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===Foreskin in infancy and childhood===
Baby boys are born with the foreskin fused with the [[glans penis]] by the balanopreputial lamina, a [[synechia| synechial membrane]], which prevents retraction. In addition, the tip of the foreskin ([[acroposthion]]) is usually too narrow to allow [[retraction of the foreskin]]. The [[preputial cavity sac]] is closed by the synechia and cannot be infected.<ref name="fleiss-hodges-vanhowe1998"/>
Forcible attempts to retract the foreskin result in injury to the boy, so should be avoided. The first person to retract the foreskin should be the boy himself.<ref name="Wright1994">{{REFjournal
|accessdate=2019-11-14
}}</ref>
===Foreskin in adolescence===
The foreskin is in a transitional state during puberty and adolesence in which it is changing from the non-retractile foreskin of childhood to thh fully retractable foreskin of adulthood. Many adolescents complain of a non-retractable foreskin. Many need to do manual [[stretching]]. They usually achieve full retraction by age 16.
===Foreskin in adulthood===
The foreskin (also known as the ''prepuce'') is the layered fold of smooth muscle tissue, blood vessels, neurons, [[skin]], and [[Preputial mucosa|mucous membrane]] part of the [[penis]] that covers and protects the [[glans penis]] and the urinary meatus.<ref name="cold-taylor1999"/> There are four layers in the foreskin. The top layer is either epidermis in the outer foreskin or [[mucosa]], in the inner foreskin. The second layer is the lamina propria. The third layer is the [[dartos]]. The fourth layer is the dermis. It is normal for the foreskin to be darker in color than the rest of one's body after puberty. This condition is called hyperpigmentation.
The adult foreskin measures about 3 inches by 5 inches or [[The Foreskin: 15 Square Inches of Erogenous Tissue| 15 square inches]].<ref name="taylor1996">{{TaylorJR LockwoodAP TaylorAJ 1996}}</ref> The foreskin creates the [[preputial sac]]. The two foreskin layers provide a [[skin]] reserve. When the penis becomes erect, the foreskin may wholly or partially unfold to provide the necessary [[skin]] to allow for expansion of the penis during [[erection]].
|ISBN=978-0-553-20429-2
|accessdate=2022-06-16
}}</ref> misled medical science into believing that the foreskin had no function. This meant the foreskin could be excised without doing harm. In actuality, the foreskin has many functions, so its [[amputation]] does [[Bodily harm| great harm]].<ref name="hill2017">{{REFjournal
|last=Hill
|first=George
=== Sexual functions ===
The foreskin is a sexual organ.<ref name="hill2017" /> It provides both mechanical and erogenous functions in sexual intercourse, as well as [[pheromone| pheromones]].<ref name="fleiss-hodges-vanhowe1998"/> Winkelmann (1959) classified the foreskin as ''specific erogenous tissue''.<ref name="winklemann1959" /> When the [[penis]] becomes erect, the foreskin unfolds to provide the skin necessary to allow the [[penis ]] to expand to full size and length.
The [[gliding action]] provides stimulation and facilitates intromission.<ref name="warren-bigelow1994"/><ref name="morgan1965">{{REFjournal
|DOI=10.1016/s0306-9877(02)00250-5
|accessdate=2019-10-15
}}</ref> At times of sexual arousal, the foreskin may be lubricated by [[pre-ejaculate]]. During the thrusting of sexual congress, the [[gliding action]] reduces abrasions and irritation in the [[Vagina| female partner]] and avoids problems with vaginal dryness.<ref name="warren-bigelow1994"/><ref name="morgan1965"/> The foreskin may protect the corona glandis from hyperstimulation hyper-stimulation and prevent [[premature ejaculation]].
===Sensory functions===
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
==Videos==
<b>Why you need to pull back your foreskin.</b>
<youtube>v=PcxwW4KH3Wg</youtube>
<br>
Pathologist [[Ken McGrath]], Senior Lecturer in Pathology at the Faculty of Health, [https://www.aut.ac.nz/ Auckland University of Technology] and Member of the New Zealand Institute of Medical Laboratory Scientists, discusses the neurological structures in the foreskin:
<youtube>v=tggap0Hy1l0</youtube>
<br><youtube>v=OfeK75HWW7k</youtube>
{{SEEALSO}}
* [[Acroposthion]]