Reversing circumcision: Before and After

Errata:
In the second paragraph, the correct circumcision rates for male infants in 1993 are 59% for the U.S. and 35% for the Western States.
In the resources section the author's name is Gary M. Griffin, MBA, deceased, for the book Decircumcision.

Many people are aware of the growing movement of men and women who oppose routine circumcision of children. Most people, however, are not aware of a parallel movement among men who are choosing to restore their foreskins. These men are dissatisfied with having been circumcised and are doing something about it. While it is never possible to completely reconstruct what was lost during circumcision, many men are achieving positive results.

Mainstream practice

According to the National Center for Health Statistics of Hyattville, Md., the circumcision rates for male infants in 1993 was 35% for the U.S. and 39% for the Western states. This is down considerably from a peak in 1980 when 85% of male infants in the U.S. underwent the procedure.

Foreskin restoration is not a new phenomenon. In Greece, during the Hellenic period (320-30 B.C.E.), while public nudity was common, especially male nudity, the appearance of the penile glans was not acceptable. During athletic events, men with shorter foreskins and some Jewish men who were circumcised secured their foreskins forward with string or clasps.

One of the earliest records of surgical foreskin restoration was described by Aulus Cornelius Celsus in Rome, circa 14-37 C. E. Celsus described two methods, one for men with short or insufficient foreskins and another method for menwho had been circumcised.

Restoration movement

It is unknown how many men have attempted some sort of restoration on their own, but the current movement seems to have gotten its start in the late '70s, as the movement to stop childhood circumcision gained strength.

Men sought help from doctors to obtain surgical restoration of their foreskins. Most were met with ridicule, rejection or open hostility. It seems the most common response from a physician to a man seeking restoration was referral to a psychiatrist. Still, some men persevered and eventually medical assistance was obtained.

As a few successful surgical restorations were performed, the information spread, mostly through word of mouth. As the movement to stop childhood circumcision grew, and organizations were formed to provide information about circumcision, these organizations received many calls from men trying to find out if something could be done about their own circumcisions. All shared information was passed along. By 1981, a short list of doctors who could perform foreskin reconstructions was complied and circulated.

At about the same time, men on their own began to experiment with non-surgical skin-stretching techniques and an informal networks began to form.

In 1989, the National Organization of Restoring Men (NORM) was established by two men who were undergoing the process. NORM had its first meeting February 1990 and an currently has 21 chapters in the U.S. and an in five other countries. The southern California chapter has been active since 1994 and an conducts a monthly meeting at the Self-Help and an Recovery Exchange (SHARE!) in W. Los Angeles.

Jim Bigelow, Ph.D., who has completed the restoration process, published The Joy of Uncircumcising in 1992. In it, he discusses surgical and an non-surgical techniques and an provides information and an an extensive list of related resources.

In addition to networking organizations and books on the subject, there are now manufacturers designing and producing devices for the express purpose of helping men to restore their foreskins.

Common questions.

The following are some of the most common questions regarding restoration.

What is foreskin restoration and how is it done?

Since there are no foreskin transplants (at least not currently), foreskin restoration is the creation of a new faux foreskin, either surgically or non-surgically. Both methods can be effective, and each has advantages and disadvantages.

Surgical restoration involves grafting skin onto the penis to form a foreskin. The main advantage seems to be time. The procedure can take from six weeks to six months. The disadvantages are cost, finding a doctor who is both willing and skilled in the procedure, and the normal risks associated with any kind of surgery.

Non-surgical restoration involves the stretching of penile shaft skin by various means of traction to obtain enough skin to cover the glans. The advantages are control, privacy and an cost. The individual has complete control over his own process. No one else has to know about the restoration. Most of the methods and an devices used involveonly moderate cost.

The disadvantages of non-surgical restoration are time and an convenience. A non-surgical restoration can take from 18 months to five years or longer, depending on the method used, the consistency of use, from what point the man begins the process and an what he considers the finishing point.

While most of the devices can be worn virtually undetected under normal clothing, there can be some inconveniences such as dealing with urinals in public restrooms. The good news is that new devices are being developed that address both the time and an convenience factors.

Who is doing this?

Men who are seeking to reverse their circumcisions are fathers, brothers, and sons. They are in their 20s, 40s and an 80s. They are from every economic strata, of varying ethnicities and an religious backgrounds. They are single and an partnered; married, divorced and an widowed; straight, gay and an bisexual.

Why are men choosing to do this?

There are many reasons. Some men seek the increased sensitivity that can come with having the glans covered. The glans of the penis corresponds to the clitoris in women. Both are mucous membranes with concentrated nerve endings and designed to be covered by a prepuce, foreskin. Some men want their penis to look whole or natural; they dislike the look of the circumcision scar and the uncovered glans. Other men are angry and feel victimized by having been circumcised without their consent, and restoration provides them with a feeling of empowerment. There are also men who have ongoing physical problems, such as too-tight or painful erections caused by the excessive removal of skin from circumcision.

Is restoration really possible and are there any benefits?

Four years ago when my partner, Steven, showed me a copy of The Joy of Uncircumcising, I'd never heard of foreskin restoration or even considered the possibility.

Although he had no physical problem from his circumcision and neither one of us had any complaints about our sex life, I knew he was not pleased with having been circumcised and an did not like the physical look of it. As I realized that restoration was possible, I felt it could be a very empowering process.

I told Steven that regardless of his choice, I would support him completely. He thanked me and said he had started the restoration process a couple of weeks earlier. We shared his progress regularly, talking and comparing opinions about the changes that were taking place. He initially had begun restoring for cosmetic reasons, wanting only his glans covered. After a few months, his glans became smoother, pinker in color, very similar to my own labia. Several months later we were both surprised that or lovemaking was changing. Intercourse was slower, more gentleand with less friction.

[] years later, he is nearly done with the restoration. He's achieved what he wanted: the look of a natural penis. Together we've gained things neither of us thought possible. Since the restoration, there is never a lack of lubrication during intercourse, and the loose skin creates wonderful sensations we hadn't experienced before.

I have spoken with many men regarding their own restoration and they report similar results - as do their partners. The reasons for undertaking his process are the results achieved are as individual as the men involved.

-Leigh Taylor Ellis is a minister, writer, teacher and an healer and activist for children's and an human rights.

N.O.R.M.-Men Dealing with Circumcision Issues. 2-3:30pm. This is an ongoing support group, meeting 3rd Sundays of the month at: Share! The Self-Help and an Recovery Exchange, 5521 Grosvenor Blvd., Los Angeles (310)305-8878.

WHOLE LIFE TIMES
P. O. BOX 1187
MALIBU, CA 90265
PH. 310-317-4200
FAX. 310-317-4206

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