In this guide
- Why this question never dies
- What the foreskin actually is
- The best evidence: randomised trials
- Sensitivity measured in a lab
- The studies that disagree
- Stamina, porn and the myths
- Hygiene, infections and HIV
- If you are thinking about it as an adult
- My take
I am not a doctor. This is not medical advice. The facts in this article come from the NHS, Mayo Clinic and peer-reviewed studies on PubMed. The opinions are mine.
After 14 years in porn, I can tell you one thing for certain: on camera, you see every kind of penis. Circumcised, uncircumcised, partially circumcised. Nobody on set cares. The camera does not care. The women I work with do not discuss it.
Online, it is a completely different story. Ask whether circumcision affects sex and you will get hundreds of furious answers, half of them saying it destroys sensitivity and half saying it makes men better lovers. Both camps are usually very sure, and usually citing nothing.
So I went to the research. Here is what it actually says.
Why this question never dies
Circumcision touches religion, culture, parents’ decisions, identity and sex all at once. That is why the debate is so emotional. The World Health Organization has estimated that roughly a third of men worldwide are circumcised, many for religious reasons in Jewish and Muslim communities, and many as newborns in countries such as the United States.
This article is not about whether parents should circumcise baby boys. That is an ethical debate with strong views on all sides. It is about one practical question that men ask me constantly: does it change sex?
What the foreskin actually is
The foreskin is a fold of skin that covers the head of the penis (the glans) when the penis is soft. It contains nerve endings and a moist inner surface. During an erection it usually slides back on its own.
Circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin. The NHS explains that in adults it is mostly done for medical reasons: a foreskin that is too tight to pull back (phimosis), a foreskin that gets stuck behind the glans (paraphimosis), or repeated inflammation and infection (balanitis) (NHS: Circumcision in men).
Mayo Clinic’s position is simple: circumcision does not appear to affect fertility, and it is not generally thought to enhance or detract from sexual pleasure for men or their partners (Mayo Clinic: Circumcision (male)).
The best evidence: randomised trials
Most sex research is observational: researchers ask people questions and compare groups. The problem is that circumcised and uncircumcised men often differ in culture, religion and country, so it is hard to separate the effect of the surgery.
Circumcision is one of the rare sex topics where we have randomised trials. In the 2000s, large HIV-prevention trials in Africa randomly assigned thousands of adult men to be circumcised immediately or later. Because the choice was random, researchers could compare sexual function fairly.
In the Rakai trial in Uganda, researchers followed men for two years after circumcision and compared them to uncircumcised men in the control group. They found no adverse effect on sexual satisfaction or function, and the overwhelming majority of circumcised men reported being satisfied (Kigozi et al., BJU Int 2008). A separate study of their female partners found that most women reported no change or an improvement in sexual satisfaction (Kigozi et al., BJU Int 2009).
A 2013 systematic review in the Journal of Sexual Medicine looked at 36 publications on circumcision and sex. Its conclusion: the highest-quality studies show circumcision has no adverse effect on sexual function, sensitivity, sensation or satisfaction (Morris & Krieger, J Sex Med 2013).
If circumcision really destroyed sexual pleasure, the randomised trials would have shown it. They did not.
Sensitivity measured in a lab
What about sensitivity itself? Surveys depend on what men feel and report. Some researchers wanted a more objective measurement.
A Canadian study published in the Journal of Urology in 2016 tested penile sensitivity in men circumcised as newborns and intact men, using standard laboratory tests for touch, pain and warmth at different points on the penis. It did not find that circumcised men were less sensitive, and the foreskin was not more sensitive to touch than the other areas tested (Bossio et al., J Urol 2016).
It was a small study, around 60 men, so it is not the final word. But it fits with the trials.
The studies that disagree
It would be dishonest to pretend there is no debate. Some studies point the other way.
The most quoted is a Danish survey of more than 5,000 men and women published in 2011. It found that circumcised men more often reported frequent difficulties reaching orgasm, and women with circumcised partners more often reported some sexual problems (Frisch et al., Int J Epidemiol 2011).
Critics of that study pointed out that it was cross-sectional, that the number of circumcised men in Denmark is small, and that the men were circumcised for different reasons, often medical problems that might affect sex on their own. Its authors defend it. That is how science works.
My reading, as a layman who has read both sides: the stronger evidence, from randomised trials and systematic reviews, says circumcision does not meaningfully change sexual pleasure for most men. Some individual men do report changes, in both directions, and their experience is real. But it is not the universal disaster or the universal upgrade that the internet claims.
Stamina, porn and the myths
A few myths I hear all the time:
“Circumcised men last longer.” There is no consistent evidence. Studies on premature ejaculation and circumcision are mixed. Control in bed depends far more on arousal, anxiety, breathing and pelvic floor strength. If stamina is your concern, read my guides on how to last longer in bed and Kegel exercises for men. They will do more than any surgery.
“Uncircumcised men are more sensitive, so they finish faster.” Same answer. No reliable evidence.
“Women prefer one or the other.” Preferences exist, and they are often cultural: women tend to be used to what is common where they grew up. Most women, in surveys and in real life, care much more about the man attached to the penis.
“Porn shows what is normal.” Porn shows both. And as I explained in average penis size, porn is the worst possible reference for what is normal.
Hygiene, infections and HIV
Here is where circumcision has documented medical effects.
Hygiene. Mayo Clinic notes that circumcision makes it easier to wash the penis. But an uncircumcised penis is perfectly healthy if you gently pull the foreskin back and wash underneath with water every day. Smell and irritation usually mean poor washing, not a design flaw.
Infections. Mayo Clinic lists a lower risk of urinary tract infections in infants, a lower risk of some sexually transmitted infections, and a lower risk of penile cancer, which is rare anyway.
HIV. Three randomised trials in South Africa, Kenya and Uganda found that circumcision reduced men’s risk of getting HIV from vaginal sex with women by around 50 to 60% (Gray et al., Lancet 2007). That is why the WHO recommends voluntary medical male circumcision in some high-HIV countries.
But understand this clearly: partial protection is not protection. Circumcised men still get HIV and every other STI. In my industry, we rely on regular testing, explained in my guide to STI testing in porn. In your private life, condoms and testing remain the rule.
If you are thinking about it as an adult
Some adult men ask me whether they should get circumcised to “improve” sex. My honest answer: if your foreskin is healthy and you have no medical problem, the evidence does not suggest surgery will make sex better.
If you have a medical issue, such as a tight foreskin, painful erections, splitting or repeated infections, talk to a doctor. There are often treatments before surgery, such as steroid creams for phimosis. If surgery is needed, the NHS says healing usually takes a few weeks and you will be told to avoid sex and masturbation until you have fully healed, usually around four to six weeks. Follow your surgeon’s instructions exactly.
And if a tight foreskin is causing pain during sex, do not ignore it. Pain during erection can also come from other conditions, such as the curvature I explained in Peyronie’s disease.
My take
I am not going to tell you whether circumcision is right or wrong. That is a decision connected to religion, family and personal values, and I respect men on all sides of it.
What I will tell you is this: if you are circumcised, you did not lose your sex life. If you are not, you are not missing anything either. The best evidence we have says that pleasure, sensitivity and satisfaction depend far more on your health, your confidence, your partner and what you actually do in bed than on a few centimetres of skin.
The men who are best in bed, on camera and off, are not defined by their foreskin. They are defined by attention, patience and how much they care about the person in front of them.
For the human stories behind this industry, read my columns on House of Maximo. Follow my work at maximogarciaworld.com, and for the 18+ side, fuckingpornstars.net.
Sources
- NHS. Circumcision in men.
- Mayo Clinic. Circumcision (male).
- Morris BJ, Krieger JN. Does male circumcision affect sexual function, sensitivity, or satisfaction? A systematic review. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2013.
- Kigozi G et al. The effect of male circumcision on sexual satisfaction and function: results from a randomized trial in Rakai, Uganda. BJU International, 2008.
- Kigozi G et al. Sexual satisfaction of women partners of circumcised men in a randomized trial in Rakai, Uganda. BJU International, 2009.
- Bossio JA et al. Examining penile sensitivity in neonatally circumcised and intact men using quantitative sensory testing. Journal of Urology, 2016.
- Frisch M et al. Male circumcision and sexual function in men and women: a survey-based, cross-sectional study in Denmark. International Journal of Epidemiology, 2011.
- Gray RH et al. Male circumcision for HIV prevention in men in Rakai, Uganda: a randomised trial. The Lancet, 2007.
