Circumcision’s sex effects

JTA — A new medical study in Belgium suggests that circumcised men experience less intense sexual pleasure and orgasms than their uncircumcised counterparts.

The study by Dr. Piet Hoebeke from Ghent University Hospital surveyed 1,369 men over the age of 18 who responded to leaflets distributed in train stations across Belgium, the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Neieuws reported Monday.

The respondents were asked whether they were circumcised and then to rate the sensitivity of their penis, the intensity of their orgasms and whether they experience any pain or numbness when they are aroused.

The 1,059 uncircumcised respondents reported between 0.2 points and 0.4 points higher sensitivity and sexual pleasure compared to the 310 circumcised respondents.

“It’s not a very big difference in sensitivity, but it’s a significant difference,” Hoebeke was quoted as saying.

The researchers also found that circumcised men were more likely to report more pain and numbness during arousal than uncircumcised men, which Hoebeke said was likely due to scar tissue.

“I’m amazed that people report pain during sexual pleasure, he said, adding, “That’s very amazing, and that was unexpected.”