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The number one reason for problems of the penis is unnecessary infant circumcision (and the consequences of this surgical removal of the prepuce organ). The second reason for penile problems and complications is well-meaning adults who retract, over-clean, and 'mess with' intact boys' foreskins before they retract naturally and completely on their own. Sometimes this natural, gentle retraction does not occur until the pre-teen years. This is 100% normal. In fact, a recent Dutch study shows that the average age for retraction among boys is 10.6 years of age. Some retract (on their own) before this time, some later.
Among both boys and girls, before natural retraction, the prepuce (foreskin/hood) is tightly adhered to the glans (head) of the penis/clitoris, in the same way your fingernail is tightly adhered to your finger. If you stick things under your fingernail, try to pull it back, or otherwise 'mess' with it, you are bound to not only be in pain, but also fester irritation and/or infection. The same is true with the prepuce organ (the clitoral hood in girls and the foreskin in boys).
In addition, the prepuce serves the function of protection over the glans in much the same way your eye lids protect your eye balls. The temperature, moisture, pH balance, enzyme level, antivirals, and more are all regulated because the glans is meant to be an internal organ - just as our eyeballs are also internal organs. We'd never scrub under our eyelids and not expect some severe and painful (possibly infectious) consequences.
Remember: INTACT=DON'T RETRACT! ONLY CLEAN WHAT IS SEEN!
One friend, a pediatrician, tells parents, "The ONLY thing you need to care for your intact son's penis is a ruler -- to slap the hand of anyone who attempts to touch his foreskin."
Below are additional resources for parents of intact boys. Know the myths, and be informed enough to protect your son and his genital integrity.
[Retraction]
Should My Baby's Foreskin Be Retracted?
http://www.drmomma.org/2012/08/should-babys-foreskin-be-retracted.html
Hands Off My Foreskin! Dr. Martin Winckler on the Care of Baby Boys
http://www.drmomma.org/2013/02/hands-off-my-foreskin-dr-martin.html
Forced Retraction: Don't Let it Happen to Your Son
http://www.drmomma.org/2010/11/forced-retraction-dont-let-it-happen-to.html
Forced Retraction: Now What?
http://www.drmomma.org/2009/12/forced-retraction-what-now.html
Using a Catheter Without Retraction: My Nurse Did It and So Can Yours!
http://www.savingsons.org/2013/01/using-catheter-without-retraction-my.html
Only Clean What is Seen: Reversing the Epidemic of Forced Retraction:
http://www.drmomma.org/2009/09/only-clean-what-is-seen-reversing.html
Medical Testing: Do Not Retract:
http://www.drmomma.org/2009/09/uti-testing-on-boys-do-not-retract.html
Doctors Opposing Circumcision Statement for Physicians and Nurses on
Forced Retraction:
http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/info/info-forcedretraction.html
Forced Retraction: Ask the Experts
http://www.drmomma.org/2009/09/ask-experts-forced-foreskin-retraction.html
The Forced Retraction of My Son [One Parent's Story]
http://www.drmomma.org/2011/07/forced-retraction-of-my-son.html
[Intact Care]
How to Care for Your Intact Son (Home Page)
http://www.drmomma.org/2009/06/how-to-care-for-intact-penis-protect.html
Basic Care of the Intact Child:
http://www.drmomma.org/2010/01/basic-care-of-intact-child.html
Protect Your Intact Son:
http://www.drmomma.org/2009/08/protect-your-uncircumcised-son-expert.html
The Functions of the Foreskin:
http://www.drmomma.org/2009/09/functions-of-foreskin-purposes-of.html
Natural Foreskin Retraction in Intact Children and Teens
http://www.drmomma.org/2008/04/natural-foreskin-retraction-in-intact.html
Phony Phimosis Diagnosis:
http://www.drmomma.org/2010/01/phony-phimosis-diagnosis.html
Urine Sampling and Catheter Insertion for the Intact Boy
http://www.drmomma.org/2011/12/urine-samples-and-catheter-insertion.html
Raising Intact Sons:
http://www.drmomma.org/2009/11/raising-intact-sons.html
Foreskin: It's Not 'Icky':
http://www.drmomma.org/2010/12/foreskin-its-not-icky.html
National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers
Publication on care of the intact penis:
http://www.nocirc.org/publish/4pam.pdf
Penile Hygiene for Intact Males
http://www.cirp.org/library/hygiene/
How the Foreskin Protects Against UTI:
http://www.drmomma.org/2009/12/how-foreskin-protects-against-uti.html
Painful Urination During Prepuce Separation
http://www.drmomma.org/2010/01/painful-urination-during-
Ballooning in the Intact Child:
Questions Regarding Normal Separation of the Prepuce
If you would like an intact info card to have on hand for your son, write to request one at DrMomma.org@gmail.com
Need more than one? Request at Saving Our Sons here.
Intact Care Cards are included in all circumcision info packs.
~~~~Need more than one? Request at Saving Our Sons here.
Intact Care Cards are included in all circumcision info packs.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I was about to actually try and msg you asking if you knew of a good guide for intact penises! I circed my first son (no reason, just did it bc I thought it's what you were supposed to do- oh the ignorance of my youth). Pregnant with son #2 and we're not circing him this time! :) So thank you for posting this so so much! <3
ReplyDeleteI love how fat and happy that baby looks. Look at him. He looks like a cute chubby little buddha baby. A poster child for just being a really cute happy baby.
ReplyDeletemy (intact) son is easier to care for than my girls were
ReplyDeleteMy MIL was told if she didn't retract (my now husband's) foreskin it would permanately stay there. I caught her trying to force my infant son to retract while changing his diaper and immediately had to inform her she was causing injury and to never do it again!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny that because the social norm is to circumcise, we're all worried about how to care for our whole sons... but the only thing you have to do is nothing!
ReplyDeleteAfter 2 daughters, DS is much easier to clean-- we just wipe it off like a finger if he's poopy. In nearly 2 years we've never had a problem, except for a pediatrician that attempted to retract him at 6 months against my orders. Needless to say, she lost us as patients, and got a big stack of literature about penis care which I handed her boss at my formal complaint. I don't know where the misinformation came from about having to retract to "clean", but it's ridiculous that so many doctors are still misinformed!
I left a breastfeeding and intact-dumb pediatric practice and went to a Family Practitioner who also tried to retract my son, claiming that I "had to start pushing it back or it would NEVER retract." It can be so frustrating finding a doctor. And you really do have to be vigilant, because even though you tell the doc he's intact, don't retract him, the doc says "oh I'm not I'm just going to push it back a little." ARGH! I like the ruler part. It's so true, at least in my community.
ReplyDeleteWow didnt know my sone and l were so lucky .... We have never retracted ... sometimes it is lucky to be ignorant ! We just defluff when needed and he thinks it is hysterical ... and l do love that" Ruler Rule " just let any doctor come near us now !LOL
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that doctors still think you need to retract baby boys? My son went to a Pedatric Urologist today and he almost pulled his back before I stopped him. Then he told me by 18 months I need to start retracting it? I would think of all doctors he would know - he's dealing with that part of the anatomy daily. Am I missing something or is it not fact that you should not retract an intact little baby?
ReplyDeletemy son (almost 4) retracted it on his own naturally, just last week. what do I do now?
ReplyDeleteMy son is 4 and is intact, but like the above comment, he retracts his own back. I suppose if he is doing it himself and it doesn't cause him pain or discomfort it's okay??????
ReplyDelete