Anxious

[MamatoPeach]

I wouldn't change a thing. But when I browse this category and see all the problems with intact penises. It makes me nervous. My little guy is 8mo w/o issues so far. Should I expect a problem sometime in the future. Infection? Re attachments? Pain?

[philomom]

Check the never had any issues thread.


My ds has never had any issues and he's 14 years old now.

[yarngoddess]

I have 2 boys. My oldest was circed, my youngest is in tact. I had more issues with pain and rash and uncomfortable-ness (lol) with my oldest circed boy. Poor kid I wish I had known better. However, my 3yr old is intact and aside from diaper rash on his penis He's NEVER had any kind of problem with his penis

[eepster]

Many of the "problems" of intactness are really just Drs blaming the foreskin for things that would have happened anyway, created by the Dr forcibly retracting the foreskin or not actually a real problem.

For example, the Dr might blame the foreskin for a yeast infection. however, circ'd guys get yeast infections too, but they call them "jock itch." Basically by being circ'd one doesn't actually avoid yeast infection one just gets to rename them.

One time a mom posted here b/c her pediatrician wanted to send her to a specialist to check out the weird line running along the underside of her DS's penis. The line in question is the raphe line and a perfectly normal part of male anatomy. It just happened to be the first time this Dr had ever seen it since all his other male patients had been altered at birth.

This article will tell you more about this subject.

[thixle]

No one really just announces "My kid's penis is great!" Usually, people only ask questions and post when there is a problem, just like in the cosleeping forum

Honestly, expect to have no issues beyond normal "diaper" irritation... or expect for your son to have the same possible issues as your DD or yourself. The parts are amazingly similar: the clitoris has a prepuce (foreskin) that separates and retracts. Girls can get smegma pearls under the prepuce of the clitoris (and it IS uncomfortable!). Then you get the possibility of bacteria or yeast, which can grow on ANY part of your body (especially warm, moist places).

One poster said she couldn't believe all the "issues" people post about here, bc where she is from, almost all boys are intact and it's just a standard part of life.

ETA- re-attachment only happens when the foreskin is forcefully ripped from the glans and makes a wound. Not likely to happen, unless caregivers are retracting!
Watch for signs of yeast (itching, flaking, dry, OR curdy discharge) if your kiddo takes an antibiotic.
Some boys say "Ow" and hold themselves when they get an erection or itch. It's a known word to describe a strange feeling, lol.

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

I am willing to bet the reason for the abundance of issues on this forum is because there isnt a ton of resources or support for uncirc boys. Therefore, when a mamas boy has an issue with his intact penis, this is one of the few places she can go for guidance, answers, and support.

My advice. STOP READING ABOUT ISSUES. Youll drive yourself bonkers.

[MamatoPeach]

ok good. thanks.

[jess_paez]

my husband is intact (so is my 2 mos old) and he has never had a problem, he's 28.

[Night_Nurse]

My intact, school-aged son has never had any issues with his penis at all. Not once. My intact father has never had issues either, none that I'm aware of (we don't normally discuss that but I'm a nurse and he asks me health related questions when he has them).
In all my years of being a nurse, I've never once worked with a man with a foreskin related issue. I've seen a bunch of botched circs, though.
My friends & family w/ intact boys have never had issues.
Honestly, the only time I ever hear of foreskin problems is when I come to this forum. And I think about half the time they aren't "problems" that require medical attention. They are questions about what is normal or not from parents who aren't sure because their son is the 1st intact male in the family & their doctor isn't educated on foreskin.
So it's very likely your foreskin-sporting son will never, ever, ever have a problem with his. Just like most girls never have issues with their labia but if we lived where they were routinely removed and we didn't know what they looked like/what to expect, we'd have questions.

[Meredith&Alexander]

If it will make you feel better, do some cursory research on problems with circumcised penises. They have their own problems, too, that your son will avoid.

[Fellow Traveler]

As others have said, this is one of few places parents of an intact boy can go to get information so you should expect to see those posts. Most intact boys never have a problem though.

[PlainandTall]

Originally Posted by MamatoPeach

I wouldn't change a thing. But when I browse this category and see all the problems with intact penises. It makes me nervous. My little guy is 8mo w/o issues so far. Should I expect a problem sometime in the future. Infection? Re attachments? Pain?

#1- This forum is probably the #1 forum on the whole internet for moms to ask questions to moms of other intact boys.

#2- Try reading mainstream forums about circumcision problems ... it's not like the alternative is reassuring... in fact- the # of circumcised kids who have to (or wind up getting) MORE surgery to fix the problem- compared to the # of intact kids here who ever need surgery to fix a problem should be a real wake up call.

#3- The only problem my intact sons (12 &4) have ever had (and now, this summer it makes both of them) was that when they were about 4- they got a bug bite... one on his penis, one on his scrotum... which caused them to itch and itch... and they managed to irritate the tissue to the point that it got puffy... no pain, no puss, no blood... just the tip of their penis got puffy and red. This lasted two days and got no treatment other than me trying to talk them out of scratching their crotch through their pants.

#4- I sometimes get annoyed by posts here which have the aim to be reassuring to parents worried about something they are dealing with- "Oh that sounds like it is the NORMAL separation process" ...etc... well, my sons have not dealt with any of those "normal" problems in the separation process... for both of them it has been a totally silent, invisible, painless, bloodless, infectionless non-issue. I worry that these reassuring posts claiming that these problems are actually "normal" might have this effect- to make it sound like these issues are to be expected and are something all boys go through. That's just not the case... while those issues may be something that sometimes happen, or something that's not a cause for a trip to the ER, or something that should be managed conservatively, or something not so awful that you should regret leaving your child intact... I really hate that people going in to this might be getting the impression that these problems should be expected. I think in our cultural climate a certain amount of defensiveness might be understood- but I think it can go too far and have the reverse effect of making male anatomy seem "normally problematic" - which it isn't.

[brant31]

A tiny percentage of intact boys have any problems, and most are minor. You're seeing a disproportionate amount of intact penis discussion here because, well, here is where parents come to discuss normal development vs. problems! Please don't make the mistake of taking it as a representative sample.

On the other hand, circumcisions have a disturbingly high complication rate. It's a wound, and some heal neatly and others don't. A fair percentage of circumcisions require further surgery to repair what went wrong with the first one. But by and large, most circumcision problems get hushed up and swept under the rug, whether out of guilt, modesty or ignorance. Ask a pediatric urologist, though, and you'll get a much fuller picture of what they see in their practice. They're always busy in the the USA, because circumcision is (a) still popular and (b) very prone to problems.

The moms on here are probably less modest than the average and more apt to openly discuss issues. Don't mistake their candor for a greater risk of problems. The real risk -- much more serious risk -- is on the side of circumcision.

[Crunchy Frog]

The reason that you see problems with intact penises posted on here is that this is a board inhabited almost exclusively by parents of intact sons. Also, alot of the "problems" are not actual problems, but simply a product of American medical ignorance (like a 5 year old not being retractible).

As a member of some more mainstream parenting boards I can assure you that almost all of the posts you see about penis problems are about circed boys having problems with their circs. There's all kinds of problems ranging from adhesions to buried penis to boys needing a second or even a third circ.

The reason you see intact problems (real and imagined) here is that this is the go to place on the internet for answers to those kinds of questions.

My sons are 17 months and never a problem other than occasional slight redness at the tip which reslolves with a dab of diaper cream.

[jessjgh1]

Yep, all the above... and another report of no problems...
Jessica