Doctors and circumcision

I am circumcised, having had the procedure age 6 in England, though I wasn’t fully cognisant of the full implications at the time I did understand what had been done and why, which were that it was recommended by the boarding school I was to attend, that my mother thought it for the best, and my grandmother to stop me playing with myself, and the doctors were very much in favour

Hi. One yeae ago got light balanitis, solved by NHS doctor.

Not convinced visited old private urologist. Said no problem but should be careful with such long foreskin. I asked him if circumcision would be good idea and he approved enthusiastically. (may be b'cause he's muslim)

Wife also agreeded enthusiastically but didn't like neither old doctor's cabinet nor that he works alone.

So searched another dr.. Not so many in Spain, who circumcise for non medical reasons Found a good one that offers laser co2 circ for good price on modern clinic. Unitially, he tried to make me give up the idea, or remove only my -short and thick- frenulum, but finally went ahead.

So searched another dr.. Not so many in Spain, who circumcise for non medical reasons .

If you were in Spain - as a resident - or even with an EU medical insurance card, you should have been eligible for free health care. Did you ask or enquire about a circumcision or just go to a private Spanish practice straight on?

Just wondering what advice you might have gotten at the national health care service in Spain.

Agracier: In France, as far as I understand, elective circumcision (as opposed to circumcision for medical reasons) is NOT covered by mandatory public medical insurance.

(As a result, there are, as far as I understand, many fake diagnoses of "tight phimosis" so that health insurance pays for the surgery on kids whose families want them circumcised for medical reasons. It's perhaps better than having these families turn to non-physicians, or to bring their kids to e.g. Africa for circumcision.)

Agracier: In France, as far as I understand, elective circumcision (as opposed to circumcision for medical reasons) is NOT covered by mandatory public medical insurance.

Same in Spain. Unless there's a clear medical indication, NHS won't cover. NHS doctor just prescribed antigungal cream for the balanitis, had my blood sugar levels checked (a bit high, but not much) and nodded when I asked him about circumcision; "that's not necessary at all".

Today due to budgetary restrictions, is difficult to trick NHS or private insurance companies. However, surgery cost is low. Muslim community has special prices in some clinics (although, most of them perform children circumcisions when on holidays in Morocco).

In my case It was done by a private clinic. Bought a bonus, 399 euros including 1st visit, surgery and 3 post op visits. Surgery done by urologist using laser CO2, assisted by a nurse, in an small brand new clinic. This doctor also performs cosmetic genital surgeries in a cosmetic clinic (and at higher prices, for sure). Prices in Spain are in the 400-700 € range. May be lower for kids.

I was not circumcised at birth because I was born in Europe and the procedure is not really performed there to improve hygiene or as a preventive measure. After coming to the United States, my penis was regularly examined by my new doctor who also explained to me the various benefits of circumcision. The doctor was very much in favor of circumcision and after one of the visits he referred me to a urologist.

The urologist examined me and diagnosed redundant foreskin that he removed when I returned to his office just a couple of days after. I was in my early 20s.

The doctor was very much in favor of circumcision and after one of the visits he referred me to a urologist.

The urologist examined me and diagnosed redundant foreskin that he removed when I returned to his office just a couple of days after. I was in my early 20s.

The fact of the matter is not what an American doctor thought about circumcision - ten-to-one says he is naturally in favor of course of course. But what did you think? The way you described it, it seems like you just acquiesced without much say or thinking of your own.

By redundant did he mean you had too much foreskin? Was it excessively long? Did he remove it all or just what he deemed redundant?

@lex My understanding is that "redundant prepuce" diagnosis is often used when circumcision was performed for reasons other than phimosis or any pathological condition. It is sort of a placeholder diagnosis.

My foreskin extended by 1/4" or so beyond the tip of the head when my penis was completely flaccid. The urologist performed the full circumcision that resulted in the permanent externalization of the entire glans.

@lex My understanding is that "redundant prepuce" diagnosis is often used when circumcision was performed for reasons other than phimosis or any pathological condition. It is sort of a placeholder diagnosis.

In other words, your doctor argued that having a foreskin at all was a defect.

I've noticed in the comments from people over in the USA that the words "extra" and "redundant" are used frequently in this context, as if being born with a foreskin is something unusual or an abnormality that needs to be 'corrected'. But that the fact is that boys are born that way as standard. It is the natural condition, and is not a disease or a birth defect, as most of the world does actually recognise. It is normal anatomy, just like your ears are normal anatomy.

@DrZ :

I've noticed in the comments from people over in the USA that the words "extra" and "redundant" are used frequently in this context...

You are absolutely right, the words "excessive," "extra" and "redundant" are used interchangeably by the US urologists. The doctor did not argue that the foreskin was a defect. He simply recommended the foreskin to be removed for hygienic reasons and as a preventive measure.

He simply recommended the foreskin to be removed for hygienic reasons and as a preventive measure.

And also incidentally so that he - or someone he recommended - could make an easy couple of hundred bucks performing a simple procedure.

Made are, do you prefer it cut now or when it was intact?

It seems that if the excuse is redundancy that there should be a spec. Like no further than the tip or urethra opening must be exposed and the correction is to that spec unless requested otherwise or otherwise conditions are present.

The whole thing is very strange.

The whole thing is very strange.

That is one of the most correct statements one can make about non-medical circumcision ...

I suppose an American doctor will only really know what he is taught in medical school and what remains ingrained from his socialization as a member of his cultural identity. And since those who teach him in medical school are also products of the same process, they too are, perhaps not intentionally, but probably subconsciously, also unable to understand how some ideas become ingrained despite a lack of scientific evidence.

@agracier: Similarly, a European doctor will only really know what s/he is taught in that European medical school and what s/he considers to be "normal." As such this European doctor is not taught that a genital exam is a necessary component of a physical exam. That same European doctor thinks that s/he does not have to palpate along the shaft and retract fully if the foreskin is present - yes, until the whole head becomes fully exposed. That same European doctor may had skipped the class when the benefits of male circumcision were discussed in that European medical school.

What are the consequences? Frequent phimotic foreskins that were unsuccessfully treated by rubbing some creams. And, then inferior genital hygiene because those patients with phimotic foreskins are unable to clean under their foreskins properly. And, those patients whose foreskins are indeed retractable were never told by the European doctor that they had to expose the glans before urinating and wash around and behind the glans daily.

There is so much undisputed knowledge in those European medical books.

As such this European doctor is not taught that a genital exam is a necessary component of a physical exam. That same European doctor thinks that s/he does not have to palpate along the shaft and retract fully if the foreskin is present - yes, until the whole head becomes fully exposed. .

There are - or at least used to be - whole sites, many Dutch, that were devoted to members posting their experiences of medical exams in school (mainly) and elsewhere.

I know most members here don't read Dutch, but the numbers of accounts of members describing their school exam genital examinations (and foreskin retractions) were innumerable. The same went for Belgian school exams of which there were also many posts and accounts.

And so many were about genital and foreskin examinations. I saved many of the accounts - which were not always very extensive nor well-written - but which were interesting and confirmed what one read about on US forums/sites. Namely that both here and there, genital exams are performed.

The difference with American doctors is perhaps that American doctors feel there is a physical imperative to circumcision, while European doctors will simply not do/recommend across-the-board preventive procedures on the very small off-chance of a possible problem arising later in life - if at all.

Yes I am circumcised now since I had to get it done awhile ago for medical reasons, but I recall physical exams here in the USA mainly as a child where the pediatrician would go right for my foreskin to retract it. There were discussions between doctors and my step mother as circumcision was often recommended. My father said it was up to me so I waited.

No comments just cursory look.

I recall physical exams here in the USA mainly as a child where the pediatrician would go right for my foreskin to retract it. There were discussions between doctors and my step mother as circumcision was often recommended. My father said it was up to me so I waited.

It is my opinion that retraction of the foreskin is an essential step in the physical examination of the uncircumcised penis. The examiner can either do it for the patient or give the patient an instruction to do it for himself. It is important to ascertain that the foreskin retracts fully and also to examine the inside surface of the foreskin and the head of the penis. When I am examining an uncircumcised man, I instruct him to “go ahead and pull the foreskin all the way back for me“ so I can see how he does this. I watch to see how easily the skin retracts and whether there are areas of tightness. I then take over and stretch the skin all the way back so that the inside of the foreskin is completely exposed, do a visual examination of the foreskin, head, meatus, and frenulum. I then return the skin back over the glans and move on to the testes.

It is my opinion that retraction of the foreskin is an essential step in the physical examination of the uncircumcised penis.

Hello exam doc, I would total agree with you on this. I have had several lesions elsewhere on my body that were cancerous and had them removed by a dermatologist. As a child, teenager, and young adult I was always reluctant to expose my penis to the doctor for fear that my foreskin would require being circumcised. The doctor would always retract my foreskin such that the glans was entirely exposed. It IS an essential step in the complete physical exam.

I was one of only three males in a high school class of about 125 who were "intact"; I took a little ribbing about it from the class' only Jew, but it was always good-natured and harmless.

When I was nineteen, a physical at work turned up some albumen in my urine, which persisted through a second check. so I was referred to a regional hospital for a thorough GU exam. This included retracting my foreskin, which was still pretty tight at the time, so the MD suggested circumcision. But upon discovering that this would involve (1) general anesthesia, (2) a hospital stay, possibly for several days, and (3) sutures (I had undergone some very heavy surgery as a ten-year-old), I turned him down.

As it turned out, my foreskin didn't retract easily until I was nearly fifty, but it does so now, and there was slow-but-steady improvement over the intervening years.

I was not circumcised, although as a child I had problems with the foreskin, I could not pull to the end, the maximum was that some middle of the head, my mother took me to the doctor because of that and he always gave a deadline by which it should be resolved, otherwise having to be circumcised, it was especially painful when I had an erection and tried to pull, only at the age of 11 with the help of a cream for pulling the foreskin I managed to completely pull the foreskin, although it was a very strange feeling when I managed to do that. Now sometimes I often think about circumcision but still I’m not sure about it.

I always had and still have a bit of a tight foreskin as an adult. It was really tight when I was teenager and I like to think I closely avoided the circumcision.

I never retracted it myself until I was 14, when I realised that even when soft it needed a lot of force until the head "poped out" out of my foreskin. I started stretching it myself and saw some results. Still it needed a bit of force and when hard it wasn't possible to go beyond maybe the top 1/5 of the glans.

Soon after that I ended up in a hospital for an unrelated problem and it turned out my doctor liked to check my foreskin. On the first visit she asked if she can "take a look downthere" and went straight for skinning it back. On subsequent visits she wouldn't ask anymore... Thankfully it was always soft and she never mentioned any problems. Sometimes she would bring a medical student to learn how to do it, which sometimes they had trouble with probably because I am not too big and my foreskin is long.

Nonetheless I was pretty terrified when I overheard moms of other patients mentioning circumcision in the waiting room and I also heard other boy complaining he "wants his cover for the willy back". Circumcision is uncommon in my country, even in case of a phimosis, so that really sounded out of ordinary.

I like to think she was checking my foreskin so often to look for an excuse to cut mine as well.

Various encounters with this doctor and other events at this time made me develop a strong foreskin/circumcision fetish over the years.

Longskinner: Did you fear the doctor would talk your mother into it?

Pecan nutjob:

Yes, a little bit. Not sure how it would turn out, as I hope I would be included in the discussion. Also my Mom was also present during the exam when the student couldn't retract my foreskin. Embarrassing and I think might also not look favorable in case circumcision would be brought up!

But that was still fine...

Some time later I got a nasty infection/inflamation under the foreskin that would really not improve. (Summer camp with only a weekly group shower). Eventually I decided to show it to my Mom. We went to our regular doctor (not the hospital one). The doc didn't inspect it herself, I just retracted my foreskin and she took only a cursory look. When prescribing antibiotic and some ointment she told my Mom the hospital doctor might be better to consult as her speciality is closer to the problem.

As you can imagine, I was very diligent about applying whatever was prescribed!

“ 2. If you're not circumcised, has a doctor ever recommended circumcision? Why? Has a doctor ever commented directly to you about your intact status? About what year? About how old was the doctor?”

I am uncircumcised, my foreskin is loose & retracts easy and returning back occasionally help is needed to cover the glans. My pediatrician, I went to him from a baby until I was 18 years old. He wasn’t pro-circumcision or anti-circumcision his recommendations were solely based on the heath and best interest of the boy. I’ve here post before, for various reasons I’ve had many physicals with different doctors none ever recommend me to be circumcised.

Yes, some doctors have mentioned something to the effect that I was uncut. The doctor that did the high school PE and sports physicals probably mentioned my status for the first time. Basically, you dropped you underwear down: he’d checked your penis , testicles and hernia for the guys uncut he would retract the skin and asked you maybe 2 questions. I still went to my pediatrician for yearly physicals, beginning at 14 for various reasons I was seen by other doctors. For some school (sports), college or employment physicals I was required to use their doctors.

Some of doctor were young and others closed to retirement but they all conducted the penis/foreskin exam the same way. I could tell just be their facial expressions some disapproved that I was never circumcised. They ever had a excellent reason to recommend me to be circumcised - my penis was kept clean, retract and returned without difficulties and no other medical reason.

1. Are you circumcised now? At what age? For medical necessity, religion or aesthetics? What area of the world?

-Still uncut, I'm 34. From USA, Colorado.

2. If you're not circumcised, has a doctor ever recommended circumcision? Why? Has a doctor ever commented directly to you about your intact status? About what year? About how old was the doctor?

-I had to have my appendix out in 2014 and they needed to place a catheter in my penis… Well, I have a pretty small flaccid dick with a long overhang and apparently they had issues placing the catheter and recommended an urology exam for phimosis. The doctor said he was surprised I wasn't circumcised and when they retracted the skin (in the hospital after 2 days of recovering) that smegma was present. He said the long foreskin was the cause, and I argued it wasn't it was just the lack of being able to shower the past couple days. He heavily suggested a circumcision and I just said no thanks and asked him to drop it.

Feel free to tell your story.

Q. Are you circumcised now? At what age? For medical necessity, religion or aesthetics? What area of the world?

A. No, I'm uncut. Born and raised in USA. Had I not been born rather prematurely, my mom left no doubt that I would have been circumcised.

Q. If you're not circumcised, has a doctor ever recommended circumcision? Why? Has a doctor ever commented directly to you about your intact status? About what year? About how old was the doctor?

A. Also no. Pediatricians would check that it was retracting (mine has been retractable for as long as I can remember), and one time I had an admonishment to make sure I washed underneath the skin. Circumcision was not recommended even the one time I had a mild infection down there. Doctors were middle-aged.

As an adult, it's not really come up either, except once to ensure that the foreskin pulled back as it should.

Q1 - I'm not circumcised, as is fairly normal in the UK. My foreskin is reasonably long and retracts easily.

Q2 - I don't remember any doctors commenting on my foreskin. For that matter I can't remember ever having my penis examined by a (real) doctor. A surgeon must have seen it recently when I had an op to remove a kidney stone, but there was no comment on my foreskin when he debriefed me about how the op had gone.

Q1: circumcised at about 43 years old. Reason: the foreskin sliding over the glans during intercourse was disturbing me and cultural reasons, wife from Philippines. Procedure was done in Belgium.

Q2 I was once suggested circumcision because of short frenulum. The doc was jewish, which explains alot 😁

Anyway, frenulum removed and about ten years later circumcised.

It was somewhere in the nineties, doc was male and maybe around 40 that time and I was in my thirties somewhere.