Now hands up those women who have had sex with men who do and who don't
have foreskins (at this point it can be interesting to see whether the
couples line up in the way you expect). Ask the women whether they prefer
the cut or the uncut version.
If the wine is flowing and the people know one another well, I promise you
an interesting evening.
The reason this needs to be a transatlantic meeting is, of course, that most
European men are not circumcised and most North American men are. In fact, 85%
of men in the world are not circumcised. Circumcision, other than for religious
reasons is, only routinely practiced in the U.S., Canada, and Australia.
The origins of the widespread practice of circumcision stem from a late
19th century concern that the foreskin encourages masturbation by making
it more enjoyable. Removing the foreskin was seen as a sensible precaution
to protect young males from the consequences of their baser instincts.
The subsequent medical argument advanced for its continuation is that, by
preventing the build up of smegma under the foreskin, the risk of cancer
is reduced. Personally, I prevent the build up of smegma by careful, and
sometimes quite enjoyable, application of soap and water in the shower. To
me, circumcision on medical grounds seems like advocating that the most
effective means of fighting plaque is to have your teeth removed.
I don't mean to go into a rant here. There are many strange and wonderful
differences between even the English-speaking cultures on either side of the
Atlantic, and I am happy to celebrate their diversity. I can't help but wonder,
however, if there would be fewer naturalized American males if circumcision
were a condition of citizenship.
On the whole, we don't tend to talk much about foreskins, or the lack of
them, in polite society. Perhaps this is because both those who have, and
those who have not, regard their condition as normal.
As a writer of erotic fiction, I probably talk about foreskins
more than most. My stories describe penises in various stages of inflation
and deflation. This article was prompted by a review of a story
in which I wrote, "The woman wanted to look away but she could not. She
tingled with excitement as she watched the girl gently pull back the
foreskin with her other hand, her finger and thumb making an O around the
boy's shaft. As the girl's hand moved slowly up and down the penis grew
and became harder. It was thin and veined and not very pretty, but its
attraction was magnetic." The reviewer (Dorothy B Tyler) wrote "I don't
know whether or not you intended this (you don't live in the USA, right?),
but, as a middle-aged American woman, I am not atypical in that I have had
no experience with an uncircumcised penis. So this alone, regardless of
any other constraints, would have kept me glued to the window. You might
want to expand on that for us (pleaaase)."
Lacking a wider experience, I tend to draw heavily on my own anatomy
(together with some wishful thinking when the story requires it) to inform
my fiction, so my characters tend to have foreskins. I wouldn't leave home
without one. Being asked the question, "What's it like to have a foreskin"
is a bit like being asked what is it like to have a nose. But in the
interest of sharing information with the world, I'm going to try and answer
the question anyway.
Those of you who find this is simply too much information may want to stop
reading now.
So, foreskins. I like having a foreskin. It is a source of great pleasure
to me.
When the penis is limp, the foreskin covers it completely, in some people,
even forming a kind of bell that meets beyond the tip. The external skin
is soft and smooth, very similar in texture to the outer labia. The
internal skin in silken and moist and very, very sensitive.
As the penis becomes aroused the foreskin unfurls like the petals of a
magnolia, and that is a wonderful feeling, slow, luxurious, lubricious. To
me, it feels as sensual as full body stretch after waking from sleep.
The foreskin gives a visible sign of the extent of arousal. On those
pleasant days when the cock rises slowly but purposefully, the initial
stiffening will open the foreskin and partially expose the tip of the
penis.
There is a great sense of lustful pleasure in being able to pull the
foreskin all the way back until the whole crown is fully exposed. Scent is
released. Air, warm or cold, rushes over the most sensitive of flesh like
a caress.
Pushing the foreskin forward again is almost like feeling a mouth over
your cock. The slick inside of the skin lubricates and stimulates the
head. If you are female, try pulling back one lip of the vagina and then
gently stroking the moist inner lip and you may get the general idea.
As excitement grows, pulling the foreskin all the way back stretches the
penis in way you can feel from the base of your balls to the tip of you
toes. It makes the cock rear like a horse being heavily reined back.
When full extension is reached the foreskin magically converts into a little
ridge of sensitive skin behind and below the crown. In my twisted brain this
description links itself to an image of a cabriolet -- a convertible in American
English -- with the top folding compactly behind the rear seat when the car
is ready for action -- but that's probably just me. I'm sure we'd never get
an advertisement that ran "Drive the new Ford Probe Convertible and watch the
rag top fold away like the foreskin on your best ever erection" -- nice thought
though.
The foreskin preserves the sensitivity of the head of the penis, enhancing
that shooting pain of pleasure, like ice cream in a tooth cavity, that
comes from having the wet tip of the penis stroked.
Of course the foreskin is also useful to your sexual partner. The ridge
the folded foreskin makes is perfectly positioned to stimulate the G spot
during sex in the missionary position and is equally effective in
provoking the prostate for those who like variety.
A partner who knows how to move the foreskin backwards and forwards using
finger and thumb will have any man's complete attention. One who discovers
how to slide their tongue over the penis head while moving the foreskin
forward over the tongue (this takes some practice, but it's worth it) can
ask almost any boon in return. Returning a man to fighting fitness after
that first orgasm (almost inevitably his, not yours) can be greatly
accelerated by the daring use of teeth or fingernails on the limp and
malleable foreskin.
As you can guess, I'm a foreskin enthusiast. I'm sure the penis works just
fine without one, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who has the choice.
Those of you who, at a tender age, had their foreskins removed in order to
provide some sort of health advantage, may feel that you want to contact
your lawyer and see if it's possible to sue for loss of pleasure over a
number of years. On the other hand you may feel I'm just exaggerating.
Either way, I would recommend those of you who are interested in learning
more about the practice of circumcision, try this Web site
Here's a pop quiz to run at any transatlantic gathering of good friends:
hands up those males who have not been circumcised; now, assuming
everything could be arranged without any pain or discomfort, how many of
you would like to be rid of that little piece of foreskin?
