A closer look at the care of the intact penis and proper hygiene as he grows older.
The male foreskin is fused to the head of the penis at birth (just like the female foreskin- the clitoral hood- is normally fused to the glans of infant and young preadolescent girls). This is the body's way of protecting the genitals against urine and feces. Because it is fused shut, bacteria and other foreign particles cannot invade.
It is absolutely unnecessary to forcibly retract the foreskin to clean under it, and in fact- this will cause bleeding, scarring, and damage to the penis. Pulling it back before it is ready can also introduce foreign bacteria which can lead to infection.
The first person to retract a boy's foreskin should be the boy himself. Everyone else- hands off. The average age for this to happen is about 10 years old. About that time, the foreskin will start to become detached (although sometimes it is sooner, and sometimes it is later). Until about puberty, the body isn't producing anything that needs to be 'rinsed'. So if he gets especially dirty, sitting in a warm water bath (without soap) should take care of the cleaning. Once he can retract his own foreskin, he just needs to pull it back during a shower, rinse with warm water, and return it to the original position. No soap & no scrubbing under the foreskin.
Occasionally, parents might notice the tip of the foreskin being red or inflamed. Don't worry! This is common, and depending on the cause, can resolve itself very quickly. Please read this article on red foreskins in children to get more information.
If child has been forcefully retracted, the best thing to do is stop retracting and let it heal. Please click here to get more information on what to do now and how to clean. Putting a boy into the bath several times a day helps. The body, air, and water are the best healers. Of course, you must be vigilant about watching for infection beyond the initial inflammation for the first week following forcible retraction.
The male foreskin is fused to the head of the penis at birth (just like the female foreskin- the clitoral hood- is normally fused to the glans of infant and young preadolescent girls). This is the body's way of protecting the genitals against urine and feces. Because it is fused shut, bacteria and other foreign particles cannot invade.
It is absolutely unnecessary to forcibly retract the foreskin to clean under it, and in fact- this will cause bleeding, scarring, and damage to the penis. Pulling it back before it is ready can also introduce foreign bacteria which can lead to infection.
The first person to retract a boy's foreskin should be the boy himself. Everyone else- hands off. The average age for this to happen is about 10 years old. About that time, the foreskin will start to become detached (although sometimes it is sooner, and sometimes it is later). Until about puberty, the body isn't producing anything that needs to be 'rinsed'. So if he gets especially dirty, sitting in a warm water bath (without soap) should take care of the cleaning. Once he can retract his own foreskin, he just needs to pull it back during a shower, rinse with warm water, and return it to the original position. No soap & no scrubbing under the foreskin.
Occasionally, parents might notice the tip of the foreskin being red or inflamed. Don't worry! This is common, and depending on the cause, can resolve itself very quickly. Please read this article on red foreskins in children to get more information.
If child has been forcefully retracted, the best thing to do is stop retracting and let it heal. Please click here to get more information on what to do now and how to clean. Putting a boy into the bath several times a day helps. The body, air, and water are the best healers. Of course, you must be vigilant about watching for infection beyond the initial inflammation for the first week following forcible retraction.
- A List of Foreskin-Friendly Doctors
http://www.thewholenetwork.org/intact-friendly-doctors.html - How to Clean an Intact (Uncircumcised) Penis - Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=367CR4EqyWo&feature=player_embedded - Normal Development of the Foreskin and its Natural Separation Process:
http://www.thewholenetwork.org/14/post/2011/08/the-development-of-foreskin-retraction.html - Red Foreskins in Children: What Does it Mean?
http://www.thewholenetwork.org/14/post/2011/10/red-foreskins-in-children-what-does-it-mean.html - Printable Foreskin Care Guide for Parents
http://circumcisiondecisionmaker.com/resources/foreskin-care-guide/ - Raising Intact Sons:
http://www.drmomma.org/2009/11/raising-intact-sons.html - Basic Care of the Intact Child:
http://www.drmomma.org/2010/01/basic-care-of-intact-child.html - Protect Your Intact Son:
http://www.drmomma.org/2009/08/protect-your-uncircumcised-son-expert.html - National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers Publication on care of the intact penis:
http://www.nocirc.org/publish/4pam.pdf - Answers to Questions About Your Intact Son's Penis (Pamphlet)
http://www.nocirc.org/publish/4pam.pdf - Phony Phimosis Diagnosis:
http://www.drmomma.org/2010/01/phony-phimosis-diagnosis.html - National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers Publication on care of the intact penis:
http://www.nocirc.org/publish/4pam.pdf - Questions Regarding Normal Separation of the Prepuce
http://www.drmomma.org/2010/01/common-questions-regarding-normal.html - From intact America:
http://intactamerica.org/sites/default/files/Foreskin_Care_Guide_for_Parents.pdf - The International Coalition for Genital Integrity (ICGI) has simple care info here:
http://www.icgi.org/information/penile-care-information/ - Penis and foreskin care
http://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/factsheets.cfm?doc_id=3715 - Answers to Your Questions About Your Young Son's Intact Penis
http://www.cirp.org/pages/parents/care/
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