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The '''foreskin''' or '''prepuce''' is the double-layered fold of smooth muscle tissue, blood vessels, neurons, [[skin]], and [[mucosa| mucous membrane ]] part of the [[penis]] that covers and protects the [[glans penis ]] and the urinary meatus.
The nature of the prepuce or foreskin, which is amputated and destroyed by circumcision, must be considered and fully understood in any discussion of male [[circumcision]].<ref name="cold-taylor1999">{{ColdCJ TaylorJR 1999}}</ref>
As previously reported, the foreskin reduces the force required for penetration of the female partner's [[vagina]] by as much as ninety percent.<ref name="taves2002"/> The gliding action of the foreskin reduces friction and abrasion, while conserving vaginal lubrication.<ref name="warren-bigelow1994"/>
In a first of its kind, O'Hara & O'Hara (1999) carried out a retrospective survey of 138 women with experience of both [[intact ]] and circumcised partners. The women overwhelmingly concurred that the mechanics of [[sexual intercouse| coitus ]] was different for the two groups of men. Of the women, 73% reported that circumcised men tend to thrust harder and deeper, using elongated strokes, while unaltered men by comparison tended to thrust more gently, to have shorter thrusts, and tended to be in contact with the mons pubis and [[clitoris]] more, according to 71% of the respondents. Women with intact partners had a higher rate of orgasms than women with circumcised partners. O'Hara & O'Hara concluded:
<blockquote>Clearly, the anatomically complete penis offers a more rewarding experience for the female partner during coitus. While this study has some obvious methodological flaws, all the differences cannot be attributed to them. It is important that these findings be confirmed by a prospective study of a randomly selected population of women with experience with both types of men. It would be useful to examine the role of the foreskin in other sexual activities. Because these findings are of interest, the negative effect of circumcision on the sexual enjoyment of the female partner needs to be part of any discussions providing 'informed consent' before circumcision.<ref name="ohara1998">{{REFjournal
|last=O'Hara
}}</ref> is a mucous membrane. The inner layer is an extraordinarily complex tissue. It contains apocrine glands which produce Cathepsin B, lysozymes, chymotrypsin, neutrophil elastase, cytokines and pheromones such as androsterone.<ref name="fleiss-hodges-vanhowe1998"/> Indian scientists have shown that the subpreputial moisture contains lytic material which has an antibacterial and antiviral effect.<ref name="lakshmanan-prakash1980"/> The natural oils lubricate, moisten and protect the mucous membranes of both the glans and the inner foreskin layer.<ref name="prakash1"/> The tip of the foreskin is supplied with ample amounts of blood through important blood vessels.<ref>Dr. med. Wolfram Hartmann, Stellungnahme zur Anhörung am 26. November 2012 im Rechtsausschuss des Bundestages</ref>
The foreskin serves as a pathway for many significant veins. In addition the foreskin is saturated with very many nerve endings and tactile corpuscles, the same receptors that exist in the fingertips. The enormous density of nerves and mechanoreceptors make the foreskin the most sensitive part of the body, approximately 10 times more sensitive than the fingertips. This also distinguishes the human penis from those of other mammals, which in contrast have the main concentration of nerves in the [[glans]], and not in the foreskin.
The two foreskin layers provide a skin reserve, into which the growing shaft expands during an [[erection]]. Depending to the individual length of a man's foreskin, it thereby retracts more or less far. In some men, the foreskin still fully covers the glans during an [[erection]], in others the glans is partly or completely exposed.
In addition, the foreskin, in combination with the [[shaft skin]], allows a natural [[gliding action]]. During intercourse as well as [[masturbation]] the outer skin is in contact with the [[vagina ]] or the hand respectively. The penile shaft moves mostly within its skin and the skin only moves at the end of its thrust. Due to this, the friction with the vagina or hand is reduced. The sexual stimulation mostly occurs through the stretching and movement of the foreskin, when it is pulled over the glans and back, as well as the direct stimulation of the inner foreskin when it is exposed and comes into direct contact with the vagina or the hand. The [[frenulum]] may limit retraction.
The foreskin in childhood is fused with the glans penis by a [[synechia]].-->