All men at birth present the glans covered by a skin that bears the name of the foreskin, which is removed in many newborns by means of circumcision. According to figures calculated in 2007 by the World Health Organization, an estimated 30% of the world’s male population is circumcised.
Despite the fact that many times the surgical removal of the foreskin in men is associated with a belief and social aspect, it has also been shown that some medical benefits are achieved throughout a man’s life, although they may be in a small proportion. On the other hand, some people may wonder, Does circumcision increase size? If you are one of those who have this question, we invite you to read the following FastlyHealarticle in which this information is offered.
Table of Contents
When is circumcision done?
In many parts of the world, especially the United States, Canada and the Middle East, male children are routinely circumcised in the first weeks of birth and the child generally undergoes this surgery for religious, family tradition, cultural or cultural reasons. social more than a medical recommendation, so that not circumcising the son, in general, does not lead to health problems or affect sexual capacity in adulthood.
On the other hand, performing circumcision may be the appropriate treatment to resolve some pathologies that the man presents, even in adulthood if the foreskin was not removed as a child. Only in these circumstances can the specialist consider circumcision medically necessary. If the patient suffers from the following conditions, the foreskin may be removed:
- Phimosis : It is the impossibility of discovering the glans, either totally or partially, because the opening of the foreskin is narrower and does not allow retraction. It is normal for men to have physiological phimosis at birth, but this disappears with time and does not usually require surgery.
- Paraphimosis : It occurs when the foreskin is retracted behind the glans and cannot slide to its normal position, being trapped. If this condition is prolonged, the area can begin to swell and strangle the glans, preventing adequate blood flow to it, which can lead to complications in the penis, such as gangrene.
- Recurrent urinary tract infections : The constant development of infections can be due to a poor cleaning of the foreskin or an inadequate retraction of the same that favors the accumulation of pathogens.
- Xerotic balanitis : It is a serious and progressive inflammatory disease that affects the glans and the skin of the foreskin. If it is not treated in time, it can cause pain, blisters, bleeding, significant lesions in the affected area and other complications that cause problems with urination and sexual intercourse.
- Redundant foreskin : Circumcision may be recommended when the excess skin of the foreskin creates difficulties during sexual intercourse, urination, or maintaining proper genital hygiene.
Does circumcision make the penis longer?
Some people may think that circumcising a male, either at birth or in adulthood, promotes the development of the penis and makes it larger. It is important to clarify that through this surgery what is achieved is to partially or totally remove the foreskin, which is the skin that covers the glans when the penis is flaccid, and therefore the tip of the penis is permanently exposed even without an erection.
The foreskin can generally be retracted easily and does not cause problems during sex or urination, but on the contrary, it has among its functions to protect and keep the glans moist, in addition to being a very sensitive organ that increases sexual pleasure by acting like the clitoris in women. Therefore, having a circumcision does not increase the size , since normally the foreskin can slide forward and behind the tip of the penis, without being a skin fold that prevents the growth of the reproductive organ.
However, some men may perceive that after circumcision the penis lengthens, but this is more a visual effect due to the permanence of the exposed glans. In the event that you have a complex or the person considers that your penis is small, the normal thing is that it measures an average of 13 centimeters while erect, you should go to a consultation with a specialist and not resort to the products or procedures that claim to achieve this increase, since they have little scientific support and many times the risks can be higher. [2]
Benefits of circumcision
Although circumcision does not increase the size of the penis, there are several medical benefits that accompany this surgery, but they are not enough to declare it essential to subject the man to this practice if he does not suffer from any pathology associated with the foreskin, since only slightly decreases the risk of certain conditions [3] . Among the main benefits in circumcised patients are:
- Facilitates cleaning the glans and the skin around it.
- Be less prone to urinary tract infections.
- There is a lower risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
- There is a lower chance of getting infections in the foreskin.
- Prevention of phimosis.
- Have a low chance of developing penile cancer.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Does circumcision increase size? , we recommend that you enter our category of Male reproductive system .
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.