Changes

Boys are born with a [[foreskin]] that is non-retractable for reasons of [[Immunological_and_protective_function_of_the_foreskin#The_protective_and_hygienic_function_of_the_foreskin| protection]]. The inner surface is fused with the [[glans penis]] by a [[synechia]] (similar to a fingernail that is glued to the nail bed of the finger). Also the tip of the foreskin is too narrow to retract. As a boy gets older, the synechia disintegrates and releases the foreskin and the foreskin gets wider as a boy ages, so the foreskin gradually becomes [[Retraction of the foreskin| retractable]]. Some A survey carried out in Denmark found that the mean age of first foreskin retraction is 10.4 years.<ref name="Thorvaldsen">{{REFjournal |last=Thorvaldsen |init=MA |last2=Meyhoff |init2=H |title=Patologisk eller fysiologisk fimose? |trans-title=Pathological or physiological phimosis? |language=Danish |journal=Ugeskr Læger |volume=167 |issue=17 |pages=1858-1862 |url=http://www.cirp.org/library/normal/thorvaldsen1/ |quote= |pubmedID= |pubmedCID= |DOI= |date=2005 |accessdate=2023-12-09}}</ref> This means that 1/2 of boys become retractable earlier and 1/2 of boys become retractable later. a few [[intact]] boys go through puberty but find that their [[foreskin]] is still too narrow to permit retraction.

The traditional way of addressing this issue was to consult a [[https://en.intactiwiki.org/wiki/Issues_with_American_urologists_and_the_practice_of_male_circumcision#Issues_with_care_of_adult_intact_males| urologist ]] and get a [[Adolescent and adult circumcision| circumcision]], however we now understand that in the vast majority of cases, manual [[stretching ]] over a few months will widen the narrow [[foreskin ]] by [[tissue expansion]], make the foreskin retractable and eliminate the need for a destructive and harmful [[Adolescent and adult circumcision| circumcision]].