This is a section for readers to send in their own experiences of, and views about, circumcision. Please, we want factual accounts, not fantasies, and while sexual matters have to be discussed we do not want 'steamy porn'. Photos are very welcome, but we will not post images of erections and for legal reasons (which we don't necessarily agree with) all contributors must be over 18.
We are starting off afresh, with all new postings, but in time we may pull out any old contributions which are still of interest. This is not a bulletin board, and is not open to discussions about the posted articles. If you want to join a discussion group we recommend the new group Intercirc - we have no formal connection but both have ancestry in the now long defunct Circlist email listserv.
We have had many contributions from men who were circumcised as adults or teenagers, and they are welcome. We understand that these will help many other men considering this issue. Nevertheless, we would really like to have a broader picture. Women's views are particularly welcome, and this discussion will be kicked off with some posts from the archives and from other internet sources. Maybe this will encourage other females to come forward.
Also, what about men who were circumcised in infancy, or who are still uncircumcised? This page exists to give you a voice too, so feel free to contribute. Don't be put off by the length of some of the items here - a couple of lines will be just as welcome. And you absolutely do NOT need to send photos of your private parts!
So, please send in your contributions to the editor making it clear that it intended for publication in Preferened and Experiences. Scroll down for the full page, or jump to the latest male contribution. (Ladies, we really would like more contributions from you.)
To stop the list becoming unwieldy, older posts have been moved to the Preferences Archive - they are still there and accessible.
Jump to the newest post (13th January 2023)
 | Yes, this is for real, not a Photoshop job. The top was sold from a now defunct Jewish website called "thatsjewtastic.com". So I guess it's not available any more. You can read a bit more about it at yoyenta.com. Thanks to C. Hippikins for bringing it to our attention. |
Lucy (UK)
The health, hygiene and appearance benefits of circumcision are well recognised by most women, but only a woman who has had the pleasure of experiencing sex with a properly (and tightly) circumcised man knows the difference which it makes to our enjoyment of intercourse! .... Read the full story
Why I share Charlotte York's struggle and sort of wish I could ask my boyfriend to get circumcised
Remember that Sex And The City episode where Charlotte makes the guy get circumcised because 'ew, it looks like a shar pei!' or those rumours about how Taylor Swift broke up with Harry Styles because he was 'uncut?' ..... Read the full story
Having a boy – must I get him circumcised?
Many people have a strong opinion about the topic, when they don't know what the benefits are. In my case not only do I personally agree with the pros, I agree that foreskin should be removed. My son had his foreskin removed when he was 2 weeks old, by a registered GMC (General Medical Council) doctor.
Sophie Moti (UK)
A Continental European viewpoint
Here in Europe, basically no one is circumcised at birth. All the men I dated before my marriage were uncircumcised. Interestingly the foreskin's morphology differs very much from man to man; in some cases the glans was fully covered even in full erection, with some of the skin protruding beyond the tip of the glans. In other cases, there was virtually no foreskin covering the glans, very much like a cut penis. The majority were almost covered fully when limp. My husband had a fairly long foreskin which would extend over the glans even when fully erect. Of course, it could be easily pulled back and I particularly liked to do that during foreplay. The feeling of the foreskin moving back and forth over the erect penis is quite stimulating for the female partner. I also liked to give small bites to the foreskin.
For me, sexual intercourse was pleasant but not terribly gratifying. It seemed to me that my husband was penetrating his own foreskin rather than my vagina. Once or twice, I discussed that with him, suggesting we should hold his foreskin back during intercourse. Obviously this was not very practical. Read the full story
How, step by step, I persuaded my partner to get circumcised.
When I met my partner,he had an extremely long foreskin. His glans was fully covered by the foreskin, even when the penis had a full erection, but he didn't have phimosis.His glans was extremely sensitive ,because the penis head was covered almost all the time and he ejaculated immediately when I exposed and touched his penis tip.... Read the full story
A British Muslim woman wonders if she could handle dating a man with a foreskin.
It was good to know that my friends were not at all phased by the fact that he was White, or that he had children. The more pressing issue I hear you ask? His foreskin. Yes, foreskin. Read the full story
After a semester in the US an English student realizes that one thing is essential in any future boyfriend.
I first learned about circumcision, as many girls do, when it was required for my brother. We are a white British family with no history of circumcision as far as I know, but it was necessary for my younger sibling because of a tight foreskin that was causing him trouble. Being too young to know any of the particulars of penile anatomy, I was both intrigued and rather shocked ..... Read the full story
A shy Asian/Indian girl discovers American boys.
I haven't been a virgin since 18. I had a boyfriend back in India during my Bachelor of Engineering degree but I wasn't a big fan of sex per se back then. Then I came to New York to pursue my Masters in Computer Science (MSCS)....... Read the full story
Jump to the newest post (12th September 2024)
The Editor's Story
In post-war England, when I was growing up, circumcision was very much a class thing. At my large, crowded but very good state primary school I never saw a circumcised penis - and I saw plenty of penises since most boys made sure they were seen at the urinal. There was one Jewish boy in my year but he was quite shy. (Had I known then that Jews were circumcised I might have tried to get a closer look.) My family lived at the classier end of that school's catchment, and the boy next door was circumcised - and went to a private school. I was instantly impressed with the look of his penis...... Read the full story
Photoshop circumcision
I'm uncircumcised, but considering getting done. To help me decide the style I wanted I prepared Photoshop versions of my own penis with four different circumcision styles. Steve W.
Well, Steve did get circumcised, and here is the result........ Read the full story
A German reader (of Vietnamese descent) tells of his phimosis problem
I was about 14 or 15 when I first knew that I had phimosis. There was a unit about sexual education at school and the teacher told us that at least 1 in 10 could not retract his foreskin. So I went home and tried it. And failed...... Read the full story
Circumcised at 45 - before & after photos
I was circumcised in the US with the frenulum completely removed at 45 (Oct 2015), not for any medical reasons, but by personal choice. I knew for sure I wanted to be cut very tight (what's the point of getting circumcised if you remain with some skin above your head and some movement?) so I have no extra floppy skin when flacid and absolutely no movement when erected (but not so tight so that it is painful). ...... Read the full story
19-year-old English boy tells of being an uncircumcised Protestant in primary school then a circumcised Muslim in high school
My circumcision story is far from being a typical experience for a British boy, but it is something that I know is becoming increasingly common nowadays. ........ Read the full story
Growing up circumcised in Sydney
I was circumcised at 6 weeks old, in Sydney, Australia and I'm now 29. I'm very glad I was. ..... Read the full story
I've lived with my head exposed for more than 10 years - should I now get the snip?
I am in my mid 20's and have lived more than 10 years already with my glans exposed. I pulled back my foreskin for the first time by accident when I was 7 or 8....... Read the full story
Frenulum problems in the UK
In my early twenties, I was told that I would have to be circumcised. My problem resulted from my frenulum being too short which resulted in its tearing. But I kept putting it off ..... Read the full story
Botched circumcision - and then a proper job - in the UK.
My first memory of hearing the word "circumcision" was as uttered by a GP (family doctor) in the English midlands sometime in the early 1960s. My father (deemed to be his job) had taken me to the local clinic after repeated bath time exhortations from mother, provoking much straining and tears, had failed to produce the desired result of a properly skinned back infant penis...... Read the full story
Circumcised at age 17, in the US.
My parents didn't have me circumcised because they didn't have the money and my mother was against it. My dad is, unsurprisingly, cut. I wish they had gotten me cut at birth because I really felt like the odd one out. .... Read the full story
Maltese immigrant in Australia .
I was born in Southern Europe in 1952, Malta to be precise, where circumcision is rare as in a lot of Europe. My parents immigrated to Australia when I was a toddler ...... Read the full story
Once again, PLEASE don't try a self-circ!
I don’t have older siblings and wasn’t that close to any friends, so when I was a child I didn’t have other boys to compare with, but that didn’t keep me from discovering my body on my own. When I noticed that movable piece of skin at the end of my thingy, and especially that strange head underneath the skin I became fascinated by it. ...... Read the full story
Another Russian story - Alex
In Russia, circumcision is not common without medical indications,but I always liked the look without the foreskin .I decided on circumcision at the age of 30 without having problems with the foreskin, .......... Read the full story
A long-awaited circumcision
I escaped the RIC that so many guys in my age cohort had done, by my parents decision which I'm grateful for.
I have had a lifelong fascination with male circumcision ever since my father described a gomco circumcision to me when I was a small child. I got incredibly excited at the thought of having that done to me.......
Read the full storyTwice cut as an adult
I've read several letters here that sound very much like my own experiences.
I grew up with boys that were circumcised as infants and some didn't know that they weren't born that way. I always wished I had been cut as well. ....
Read the full storyScarring from a Russian circumcision
I would like to add my personal experience. I lived in Russia 20 years ago, where I was circumcised when I was 20 years old. To help healing I used Vishnevsky's ointment, which, as I read later (after moving to Israel), may promotes scarring of the suture line. ....
Read the full storyFather against - mother for - one man's story
I was left intact at birth. I'm not sure why, but suspect my dad was mostly responsible. However, Dad died when I was ten, and not long afterwards, mom began to bring up the idea of me being circumcised. I had a very long foreskin, and while it retracted easily, retraction was a two handed affair when soft - not painful, just a hassle. ....
Read the full storyTwice circumcised - our first report from China.
I am 24 years old from North China. I would like to share my personal experience of being twice circumcised.
The first time I discovered the concept of circumcision was from the comparison between my father, uncle, cousin and other adult men. My father has a good looking penis with high manhood, whose glans has never been covered since young. There is almost no foreskin on his cock and all of his foreskin is held back behind his sulcus all the time. ......
Read the full storyChinese boy - conflicting opinions - circumcised at 16
I don't remember much about my childhood. When I was 5 years old, my relatives advised my grandmother to have me circumcised. At that time, I didn't know what this was. I asked curiously what a foreskin was. After listening to my grandmother's explanation, I was wondering how anyone would want to get cut and bleed? ......
Read the full storyEnglish boy, circumcised at age 4, later finds his classmates following suit.
I'm a 27 year old male from the UK, I have vague memories of being naked at a beach or pool, like many other kids in the 90s, but the first proper memory with my penis was when I was about 4, I woke up with a sore penis and couldn't pee. ......
Read the full storyCircumcision for converting religion - an English teenager's story.
From a young age I was interested in Islam. Eventually, I discovered that Muslim men are circumcised. This sat in the back of my mind – I thought 'aren't only Jews circumcised?' When I found this out, I asked if I would have to be circumcised after converting to Islam? .....
Read the full storyMexican circumcision - father and son
Here in Mexico circumcision is not common, and I only realized that I had been at age 10. When we were children my brother and I often bathed with my father. My father's glans was always exposed while mine was about a quarter covered and my brother's about half covered. ......
Read the full storyAnother Chinese story - circumcised at age 6
I am 24 years old and I am from China. I want to share my experience about circumcision and my views on this matter. I had a circumcision when I was 6 years old. .....
Read the full storyA Belgian tradition of circumcision
I was born in 1954 in Belgium and I was done right after birth. It's a non religious family tradition - every man on my father's side of the family is circumcised......
Read the full storyTwice circumcised in the UK - 35 years apart.
Hi there,
I live in the UK and this is an account from a man who grew up here. I first discovered circumcision at age 11 when my Mum asked me to ensure I pulled back my foreskin, otherwise I might have to be circumcised, so I looked it up and was immediately intrigued by it......
A Russian man finally gets done - after wanting it for 22 years.
Hello everyone! I'm from Russia. I immediately apologize for my English, it's not very good. Now I am 41 years old. 2 months ago I was circumcised and I want to share my impressions. ......
Read the full storyA Dutch man, done at 15, who now wants to spread the word.
Hello, I am Dave born in 1993, 100% Dutch and raised in an environment where few or no Muslim boys live. When I had to be circumcised when I was 15, this was the first time I heard about this operation..........
Read the full storyA Chinese high-school student speaking.
I'm an enthusiast for circumcision,and in my view this technique isn't new for us. Of course Muslim Chinese have been doing it for centuries but the najority ethnic Han had developed the technique of circumcision a hundred years ago ......
Read the full storyRomanian teenager with Turkish stepmother.
I am now a 32 yr old man from Romania. I didn't know anything about circumcision till I was 16, when my dad started dating a Turkish Moslem nurse.........
Read the full storyCirclist persuaded a German man to get what he alwys wanted.
I always dreamed of being circumcised. As a child I learned swimming in a club with many muslim boys. I saw their penises and thought: Wow! I want that status. .........
Read the full storyAn British man with diabetes is considering getting circumcised.
I am an uncircumcised man approaching middle age. I am considering being circumcised. I have type-2 diabetes, and am worried about urinary tract infections.
Read the full storyMelbourne man with German/Turkish husband.
My name is Lambert. I'm from Melbourne, Australia, am in my late 30s, and have three sons ages 10, 12, and 14. Their mother and I divorced a few months after my youngest was born and I have had full custody since. During the pandemic I married a fantastic man whom I'd been dating for about five years. He is circumcised and comes from a VERY large (and thankfully very progressive) German-Turkish family.
Read the full storyBorn premature and not circumcised
Unlike all the other boys born when I was in my part of the US, I was not circumcised at birth. I was born a bit premature and my parents didn't have it done. I had seen my dad in the bath or shower a few times when I was a preschooler and noticed that we were different, but I didn't know why. I also didn't have any brothers.
Read the full storyTeen circumcision
I was the middle of 3 boys. Only my younger brother was lucky enough to get the RIC. My father opposed circumcision. But my mother favored it and at bath time would tell my older brother and myself we should get cut as well. Cut sounded like hurt and we wanted no part of that. But I did prefer the looks of his circumcised penis and the fact he could pee a stream instead of splatter it all over.
Read the full storyNot circumcised as a child - but very regularly retracted/
I was not circumcised as a child as my mother and her ObGyn were adamantly opposed to circumcision. My mother was obsessive/compulsive about penile cleanliness and from my earliest memory around 2.5 to 3 years of age I remember her retracting me and cleaning my glans with a wash cloth. During and after potty training she retracted me fully and trained me to retract my foreskin tightly before urinating and to make sure my penis was dry before putting foreskin forward to prevent urine from causing smell and infection which would cause me to have to have an operation!
Read the full storyCircumcised as graduation celebration
When I was 7 or 8 years old, I realised one day that my dad's and other adults' penises looked different from mine. Later I asked my dad about it and he taught me what circumcision is and tried to teach me how to pull back the foreskin and clean the inside. Except, my foreskin wasn't fully retractable probably due to adhesion and this caused some pain. The topic was then forgotten for many years until it was my final year of elementary school. It was common in Korea during my days that almost all boys would get circumcised around or before puberty, without question.
Read the full storyUnplanned late circumcision and becoming a man
In Korea at my time, it was common for all boys to be circumcised. It was usually reasoned as having better hygene, better aesthetics, being preferred by women and most importantly "becoming a man from a boy". It usually did not matter whether the child had phimosis or no issues. Around puberty, many boys lost their foreskins. Uncircumcised boys of later age were commonly ridiculed and made fun of for their "childish penis" and "elephant trunk".
Read the full storyBeing circumcised in Spain
In Spain circumcision is rare, even the information is null. It is generally practiced for religion such as Jews and Muslims or for medical reasons.
Currently, due to the large number of migrants from Africa and other countries where the practice is common, there has been an increase in its practice, although it is difficult to say by percentage how many are and how many are not, due to the lack of a registry open to the public.
I grew up in the Catalunya area where the topic is even rare, since it is in the north of Spain. In the south you may find a little more on this topic since they are close to Morocco. In my case, I was circumcised for a recurrent infection as a child at the age of 6.
Read the full storyTwice circumcised,
I come from a Hispanic family where circumcision was not the norm. I always noticed most of my friends had been circumcised, and I always felt ashamed to use the school showers. I always knew I had to wash under my foreskin; every year during my physicals for school, I would complain to the doctor I had problems with my foreskin, hoping the doctor would give me a referral, but that didn't happen.
Read the full storyAn Aussie teenager's story
When I was 11, I had to switch doctors when my family moved to Melbourne. Months ahead of the move, dad found a GP just up the street from our new house and booked a new patient appointment for the first Monday of school holidays. After he examined me at the first appointment, the doctor asked my parents if they'd considered having me circumcised. I asked what that was and the doctor said it was something lots of boys have done and went on to explain all the health benefits and why it's important to have the head exposed. I still didn't really understand but dad's only follow up question was when it could be done.
Read the full storyBoston boy - circumcised as a toddler.
I was born in the early 1980s in San Francisco,California though raised mostly in the Boston, MA area. I was not given RIC for reasons that are frankly, unclear. My mother claimed the desire for circumcision was made to the Drs but, again, for reasons that are unclear, they did not/would not follow through with it. My father, who is no longer alive to ask more, said something basically the same as my mom did. I was born healthy, at 7lbs. We left SF within four months of my birth and went to Boston, where we settled in. My father claimed he was conflicted at first about "taking me back to get cut" as he put it--with that awfully cute face.
Read the full story
