Mental Masturbation: Making the cut
Courtney Kaminski
Issue date: 11/4/08 Section: Opinion
An interesting study came out of New Zealand from the International Coalition for Genital Integrity - which, for obvious reasons, immediately calls into question the legitimacy of its results. But assuming the study is even partially true it would suggest that female pleasure has been reduced by our own vanity.
The study found that the uncircumcised penis is actually designed to aid in keeping naturally produced vaginal lubrication inside the vagina - and that in our quest for aesthetically pleasing genitals - if such a thing exists - we are potentially causing, or at least amplifying, sexual disorders.
Beyond just a lubrication issue, circumcision also changes the amount of sensation experienced by both males and females during intercourse. One male, who opted to be circumcised as an adult, described the experience of intercourse as being "like going from colour to black and white".
With 70 per cent of North American males currently circumcised and 60 percent of baby boys being circumcised annually, it would seem that males have their own myth of sexual normalcy to contend with - circumcision.
The majority of men in North America are circumcised, and as such, the idea has been propagated that women prefer to have sex with a guy who comes with a circumcised package. Women's magazines are continually writing stories and publishing letters about women who have found out their sexual partner wasn't circumcised and are unsure how to "deal" with the situation.
Meanwhile, adult men are opting to undergo painful surgery to be circumcised to reduce insecurities they may feel about being outside-the-norm. Yet, in the rest of the world, circumcised males are in the minority; in Europe the average rate ranges between 10 and 15 per cent. There is no concrete evidence that circumcision improves or diminishes sexual pleasure for either partner, just a lot of contradictory studies and reports from regular people doing "research".
Basically, what it all comes down to is this: While both men and women are combating the myth of normalcy and the easy orgasm, the fact that studies continue to be done in the area of human sexuality mean that all hope is not lost. Sexual preferences differ from person to person - and the more we learn about our own preferences, the better we can become at teaching others about how to satisfy us.
Plus, when it comes to educating yourself about your own sexuality, doing your homework can be a lot of fun.
The study found that the uncircumcised penis is actually designed to aid in keeping naturally produced vaginal lubrication inside the vagina - and that in our quest for aesthetically pleasing genitals - if such a thing exists - we are potentially causing, or at least amplifying, sexual disorders.
Beyond just a lubrication issue, circumcision also changes the amount of sensation experienced by both males and females during intercourse. One male, who opted to be circumcised as an adult, described the experience of intercourse as being "like going from colour to black and white".
With 70 per cent of North American males currently circumcised and 60 percent of baby boys being circumcised annually, it would seem that males have their own myth of sexual normalcy to contend with - circumcision.
The majority of men in North America are circumcised, and as such, the idea has been propagated that women prefer to have sex with a guy who comes with a circumcised package. Women's magazines are continually writing stories and publishing letters about women who have found out their sexual partner wasn't circumcised and are unsure how to "deal" with the situation.
Meanwhile, adult men are opting to undergo painful surgery to be circumcised to reduce insecurities they may feel about being outside-the-norm. Yet, in the rest of the world, circumcised males are in the minority; in Europe the average rate ranges between 10 and 15 per cent. There is no concrete evidence that circumcision improves or diminishes sexual pleasure for either partner, just a lot of contradictory studies and reports from regular people doing "research".
Basically, what it all comes down to is this: While both men and women are combating the myth of normalcy and the easy orgasm, the fact that studies continue to be done in the area of human sexuality mean that all hope is not lost. Sexual preferences differ from person to person - and the more we learn about our own preferences, the better we can become at teaching others about how to satisfy us.
Plus, when it comes to educating yourself about your own sexuality, doing your homework can be a lot of fun.
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