Post Date December, 03 2023
On the outside of the male penis head, there is a double layer of folded penis skin, which is called the foreskin. Flipping the foreskin reveals a circular narrowing area behind the glans called the coronal sulcus. There are many sebaceous glands in the skin near the coronal groove, which secrete a kind of foul smelling secretion in the shape of yellow white mud, called "smegma".
A man, especially before the age of 7, has a relatively long foreskin that covers the entire glans penis and urethral opening. In the future, as youth develops, the volume and length of the penis increase, and the foreskin will retract, exposing the glans penis and urethral opening outside the foreskin.
If in adulthood, the foreskin opening is narrow, or the foreskin still adheres to the glans penis, and the foreskin cannot be turned up, exposing the urethral opening or glans penis, it is called phimosis in medicine; If the foreskin, although capable of exposing the glans, has a small opening that covers the outer urethral opening, it is called a long foreskin. Among adult men in our country, 29% have foreskin elongation and 9% have phimosis.
Some people believe that phimosis and excessive foreskin do not hinder sexual activity and fertility, therefore it is not a genital disease. Actually, this view is not scientific. Because whether it is phimosis or foreskin too long, it has certain harm to the human body.
(1) Hindering the development of the penis and affecting the harmony of sexual life: Phimosis can affect the growth and development of the penis. During adolescence, due to the tight wrapping of the foreskin around the glans penis and the lack of external stimulation, the development of the glans penis is greatly constrained, resulting in a significantly smaller circumference of the crown of the glans penis after sexual organ development and maturity, which affects sexual pleasure. Adults may experience abnormal sexual activity due to excessive foreskin or phimosis. Especially for men with a small foreskin diameter, the foreskin cannot be retracted and is tightly stuck in the coronal sulcus, resulting in incarcerated phimosis and less pain. In severe cases, the glans may experience edema and even necrosis due to poor blood flow.
(2) Inflammation of the penis: There are abundant sebaceous glands within the foreskin, which can secrete a large amount of sebum. When the phimosis or prepuce is too long, the secretion of sebaceous glands in the prepuce cannot be discharged, and the sebum and the sediment in urine can form a cheese like and smelly "smegma". Smegma is suitable for bacterial growth, so it can cause inflammation of penis head and prepuce. Germs can also cause urinary tract infections through the urethra. Inflammation that occurs at the urethral opening can cause narrowing of the urethral opening after healing, resulting in difficulty urinating.
(3) Impairment of renal function: Inflammation of the penis can cause narrowing of the urethral opening or anterior urethra, causing difficulty in urination. Long term difficulty urinating can damage the function of the kidneys.
(4) There is a risk of cancer: foreskin elongation and phimosis, which may trigger penile cancer. Modern scientific research shows that smegma is a carcinogen. According to the survey, 85% - 95% of patients with penis cancer are phimosis or redundant prepuce. The phimosis and foreskin are too long, which will not only affect your health. If you sleep with your wife, you will also bring smegma into the vagina, stimulate the uterus, and induce cervical cancer.
Therefore, men with phimosis and phimosis should seek early surgical treatment at the hospital. Perform circumcision. For non inflamed foreskin that is too long, as long as the foreskin is frequently turned up and cleaned, surgery is not necessary. If there is inflammation that cannot be operated on early, the external genitalia should also be kept clean. The penis should be cleaned once a day, and the foreskin should not be flipped, medication should not be applied indiscriminately, and no "folk remedies" should be taken lightly. It is necessary to seek medical attention in a timely manner and wait for the inflammation to disappear before undergoing surgery.
(Intern Editor: Cai Junyi)
