Do I have to get circumcised?

Last updated on October 1, 2020

Question:

I’m 21. I recently went to a doctor. He said that I require circumcision. I really do not feel the need for that. But, actually, I sometimes, feel a lot of pain around the urethra. The doctor said that it is due to the germs that have accumulated around my penis, inside. He said it will be cleared once I get the minor surgery done. He also, said if I will not do it now, eventually, I will have to do it once I am about to get married. He said that the infection I am carrying as of now, will be passed on to my to-be-wife? Is it true or he is just telling this to me, so as to mint money?

Please help!

Answer:

Are you able to retract your foreskin and completely expose your glans? If so, then you do not need to be circumcised, but you do need to improve your hygiene. I suspect that you have a yeast infection under your foreskin. When the yeast gets into your urethra, it becomes irritated. Rather than teach men how to properly clean themselves, some doctors take what they view as the easier route and just have the men circumcised so there is no hidden area that is not being washed.

Assuming this is the case, what you need to do is unsheathe your penis during your daily bathes. Gently wash the exposed skin and make sure you rinse it thoroughly before allowing your foreskin to slide back into place. Any traces of leftover soap will irritate the skin.

For your current outbreak of infection, see another doctor, and ask for medication to remove the current infection. Once it is gone and you are now properly bathing yourself the chance of re-infection is slim.

If you are not able to completely unsheathe your penis, then see:

If these don’t work, then there are options where a small cut, instead of complete circumcision, will allow you to fully unsheathe your penis.