 2 years by the very first year public schooling was even possible (kindergarten?) I would go on to be homeschooled until i was 18 years old. Community functions were always strictly faith based and modesty was an always flaunted thing until smaller groups were together at a home where then all of the sex repression would result in frequently odd and seemingly always invented ways, which are awesome and exciting memories i will share in other topics threads but do not fit here as i was never the real decision maker in any of those circumstances.. I do wish i had at least a little american public school experience though as even now i don't know what i would have done but with that said given my always especially as a child oversized glans i would have been able to keep my penis head exposed for any length of time i desired.

smaller groups were together at a home where then all of the sex repression would result in frequently odd and seemingly always invented ways,

That sounds very intriguing and is making me very curious to hear more ...

That sounds very intriguing and is making me very curious to hear more ...

I am very new here. Can you suggest a place where that topic is most appropriate?

I am very new here. Can you suggest a place where that topic is most appropriate?

If I understand correctly, you wish to discuss the impact of a rather sheltered upbringing and repression on your sexuality.

This sounds mainly psychological to me, so I suggest the most appropriate place would be the 'Psychology Corner' discussion board -

http://www.zity.biz/index.php?mx=forum;ox=showboard;board=452

You will need to start a new topic on this subject, as I don't believe it has actually been discussed before.

I don't remember noticing anyone circumcised in my school year when we had school showers. I'm straight and I think we all were so I don't think anybody would have cared about circumcision. We thought size was important though, and one boy had a small penis and did his best to hide it. Nobody said anything but I think we were all glad we weren't him.

I find this interesting, as I'm a rather sensitive sort of guy and had a couple of manageable birth defects as well as not being circumcised. Even though I was bullied about the birth defects, I don't ever recall the circ status ever being mentioned to me. I'm glad my parents chose that, though I think it went that way because of other acute health problems at birth and shortly thereafter. My foreskin and I are very happy together!

Eric

UK here - Don't remember anyone in the compulsory 'School shower' after a games or PE lesson being circumcised. In fact in my early Senior School days I didn't even know what a circumcision was.

Rapide040: No Jewish or Muslim classmates?

My experience was the complete opposite of the OP, in that I was the only circumcised boy, and all the other boys in the showers were uncut,

I never once in all the years of school saw a boy retract his foreskin in the showers

I always thought my uncircumcised friends were lucky, I thought of it as exotic. My JO buddy from my Middle School years was uncut and I liked the way his foreskin glided back and forth over his head. The only time I didn't like it was in 7th grade, he got an infection under there and it grossed me out.

I remember one guy in 8th grade gym class who was not circumcised, which at the time I wasn't sure what all that meant. So I finally got the courage to ask my Dad what was going on. He explained what circumcision was, and that most boys (in the US anyway) are circumcised at birth, and it wasn't a big deal one way or another. He also used the opportunity to (further) explain male sexuality to me, which at the time I thought was rather silly, but later recognized it was the best talk I had with my Dad. I have always been grateful for his advise and counsel. And I miss him to this day.

In sixth grade PE, I found out that about 1/4 of the boys were not circumcised. By that time we all knew what curcumcized meant but there were a few boys who hadn't actually seen the difference before. Personally, I wasn't concerned about it. For some of the boys it was their first experience with group nudity and that seemed to be the main concern. All the boys were still in various stages of puberty and I was still very much a little boy down there and that was my main embarrassment and no hiding it in the shower.

When I was 6 I had my genitals examined by a doctor for a suspected UTI. I was really embarassed when he pulled my skin back and uncomfortable because it was still a bit tight.

This is to all the guys. Did the pediatrician ever retract your forekin?

Yes, in all my school physical exams from when I was 11 the doctor would roll my foreskin fully back to check my glans.

This was totally off my radar when showering after PE class. We had very little time so there was more important things to do than focus on my penis or anyone else's.

I think I must have been about 15 when I discovered that I COULD retract my foreskin. There were no public showers, after PT or team sports.

It was never explained and I believed that the skin behind the glans would be like the underside of an eyelid! Only when I saw a diagram showing that it was connected, did I feel comfortable pulling it back. Now when I shower at my gym, I find myself retracting as I hang up my towel and get under the shower. I can't explain whether I'm trying to emulate the appearance of the 75% or so other men who might join me in the shower, or just like the feeling of exposing the glans.

FWIW, I have a long foreskin. This might not be an issue for men who have half of the glans protruding at all times.