| Eventually, sometimes as long as 5, 10, or more years after birth, full separation occurs and the foreskin may then be pushed back away from the glans toward the abdomen. This is called foreskin retraction... If the foreskin does not seem to retract easily early in life, it is important to realize that this is not abnormal and that it should eventually do so. |
| Foreskin Retraction: As noted, the foreskin and glans develop as one tissue. Separation will evolve over time. It should not be forced. When will separation occur? Each child is different. Separation may occur before birth; this is rare. It may take a few days, weeks, months, or even years. This is normal. Although many foreskins will retract by age 5, there is no need for concern even after a longer period. Some boys do not attain full retractability of the foreskin until adolescence. |
| -[The doctor says]Your son's foreskin is too tight. It doesn't retract. He needs to be circumcised. The tightness of the foreskin is a safety mechanism that protects the glans and urethra from direct exposure to contaminants and germs. The tight foreskin also keeps the boy's glans warm, clean, and moist, and when he is an adult, it will give him pleasure. As long as your son can urinate, he is perfectly normal. There is no age by which a child's foreskin must be retractable. Do not let your doctor or anyone try to retract your child's foreskin. Optimal hygiene of the penis demands that the foreskin of infants and children be left alone. Premature retraction rips the skin of the penis open and causes your child extreme pain. There is no legitimate medical justification for retraction. The child's discomfort is proof of that. |
| My 7 yo needs to be circumsised but I've been putting it off because I don't want him going through that pain. But his foreskin does not pull back, he has a small opening and that's all. I tell him to pull the skin back and he does, sometimes I do it, but still it doesn't seem to work. Should I get him circumsised or will this problem go away on its own? Please help. Thanks. |
| Most boys will be able to retract their foreskins by the time they are 5 years old, yet others will not be able to until the teenage years. As a boy becomes more aware of his body, he will most likely discover how to retract his own foreskin. But foreskin retraction should never be forced. Until separation occurs, do not try to pull the foreskin back - especially an infant's. Forcing the foreskin to retract before it is ready may severely harm the penis and cause pain, bleeding and tears in the skin. |
Originally Posted by mother_star Wow! After reading all the info everybody gave me, I am in total shock! I had no idea it was this big a deal to circ your ds. I am soo happy to have read this info here because I have saved my ds and myself a lot of trouble. There is only one little thing that's bothering me though. What's the deal with the mastubation thing? Boys who are circ can't do that or what? I have decided NOT to go through with the circ with my ds. He is relieved also. Thank-you, Thank-you, Thank-you! And if anyone tries to get me to through with it, I will show them all the info I have found. |
| Mother Star: There is only one little thing that's bothering me though. What's the deal with the mastubation thing? Boys who are circ can't do that or what? |
