Retraction of Son's Uncircumcised Penis?

Uncircumcised infants do not need any special care for their penis. I call it “the un-care of the intact penis”. You should completely leave it alone. You should NOT forcibly retract it, EVER. And you should not allow anyone else to do so either. This causes considerable trauma, both physically and emotionally. Forcible retraction can lead to soreness and infection of the foreskin.

Why all the controversy? Rarely, an intact foreskin will remain tight and unretractable into adulthood. This can interfere with urination. If this occurs, it can be corrected with a minor surgical procedure. Years ago, doctors thought that we should therefore forcibly retract the penis during infancy so that this rare problem won’t occur. If it was not retractable by a few years of age, it should be forcibly retracted. Now we know that the trauma of doing so far outweighs any benefits.

The pain and trauma just isn’t worth it. Virtually all foreskins will loosen up and retract just by the child normally exploring this body part.

Recipe: Classic Sears Family Dinner

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