Circumcision rates in hospital settings have fallen from 65 percent in 1979 to 58 percent in 2010, per the National Center for Health Statistics. But behind the numbers are contradictory opinions from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): In 1999, the group stopped recommending routine circumcision. Since then, the AAP has reversed its position. Plus, what the stat doesn’t show is that many opt in for religious or cultural reasons. And there are some families who choose not to do it because they think it’s akin to genital mutilation. Whether he still has that swatch of skin or not, here’s what it means to you.
1. How it LOOKS
Uncut: The tip has a hooded look-think of an aardvark’s snout or a penis wearing a turtleneck.
<strong?cut:< strong=””>Cut: The head resembles Darth Vader’s helmet. (Not to mention the overall shape of most dildos.)
2. How HEALTHY it Is
Uncut: Cleanliness takes an extra moment (rolling back the foreskin to suds up), but even then, “the uncircumcised foreskin has certain cells that bacteria can attach to,” says Harry Fisch, M.D., author of The New Naked.
Cut: Studies done in Africa report that circumcised heterosexual men are as much as 60 percent less susceptible to HIV, and that snipping the foreskin significantly reduces bacterial load in the area.
3. How it Feels for HIM
Uncut: Circumcised men have reported less sexual sensitivity, but “there’s no way of knowing,” says Fisch, as most men have nothing to compare it to.
Cut: Again, since most circumcisions happen in infancy, there’s no real sexual loss to speak of besides an idea of what could have been.
4. How it Feels for YOU
Uncut: Besides more slip while handling his unit, the sensation is the same. But: Some “intactivists” say an uncut penis allows for a more fluid experience, since the foreskin is thought to retain lubrication.
Cut: The majority of men in the U.S. are circumcised, so we’re guessing you don’t need us to tell you how this feels.
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