refuse to wax menâs genitals, even though itâs common for salons to offer full Brazilian waxes to women. If a man you know is interested in waxing, heshould call around to find a salon that has an experienced aesthetician on staff who routinely waxes menâs genitals; this is not a job for an amateur.
A R IVER R UNS T HROUGH I T
I nside the penis is where the magic begins. There are three chambers of spongy tissue, two of which are made of spongy erectile tissue (the corpora cavernosa). The third chamber is also spongy, but the urethraâthe tube that carries urine and semen out of the bodyâruns through it. Knowing about these parts is essential to understanding menâs erections. Hereâs how they happen:
When a man becomes sexually excited, either from physical touching of his penis or from thinking exciting thoughts, more blood flows to his genitals. Remember: this happens with women too. The difference is that for men, the arteries inside the three spongy chambers fill up and as they enlarge, they press against narrow veins inside the penis, making it more difficult for blood to leave the penis. This leads to more blood flowing into the penis than out, which is what makes an erection. Weâll talk in greater detail about erectionsâincluding the various forces that shape erections and what to do when they falterâin a later chapter.
A C UT A BOVE THE R EST ? F ORESKIN AND C IRCUMCISION
I n certain parts of the world, including the US, many male infants undergo circumcision (removal of the foreskin) because of their familyâs religious or cultural beliefs. The World Health Organization estimates that about 30 percent of males have been circumcised, typically as infants, children, or adolescents. 3 When male circumcision is performed during adulthood, it is usually for medical reasons, such as if a man has difficulty or pain retracting his foreskin.
Some groups advocate making male circumcision illegal, just as femalegenital circumcision (which can involve varying degrees of cutting or removal of the labia, clitoris, and other vulva parts) is illegal in many parts of the world. However, an increasing number of studies have shown that men who have been circumcised have a lower risk of contracting STIs and HIV. 4 - 5 As a result, some health groups now recommend routine male circumcision in countries with high HIV prevalence. Other scientists are against this policy, given that it is ultimately peopleâs behaviorsâwhat they doâthat put them at risk of HIV, not only whether or not they have foreskin.
For example, if a man uses condoms consistently and correctly when he has sex with a partner, he is unlikely to get most STIs or HIV. Another way to prevent STIs and HIV is to only have sex with an uninfected partner in a monogamous relationship. In other words, there is a great deal that can be done to reduce oneâs risk of STIs and HIV that has nothing to do with whether or not a man has a foreskin. And as some activists point out, it is unlikely that people would ever suggest a policy to promote female genital circumcision even if it were found to be true that the practice resulted in a lower STI or HIV infection rate for women.
What do you think? Should boys and girls be treated the same or differently when it comes to genital circumcision? Should there be the same level of protections for male infants and children worldwide as there is for female infants and children? In what ways do you feel that male circumcision and female circumcision procedures are similar or different?
C IRCUMCISION AND S EX
A common question people have about male circumcision has to do with sex. I get a lot of questions about the cleanliness of menâs circumcised versus uncircumcised penises (especially in relation to oral sex); I also get a lot of questions about whether women who have sex with men should use different sexual techniques for uncircumcised versus circumcised
A R IVER R UNS T HROUGH I T
I nside the penis is where the magic begins. There are three chambers of spongy tissue, two of which are made of spongy erectile tissue (the corpora cavernosa). The third chamber is also spongy, but the urethraâthe tube that carries urine and semen out of the bodyâruns through it. Knowing about these parts is essential to understanding menâs erections. Hereâs how they happen:
When a man becomes sexually excited, either from physical touching of his penis or from thinking exciting thoughts, more blood flows to his genitals. Remember: this happens with women too. The difference is that for men, the arteries inside the three spongy chambers fill up and as they enlarge, they press against narrow veins inside the penis, making it more difficult for blood to leave the penis. This leads to more blood flowing into the penis than out, which is what makes an erection. Weâll talk in greater detail about erectionsâincluding the various forces that shape erections and what to do when they falterâin a later chapter.
A C UT A BOVE THE R EST ? F ORESKIN AND C IRCUMCISION
I n certain parts of the world, including the US, many male infants undergo circumcision (removal of the foreskin) because of their familyâs religious or cultural beliefs. The World Health Organization estimates that about 30 percent of males have been circumcised, typically as infants, children, or adolescents. 3 When male circumcision is performed during adulthood, it is usually for medical reasons, such as if a man has difficulty or pain retracting his foreskin.
Some groups advocate making male circumcision illegal, just as femalegenital circumcision (which can involve varying degrees of cutting or removal of the labia, clitoris, and other vulva parts) is illegal in many parts of the world. However, an increasing number of studies have shown that men who have been circumcised have a lower risk of contracting STIs and HIV. 4 - 5 As a result, some health groups now recommend routine male circumcision in countries with high HIV prevalence. Other scientists are against this policy, given that it is ultimately peopleâs behaviorsâwhat they doâthat put them at risk of HIV, not only whether or not they have foreskin.
For example, if a man uses condoms consistently and correctly when he has sex with a partner, he is unlikely to get most STIs or HIV. Another way to prevent STIs and HIV is to only have sex with an uninfected partner in a monogamous relationship. In other words, there is a great deal that can be done to reduce oneâs risk of STIs and HIV that has nothing to do with whether or not a man has a foreskin. And as some activists point out, it is unlikely that people would ever suggest a policy to promote female genital circumcision even if it were found to be true that the practice resulted in a lower STI or HIV infection rate for women.
What do you think? Should boys and girls be treated the same or differently when it comes to genital circumcision? Should there be the same level of protections for male infants and children worldwide as there is for female infants and children? In what ways do you feel that male circumcision and female circumcision procedures are similar or different?
C IRCUMCISION AND S EX
A common question people have about male circumcision has to do with sex. I get a lot of questions about the cleanliness of menâs circumcised versus uncircumcised penises (especially in relation to oral sex); I also get a lot of questions about whether women who have sex with men should use different sexual techniques for uncircumcised versus circumcised
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