I read an article the other day about circumcision and it got me wondering whether my 10 year old is looking after his foreskin properly. I was always taught that no special cleaning was required for little boys and that it would retract naturally. I've never said anything to my son about this, and he's never asked. I have no idea whether it has retracted or not. From what I've been reading online, the age this happens varies, but there seems to be a lot of debate over this. There also seems to be some controversy in terms of what's actually required for hygiene - some people say to leave it alone completely, but others even say that uncircumcised boys should roll back the foreskin to pee (?!)
I must admit I'm feeling somewhat ignorant/neglectful. I have a few questions for mums with uncircumcised boys. I'm a single mum and his dad is circumcised anyway. Any help would be appreciated!
1 - Do you know whether your son can retract his foreskin?
2 - If he can, at what age did this happen?
3 - What did you teach your son in terms of hygiene, i.e. showering/peeing etc.?
3 Replies
My adult son (severe intellectual disability and physical disabilities) I take care of ALL of his hygiene needs etc and have observed when he pees etc.
he is uncircumcised. I've never ever retracted his penis and cleaned it. EVER. He is in his 20s. It's like a vagina it's self cleaning. He has never had an infection.
I shower him twice a day so just a squirt with water in that area. Nothing more.
His foreskin naturally pulls back on its own when he pees. Nobody pulls it back. The penis naturally gets a bit larger as you pee and the foreskin pulls back. As my son sits to pee we just let it drip a few seconds.
My son is almost 10, I have never paid any special attention to his penis. Other than giving it a good soak in the tub or a quick scrub with a washcloth in the shower (just like any other body part) there's nothing more you need to do.
Foreskins are actually there for a reason, to protect the tip and the urethra and it will not retract before it's ready (without causing considerable pain). Usually they don't retract fully until they're going through puberty. You're definitely not neglectful and usually boys/men who have issues with their foreskin and infections, cleanliness is not the reason.
Ensure he is washing his penis like the rest of his body.
I don't see it any different to us women and girls, we wash our vulva (outside of vagina) but we do not 'peel back' the labia to wash our vagina (internally)
Arm yourself with plenty of info and have regular conversations about body parts, anatomically correct names, and what each part does. Ensure he feels comfortable in coming to you with any questions or concerns