Myth Busted! Circumcised Or Not, There Is No Difference In Penile Sensitivity

There has been some speculation that circumcised males are less sensitive than uncircumcised men due to the absence of the alleged most sensitive part of the penis-the foreskin, but a recent study suggests that there is not much difference in the penile sensitivity of circumcised and intact.

"This study indicates that neonatal circumcision is not associated with changes in penile sensitivity and provides preliminary evidence to suggest that the foreskin is not the most sensitive part of the penis," said lead author Jennifer Bossio, PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology of the Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Ontario, Canada, in a statement in EurekAlert.

The study, published in the Journal of Urology, reveals that there is no difference in the penile sensitivity across circumcision status for any stimulation type or penile site.

A total of 62 men volunteered to participate in the study, 30 circumcised and 32 intact. Using quantitative sensory testing (QST), researchers assessed the touch and pain threshold and warmth detection and heat pain threshold in the forearm as the control site and three to four penile sites including glans penis, midline shaft, proximal to midline shaft, and foreskin (if present).

The researchers discovered that there are no differences in the penile sensitivity between the two group of men across the four tested simulation types. They also found out that the foreskin of the intact men had similar sensitivity as to the control site for any stimulation type testes, while the other penile parts showed more sensitivity than the forearm.

The sexual function of the male participants were also assessed using the International Index of Erectile Functioning (IIEF), a 15-item measure of men's sexual functioning over the past four weeks across the five domains of erectile function: intercourse satisfaction, orgasmic function, sexual desire, and overall satisfaction. They observed no difference on any of these measures between the two group suggesting that there is no difference in the sexual function of circumcised and intact men.