I did not realise that I had phimosis until I was seventeen and got my first boyfriend. Put simply, phimosis is when the foreskin is so tight that it cannot be pulled back. This meant it was difficult to wash and that I had never seen the tip/head of my own penis in my entire life.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Growing up, it never occurred to me that this was a problem. But as I got older, I began to realise that there were some… complications to this condition.
To begin with, hygiene. It is hard to clean under your foreskin if you cannot access it. Secondly, any attempt at penetrative sex was a no-go; it would simply hurt too much when the skin was pulled at. Thirdly — and shallowly — aesthetics. It may sound strange, but I experienced quite a few guys stop talking to me/showing romantic interest in me when I told them about it, which really knocked my self-esteem more than I’d like to admit.
It wasn’t until I was 23 that I was brave enough to seek medical assistance. The doctor I went to see confirmed with a rather painful examination that yes, my best course of action was total removal, and nine months later — now aged 24 — I had a circumcision.
