Two studies have thrown up conflicting evidence as to whether circumcision could harm a man s sex life, New Scientist reports in its next issue.
The question is especially important, given the World Health Organization’s (WHO s) recent endorsement of circumcision in the panoply of weapons to tackle the spread of AIDS.
In a study led by Kimberley Payne of the Riverside Professional Center in Ottawa, 20 circumcised and 20 uncircumcised men watched erotic movies while their penises were measured for sensitivity at two points, using filaments that pressed down with predetermined amounts of pressure.
There was no difference in penile sensation between the two groups, according to their research.
However, a team led by Robert Van Howe of Michigan State University used a similar method, but measured penile sensitivity at 19 points among 163 circumcised and uncircumcised men.
The five most sensitive points are all in portions of the penis removed by circumcision, especially those in folds exposed as the penis becomes erect, Van Howe believes.
The glans of the circumcised penis is less sensitive to fine touch than the glans of the uncircumcised penis, his paper says. … Circumcision ablates the most sensitive parts of the penis.
The report appears in next Saturday s issue of the British weekly. Payne s research appears in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, while Van Howe s is published by the British Journal of Urology International.
On March 28, the WHO and other agencies in the fight against AIDS gave the stamp of approval to promoting circumcision to help prevent the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Three studies carried out in southern and eastern Africa found that circumcised men were more than half less likely to be infected by HIV compared to uncircumcised counterparts.
