This site discusses phimosis in its specific forms of phimotic ring, frenulum breve, adhesions or skinbridges. During erection these conditions inhibit the relationship between foreskin and glans. This functionally restricts the erection, and thus has an effect on the sexuality. With our culture's attitudes on health care, it would be appropriate to encourage early prevention. Jan 2021 : Please read the new summary.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION At the other extreme, in large parts of Europe, Canada, Australia etc., problems are usually treated after they have arisen, following experiences of pain, difficulty or discomfort during masturbation, or after the first unsuccessful attempts with love-making. There are two clinical complications which occurr often during masturbation at the beginning of puberty due to a mild phimotic ring. This can get stuck behind the glans (paraphimosis), or repeated abrasion against the glans can lead to infections. During the first steps to manhood genital pain or difficulty can have far reaching consequences. Quite apart from the physical problems a young boy experiencing pain or difficulty during masturbation will be worried. Even the bravest young warrior on the first steps to manhood, confronted with a problem with his penis will be scared. He will be embarrassed, confused and worried. He may reassure himself thinking everyone is normal, without really understanding that normal men can see and touch their entire penis. Alternatively he will develop a growing awareness that something is permanently wrong with his penis or with touching his foreskin or with masturbation - He may even accept taht something is permanently wrong with his penis, and he simply has to live with it. Worry and confusion will often take unrealistic dimensions ... As human nature is, he will put off confronting the problem. He will then often simply prefer not to talk about this with his parents preferring to wait until of an age to ask a doctor. However, in some cases our brave explorer simply does not realise that retracting his foreskin is possible, normal or desirable. He intuitively avoids any approaching pain and he adapts to his limitation without experiencing it as a difficulty. He grows accustomed to his body as it is, never questioning nature. His sexual behaviour becomes anatomically inhibited. If he is lucky he will discover his condition following failure or pain during first intercourse. However, often he will simply enter adulthood adapting his self image and behaviour to accommodate his anatomical inhibition, thus providing a basis for confusion and distress in all his intimate relationships. When boys are left alone with such problems it means that a considerable percentage are going to have a fully distorted first impression of sex and manhood. An absurdly mismanaged passage to manhood, arguably more bizarre than any primitive custom.
| © R.Stuart