That's Gay: Ac**kalypse Now

President Obama promised that as soon as he fixed the economy and got the health care bill passed he would get right to work on DADT. Un-huh, I wasn't born yesterday, I'll believe it when I see it. But we all need to laugh more, and this show with Brian Safi is one of my favorite internet shows. Brian always makes me laugh. That's Gay for all of his videos. If you keep watching after this one ends, more That's Gay videos will play.

Enjoy!

Help! I like boys! (girls?) (both?!) by Roger

Biki asked me to write a little about my situation in life, my sexuality, and how I got here, mainly to help or guide some of you younger readers and bloggers.   I guess a little explanation is in order.  I am married, to a woman, and have been for nearly 18 years.  I have 3 kids, 2 of them  teenagers, that I am trying to raise to be happy, friendly, well developed adults.  It's hard!   Oh, I am also gay.  There are a lot of gay bloggers living the gay life and going about a typical gay life out there; I'm not one of them.  After you read my story, you may want to carefully consider before going down my road.

 

I guess everyone has their early memories of seeing others nude, both male and female.  It might be taking a bath with your siblings, or a friend sleeping over and changing together, jumping in the splash pool in the backyard with out a suit, etc.  I remember playing with a girl down the street when I was in 2nd grade and we both decided to take off our clothes and keep on playing whatever we were doing.  Our Moms were both surprised when they came out back to get us!  My brother and I met another pair of brothers in the woods and wanted to compare dicks when I was in 3rd grade.  In 4-6th grades, I would always take a really long shower in the pool changing rooms just watching everybody get changed and getting showers.  I remember getting an erection when I was in the changing room with my friend and my brother one time.  I didn't think a whole lot about it.  I loved to see anyone naked, men, women, boys, girls; it didn't matter.  (I love nudity and I am now a nudist, but that really has no connection to my sexuality)  I don't have a sister, so most of my opportunities for viewing were to see boys, of course.  I always preferred males; they just seemed more interesting, I guess because there are more moving parts.  lol   One exception to this was in 6th grade.  There was a crawl space under one of the 6th grade classrooms that, over the years, people had expanded into a small area where teens went to hookup.  I didn't know this exactly, but I had been all through there and found the areas people had equipped with blankets and candles.  A girl named Stormie approached me and wanted to go under the building together!  Cool!  I was pretty sure this would involve undressing of some sort and it did.    We had our shirts up and our pants down in about 15 seconds and were rubbing everything together.  If I hadn't been so naive and (semi)innocent, I think we would have gone all the way.  I'm not sure either of us really knew what to do, but it was still memorable!  I got some mileage out of telling this to my buddies; that was a lot for a 6th grader in my day.  Did I think I was gay at this point?  I didn't know what that was, but I liked naked girls some and boys a lot.

 

Moving on to 8th grade, we had moved and I was the new kid at school.  I was making my way as best I could and trying to make friends, but they were all boys.  Where I moved to, kids started showering in gym in 6th grade, and it was your typical open bay, gang showers with all the towel snapping you could stand with kids from 6-8th grade all mixed together.  I secretly loved it and did a lot of ball watching.  I thought I was real clever about it, but probably not.  I had a crush on a boy that I dared not reveal.  He was beautiful, but I could hardly talk around him.  Then it happened; I got a raging boner in the shower and someone noticed!  Was I gay?  I at least knew what that meant now.  I thought my social life would be over after the shower scene, but it did blow over.  In 9th grade, someone called me gay in a group setting.  One of the "A" list socialite girls in my grade jumped right in and defended me to everyone (Roger is not gay!).  I was highly grateful and told her in private.  What did she see in me to do that?  At some point when I was 14 or 15, I thought about committing suicide and had the rifle in my mouth.  I ended up crying over my gun and my parents never found out.  I had been praying my a long time, "God, please don't let me be gay".  We all know this doesn't work; you are how you've been made by God.  I kept on fooling myself even after this.  I didn't date much in HS, but I had dates at the crucial events I attended.  I had some looks and traits that girls wanted to date.  I could just drop a hint in their clique and then shyly ask a giggling girl out.  Did I enjoy these dates?  Yes, but I was nervous as hell, just like anybody (straight or gay) on new date.  I didn't pursue deeper relationships because the social "cover" was enough at the time.  I really wasn't interested in being good friends with a girl.  I looked at girls, talked about them with the guys, admired boobs and butts and, along with everyone else, liked to see Farah Faucet posters.  I remember waking up from a wet dream involving a girl.   Because I didn't have much experience dating, I think I was socially delayed.  The dating level I was at in college was where most people were at in HS.

 

College was memorable for me and it should be for anyone.  Living away from home for the first time, no one to check your comings and goings, able to do what you want, and meet who you want; what's not to like (there is no one to force you to study either, so have some self-control)?  I went to a public school with a full-time corp of cadets (ROTC).  (See my blog for more details) Many decades ago, it was an all male school and corp, but when I was there, it was coed.  There were gang showers, nudity in the single sex dorms (probably in the mixed ones too), the works, just like the movies.  It was fairly easy for me to not have to date anyone in college but I did date a few girls and did some range of sexual things with them.  I remember having to run and get a condom from a buddy in a big hurry.   Was I gay?  I still lusted after guys but couldn't say anything.  My fantasies involved boys but my dates were with girls.  I jacked off in the showers (a lot) almost hoping to get caught.  Hey, it would have been a conversation starter!  The military can be a very homophobic place (at least back then I thought so).  It can be really hard to admit you are not like anyone else.  Looking back, I was just fooling myself. 

 

In the military, all I really thought about was what the guys looked like nude, and when I could roam around the barracks.  Deployments with field showers were also a treat.  I was asked in a round-about way if I was gay at one point.  I still wasn't ready to admit it.  I ended up getting married to someone my age and I think both sets of parents were surprised that their son or daughter actually got married.  We probably shouldn't have, but we really were in love.  I have finally admitted to myself that I am gay (some of you may be thinking bi).  I have kind of condensed things down here at the end of my story as I want to get to the main points about liking or maybe lusting after both boys and girls.

 

In the world of sexuality, there is a range of totally straight to totally gay and everything in between.   It is called the Kinsey scale.  There are very few people who are exclusively straight or exclusively gay or even exactly in the middle.  Most people are somewhere in the middle with a leaning (maybe strongly) to one side or the other.  Despite 90% of my sexual experience being with females, I much prefer sex with males.  That doesn't mean that I don't like seeing good looking women.  Sex can be good with either gender, it just really depends on your frame of mind and what naturally turns you on.  How do you know which you prefer and should you try both to sure?  Even while pursuing sex with girls, I was always thinking about guys.  Who you think about when you masturbate is a good sign of a preference.  Maybe you can remember the person in a wet dream you had.  Given the free availability of any kind and style of Internet porn, what do you choose?  Who do you think about living with long term, maybe for life?  Relationships have many components to them, including emotional and sexual.  "Friends with benefits" can be a great way to experiment with female sex.   I think it is nice to be able to say you have tried both, unless you really have no interest.   I know of a guy who's prom date wanted sex, and he managed it, but only by thinking of another boy!  He is probably way over on the gay side, but not entirely, and that is OK.  I have also heard someone described as "Straight as a Roman road" and he wouldn't even kiss a guy on a dare. I guess the main thing about trying sex with others (male or female) is don't lead anybody on.  If you just want to have sex, make that clear; don't hurt anyone to get an experience.  Being attracted to both sexes can have benefits but can also be confusing.  Am I gay?  Am I straight?  You'll figure it out eventually, but don't lie to yourself about your sexuality.  It can lead to a life of "What ifs" and regrets.

 

Now it's time for a shameless plug:  My blog is "A Nexus" at nexusdodger.blogspot.com.  I am happy to answer or follow up with any e-mails or comments you have.  If you are a younger guy, I might refer you to some of the other bloggers out there closer to your exact situation.  I can probably tell you a bunch about being married and gay, and there are more bloggers out there like me also.

 

 

 

Suicide Among LGBT Youths By Aek

This is a particularly important health topic to address.  Mental health is too often tabooed by society.  And while I have no intention of (eventually) becoming a psychiatrist, all physicians must be sensitive to mental health issues.  The first time I heard the following it shocked me, but now I repeat it in hopes that it helps someone – perhaps someone who’s reading this or knows someone who could benefit.

To begin, a few statistics.  The Report of the Secretary’s Task Force on Youth Suicide published in 1989 by the US government found:

“A majority of suicide attempts by homosexuals occur during their youth, and gay youth are 2 to 3 times more likely to attempt suicide than other young people.  They may comprise up to 30 percent of completed youth suicides annually.” (Gibson, pg. 110)

Troubling is that I heard this data was suppressed for several years after being initially published in 1989 before it surfaced to light.

Suicide ideation (thoughts of suicide) is estimated at between 50% and 70% for LGBTQ youths with actual suicide attempts ranging from 30-42%.  Some studies further suggest that for LGBTQ youths who’re also racial minorities, the rates of “suicide activity” may be even higher.  Interestingly, some studies further suggest that bisexual and/or questioning youths maybe at higher risk for suicidal behavior than homosexual youths.  There is a lack of data on transgender youths, as much of the data is on transgender people of all ages.  In one survey on TransActiveOnline.org, 45% of transgender youths have seriously thought about suicide.

Now some caveats on such studies.  First, it’s difficult to truly assess who is and isn’t at risk for suicide; thus, suicide risk can be underestimated or overestimated.  Second, non-heterosexuality is often hidden during the adolescent years (read: closet).  Third, co-morbid/covariate factors (variables other than the primary variable that contribute to the outcome of interest) haven’t been well researched.

Study flaws and limitations aside, the numbers remain worrisome.  Being LGBTQ certainly appears to be a risk factor for suicide, but being LGBTQ isn’t causal.  That is to say, the increase in suicide risk among LGBTQ youth isn’t because they’re LGBTQ in and of itself, but because of all the socio-cultural baggage that comes with it all.  So what do we do with this knowledge?  To be honest, I’m not entirely sure as I don’t know enough yet myself.  But awareness is certainly the first step – consider this my PSA for the month.

A well-known hotline for LGBTQ youths concerning suicide and depression is the Trevor Project.  The 24/7 hotline is: 866-4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7386).  They also have on their site some warning signs of suicide here.

In Africa, a step backward on human rights, By Desmond Tutu

Friday, March 12, 2010

Hate has no place in the house of God. No one should be excluded from our love, our compassion or our concern because of race or gender, faith or ethnicity -- or because of their sexual orientation. Nor should anyone be excluded from health care on any of these grounds. In my country of South Africa, we struggled for years against the evil system of apartheid that divided human beings, children of the same God, by racial classification and then denied many of them fundamental human rights. We knew this was wrong. Thankfully, the world supported us in our struggle for freedom and dignity.

It is time to stand up against another wrong.

Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people are part of so many families. They are part of the human family. They are part of God's family. And of course they are part of the African family. But a wave of hate is spreading across my beloved continent. People are again being denied their fundamental rights and freedoms. Men have been falsely charged and imprisoned in Senegal, and health services for these men and their community have suffered. In Malawi, men have been jailed and humiliated for expressing their partnerships with other men. Just this month, mobs in Mtwapa Township, Kenya, attacked men they suspected of being gay. Kenyan religious leaders, I am ashamed to say, threatened an HIV clinic there for providing counseling services to all members of that community, because the clerics wanted gay men excluded.

Uganda's parliament is debating legislation that would make homosexuality punishable by life imprisonment, and more discriminatory legislation has been debated in Rwanda and Burundi.

These are terrible backward steps for human rights in Africa.

Our lesbian and gay brothers and sisters across Africa are living in fear.

And they are living in hiding -- away from care, away from the protection the state should offer to every citizen and away from health care in the AIDS era, when all of us, especially Africans, need access to essential HIV services. That this pandering to intolerance is being done by politicians looking for scapegoats for their failures is not surprising. But it is a great wrong. An even larger offense is that it is being done in the name of God. Show me where Christ said "Love thy fellow man, except for the gay ones." Gay people, too, are made in my God's image. I would never worship a homophobic God.

"But they are sinners," I can hear the preachers and politicians say. "They are choosing a life of sin for which they must be punished." My scientist and medical friends have shared with me a reality that so many gay people have confirmed, I now know it in my heart to be true. No one chooses to be gay. Sexual orientation, like skin color, is another feature of our diversity as a human family. Isn't it amazing that we are all made in God's image, and yet there is so much diversity among his people? Does God love his dark- or his light-skinned children less? The brave more than the timid? And does any of us know the mind of God so well that we can decide for him who is included, and who is excluded, from the circle of his love?

The wave of hate must stop. Politicians who profit from exploiting this hate, from fanning it, must not be tempted by this easy way to profit from fear and misunderstanding. And my fellow clerics, of all faiths, must stand up for the principles of universal dignity and fellowship. Exclusion is never the way forward on our shared paths to freedom and justice.

The writer is archbishop emeritus of Cape Town, South Africa. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984.

The Bilerico Project and the US Census

Today's post is about a website that I love, and I think you might just fall in love with it too.  The Bilerico Project  tag line is daily experiments in LGBTQ.  Every day there is something new to read, running from personal posts to LGBTQ news.  Today one of the stories is about a high school that cancels prom to keep two female students attending as a couple.  Yes, they canceled prom after ACLU got involved and found out their polices were illegal under the anti-discrimination laws.  Also was a call to contact Nancy Polosi and demand that she move on ENDA.  Also a very good article on why the ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional.  This is a link to the first part, the second part posted today, and the third and final part will post on Friday.

While I read most of the articles on Bilerico, my main focus on this site is transgender articles.  To be quite honest, transgender topics are usually not covered in most of the more mainstream sites.  The T is included in the listing, but in my view, only the LGB issues are deemed important in many peoples minds.  And sadly transgenders are the "blondes" of the gay world, we are made fun of and sidelined.  But not on Bilerico Project.  There everyone that falls under the inclusion umbrella, all are welcome, and none are made fun of.

Stop on by and give this wonderful site a read, I don't think you will be disappointed.

Queer the Census is a grassroots effort to tell the federal government that we are here, and we deserve to be counted.  If the federal government is going to spend money to count us, to find out how many are married, if we own guns, have indoor toilets, how much money we make, they shouldn't they count how many LGBT's there are?  And how many of us have partners, or married in the states that allow us to marry?  I signed the petition, and sent for my pink sticker to attach to the back of my census form, telling the feds if we are LGBT or a straight ally.  This site is ran by the national Gay and Lesbian Task Force.  Go, sign the petition, send for you pink sticker, and if you are a Facebook person, add it to your page.  I did, in fact, I added it twice!  Why? I wanted people to understand that to me it was very important!

The Testicles Are Still Hungry, by Aek

This post is a continuation of The Care and Feeding of the Testicles.  According to a birdie in the frozen Northlands, apparently they’re still hungry – go figure.  In this post I’ll touch on 2 other fairly common problems that can occur with the testicles: epididymitis and orchitis.

First, some warning signs/symptoms indicating that you must see your doctor ASAP:

- tender or swollen scrotum persisting for more than 2-3 days

- discomfort and/or pain in the testicles that last more than 2-3 days

- discomfort and/or pain in the testicles that progressively worsens throughout the day

- pain that radiates (spreads) from the testicles to the groin and lower abdomen

- blood in semen (never never a good thing)

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Epididymitis

What is it?

It is an inflammation of the epididymis, the coiled tube at the back of the testicles where sperm is matured and stored.  (Note: again, any word that ends with “-itis” means inflammation of.)  Epididymitis may be either acute or chronic.  It seems to be more common in guys under 40, particularly those who have unprotected anal sex.  Epididymitis is the most frequent cause of sudden pain in the scrotum. 

How is it diagnosed?  What’re some symptoms?

Epididymitis is often caused by a bacterial infection (usually, but not always, an STD).  The most common cause of epididymitis is chlamydia, followed by gonorrhea, and then followed by other random non-STD infections (like from E. coli).  Non-infectious causes of epididymitis can also occur.  It may be difficult to tell the difference between epididymitis and testicular torsion (both are bad, btw).  A good physical exam is a necessary starting point.  The Cremaster reflex may be tested; if it works, then it’s less likely to be testicular torsion.  Urinalysis will be done to determine if it’s infectious in origin, and ultrasound is the preferred test.  Symptoms include the 5 warning signs above; chills, fever, and/or painful urination/ejaculation are also possible. 

Is it serious?

Yes!  Epididymitis can indeed be serious.  Other than persistent pain, epididymitis can damage the testicles and in some cases lead to reduced fertility or infertility.  If an acute case of epididymitis goes untreated, it may develop into chronic epididymitis.  Pus may also form in the scrotum (very unpleasant sounding).  In rare cases, one may lose a testicle if epididymitis goes untreated for too long. 

How is it treated?

Most cases of epididymitis are treated with antibiotics against the infectious bacteria.  Symptoms should clear away after a few days.  Bed rest, elevating the scrotum, and NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) pain killers are also indicated.  If symptoms persist for more than 3 days after treatment begins, see your doctor ASAP as further work-up may be necessary.  Also, if pus forms, it must be drained.  Surgery is rarely indicated (as very severe cases are rare). 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epididymitis

http://wiki.medpedia.com/Clinical:Acute_Epididymitis

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/epididymitis/DS00603

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Orchitis

What is it?

Orchitis is an inflammation of the testicles.  It can be related to epididymitis if the infection spreads.

How is it diagnosed?  What’re some symptoms?

Orchitis is pretty similar to epididymitis and often caused by the same things.  The diagnostic tests for orchitis is the same as that for epididymitis, and the symptoms of these two are (you guessed it) very similar as well.  See above for more details. 

Is it serious?

Yes!  Orchitis can lead to the same things as epididymitis (so again, see above). 

How is it treated?

The treatment for orchitis is the same as that for epididymitis.  So see above.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchitis

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/orchitis/DS00602

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Take Home Message:

If you experience the 5 warning signs at the top, you need to see your doctor ASAP!!  No excuses unless you’re in the middle of nowhere.  It doesn’t matter if you’ve had unprotected sex, or have had sex at all even – epididymitis and/or orchitis can still happen from a non-STD infection.  The possible consequences of not going to the doctor are . . . well, you’ve read them above.

The Care and Feeding of the Penis, by Aek

This is installment two of “The Care and Feeding of” series. I thought that since I did one on the testicles back in January, this month’s installment will be on the penis. I mean, it’s only logical since the penis receives so much attention from its own as well as others (for better or for worse). I’ve been debating how to best format this post as well as what to include, as the info could differ somewhat depending on the readership (US readers vs. international readers).

But I figured I’ll cover basic external anatomy, basic care of, and a few medical problems.  Full disclosure I suppose: this is a longer post than the last one.

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Basic (External) Anatomy of the Penis

So I’m sure everyone’s quite familiar with the external (aka, surface) anatomy of the penis. It includes: the shaft, the glans (penis head), the foreskin, the frenulum, and the meatus (opening of the urethra). For circumcised guys, the foreskin (and often the frenulum) is (are) removed – what remains are a scar and remnants of the inner foreskin tissue, the amount of which can vary depending on how the circumcision was done. I will not get into circumcision in this post – so I won’t say much more of it than this. It seems, however, that many people don’t know much about the foreskin and frenulum.

Foreskin

The foreskin is actually more specialized than people often give it credit for. The “outer foreskin” is similar to the shaft skin, in that it’s thicker and less sensitive. The “inner foreskin” is more similar to the glans, in that it’s thinner and more sensitive. The foreskin folds over itself such that the inner foreskin is covered up when the penis is flaccid (soft). It’s important to know that foreskins vary greatly in length and don’t always automatically retract (pull back) upon erection. Some guys have foreskins so short that they don’t cover the entire glans even while flaccid, whereas other guys have foreskins long enough to still completely cover the glans during an erection. This is all normal.

Frenulum

The frenulum is a band of tissue that “tethers” the foreskin to the underside of the glans. Its function is to basically return the foreskin back over the glans. If you look at the underside of your tongue, you’ll notice a frenulum that keeps your tongue attached to the bottom of your mouth. The frenulum of the penis has been described as being really sensitive, enough so that some guys consider it the “male g-spot” (outside the other supposed male g-spot: the prostate).

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Basic Care of the Penis

The prevailing mantra here is: if you take care of your body, it’ll take care of you. Furthermore, don’t force it to do something it doesn’t want to do.

For all guys, circumcised or not, it’s important to wash the penis daily. There’s nothing special to this, just wash it like any other part of the body. It should be noted that some strong and/or scented soaps can irritate the sensitive tissues of the penis and cause: redness, itchiness, inflammation, dryness, etc.

Notes about/for uncircumcised guys:

The foreskin is not retractable in infants and young boys because it’s “fused” to the glans. The foreskin should NEVER be forced back if it doesn’t slide back easily. A lot of parents and pediatricians make this mistake, and it often leads to bad outcomes later on. According to one study, the foreskin is retractable in 50% of boys at 1 year, in 90% of boys at 3 years, and in 99% of boys at 17 years; several other studies generally support this. General rule of thumb: the boy should be the first person to discover that his foreskin can be retracted. Once the foreskin is retractable, it’s important to retract the foreskin and wash the area under it daily like any other part of the body. Again, use some caution with soaps; in fact, soap isn’t necessary.

Other general tips:

- Don’t use anything “weird” as a lubricant (lube) on the penis. Stick to saliva and hand lotion, or commercial lubes like KY Jelly or Astroglide. Water-based lubes are also safe for condoms. :-)
- NEVER insert anything into your penis.  The urethra is pretty delicate and easily damaged.  (This point was edited thanks to an email I received from a reader; I hadn't think people would be silly enough to actually attempt something like this . . .).

- If your penis ever gets dry, abstain from using soap on the area and apply lotion. That usually works.

- Fordyce’s spots: are bumps along the penile shaft. These can be confused with warts, but in fact they are completely harmless and normal. If you’re worried/unsure, consult your primary care doctor or a dermatologist.

- Pearly penile papules: are bumps on the corona (rim) of the glans. These can also be confused with warts or some other STD, but they’re also completely harmless and normal. If you’re worried/unsure, consult your primary care doctor or a dermatologist.

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Penis Problems

Like any part of the body, the penis isn’t immune to problems. In this section, I’ll mention the following: meatitis/meatal stenosis, skin bridges, balanitis, tight foreskin/frenulum, and Peyronie’s disease.

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Meatitis/Meatal stenosis

What are meatitis and meatal stenosis?

Meatitis is inflammation of the meatus (opening of the urethra; aka, peehole). Meatitis can lead to meatal stenosis. Meatal stenosis is the narrowing of the meatus, which reduces urine flow and may even occlude (block) the meatus. (Note: any word with “-itis” at the end means inflammation. “Stenosis” means “narrowing of.”)

Who gets it and how does it happen?

Both meatitis and meatal stenosis occur almost exclusively in circumcised infants/young boys. Some studies suggest that meatal stenosis may occur in as much as 10-11% of circumcised infants/boys (that is, about 1 in 10 circumcised infants may develop meatal stenosis). Because the glans and meatus are constantly exposed, the meatus gets irritated very easily – especially from urine and feces in diapers. This irritation can lead to inflammation (meatitis), and the inflammation can cause a lot of swelling (leading to meatal stenosis).

How is it diagnosed? What’re the symptoms?

Symptoms often include: weak urine flow, spraying of urine or abnormal urine stream, visible narrowing of the meatus, discomfort/pain when urinating, and sometimes UTIs (urinary tract infections).

Can it be dangerous?

Yes! If the meatus becomes too narrow, it can block urine flow completely. This can be life-threatening.

How is it treated?

To treat meatal stenosis, the meatus must be surgically re-opened. I won’t go into the details because it’s rather painful-sounding.

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Skin Bridges

What are skin bridges?

Skin bridges are exactly what they sound like: a bridge of skin, usually from the circumcision scar and/or inner foreskin to the glans. Some people may mistake the frenulum for a skin bridge.

Who gets it and how does it happen?

Skin bridges occur almost exclusively in circumcised infants/boys, though they can occur between the inner foreskin and the glans in an uncircumcised male if the foreskin was forcefully retracted prematurely. Remember from above, the inner foreskin and the glans are “fused” at birth. During circumcision, this fusion/adhesion must first be broken; however, during healing, the edges of the remnants of the foreskin and the glans may fuse back together, creating a skin bridge.

Can it be dangerous?

No. But, apart from being unsightly, skin bridges may uncomfortably/painfully pull on the glans and shaft skin during erection.

How is it treated?

A skin bridge doesn’t have to be treated if it doesn’t cause discomfort or pain. Treating a skin bridge is primarily cosmetic and usually involves cutting the skin bridge and maybe some further minor cosmetic surgery.

Can skin bridges be prevented?

While fairly common in circumcised males (though I don’t have exact figures), skin bridges often resolve themselves. Spontaneous erections in infants and boys usually break the adhesions, thus breaking the skin bridges before they become permanent. Some doctors recommend gently retracting the remaining foreskin/shaft skin from the glans once or a couple times a day to prevent adhesions from forming in the first place – though I suspect this is uncomfortable for the infant. Skin bridges don’t occur in males who’re circumcised later in life.

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Balanitis

What is balanitis? Who gets it and how does it happen?

Balanitis is a fairly common inflammation of the glans. In uncircumcised males it can also affect the foreskin. Balanitis tends to be more common in uncircumcised males but it can definitely affect any guy. There are many causes of balanitis: physical trauma/friction (such as too much masturbation and/or sex), bacterial, fungal (yeast), or viral.

How is it diagnosed? What’re the symptoms?

The symptoms of balanitis are usually pretty typical for inflammation: redness, soreness/tenderness, itchiness, and sometimes dryness. A rash may also be present. Often a swab of the affected area is sent to be analyzed, and if the balanitis persists despite treatment, a referral to a dermatologist may be necessary.

Can it be dangerous?

No. I suppose the caveat is that if it’s not taken care of, or if it frequently recurs, it could cause other problems such as UTIs or narrowing of the foreskin.

How is it treated?

To treat balanitis is fairly simple. If you suspect you have balanitis, immediately stop masturbating or having sex, as it might be cause from doing too much of those activities. Then stop using soap on the penis and especially under the foreskin (if you still have yours). Keep the area clean and dry as much as possible throughout the day. If symptoms persist for more than 2-3 days, see your doctor. He/she will probably prescribe an anti-fungal medication, or some other (usually topical; aka, a cream) medication.

Can balanitis be prevented?

Sometimes shit happens and despite everything things go wrong. This is true of balanitis. Maintaining good genital hygiene and safe sex practices greatly reduces the chances of ever getting balanitis. In some uncircumcised men who get frequent recurrent balanitis, circumcision may be an option – but that’s far from a guarantee as many circumcised guys also get balanitis. Diabetes is a huge risk factor for balanitis, so keeping diabetes under control is important.

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Tight Foreskin/Frenulum

What does a tight foreskin/frenulum mean?

A tight foreskin (also called “phimosis”) is one that is too tight to be comfortable retracted such that the entire glans may be exposed. A tight frenulum (also called “frenulum breve”) is where the frenulum is too tight/short and thus prevents the foreskin from being retracted very far. Both of these conditions vary in severity. Sometimes it’s quite mild, and the guy can retract his foreskin while flaccid but not erect (at least, not completely). Other times the phimosis may be so severe that the foreskin is never retractable and it may even obstruct urine flow (however, cases this severe are extremely rare).

How common is this?

Remember from above that the foreskin is retractable in only about 50% of 1-year-old infants, but is retractable in 99% of 17-year-olds. Thus at most only 1% of uncircumcised guys truly suffer from tight foreskins, and most of the time it’s fairly mild and easily treated.

Can it be dangerous?

Phimosis can only really be dangerous if it’s one of the extremely severe cases (e.g. obstructs urine flow, pain upon erection, etc). Frenulum breve is never dangerous, though the frenulum may be broken during sexual activity (in slang: snapping the banjo string), and this is quite painful and bloody. Sometimes a tight foreskin may be retracted behind the glans but can’t be returned back over the glans; this is a condition called paraphimosis and must be taken care of ASAP or it may lead to strangulation of the glans (it’s really not a big deal if it’s treated immediately). It is important to resolve phimosis early, as it not only facilitates better hygiene, but also allows the guy to experience more pleasure (as the most sensitive parts of the penis are under the foreskin – glans, inner foreskin, and frenulum).

How is it treated?

There are many ways to treat phimosis and frenulum breve, and interestingly it varies depending on where you live. For a long time in the US, circumcision was automatically recommended to treat both conditions. In most other places in the world, circumcision is reserved as a “last resort” for when all other treatments fail or for only the most severe cases.

The most common treatments involve means to loosen the foreskin and/or frenulum, either with a steroid cream applied to the foreskin several times daily for 4-6 weeks or with manual stretching exercises (see links for stretching exercises). If those methods fail, one may opt for a preputioplasty (surgical loosening of the foreskin) to treat phimosis, or frenuloplasty (surgical loosening of the frenulum) or frenectomy (surgical removal of the frenulum only) to treat frenulum breve. All of these methods are generally cheaper (and less painful with shorter recovery times) than circumcision.

1. http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Tight_Foreskin

2. http://www.network54.com/Forum/244184/ 

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Peyronie’s Disease

What is Peyronie’s disease? Who gets it and how does it happen?

Peyronie’s disease is the development of fibrous plaques/scar tissue inside the penis, causing painful curvature upon erection. (Note: most males have a slight curvature to their penises upon erection. This is normal.) It most commonly affects middle-aged men. No one really knows what causes Peyronie’s disease; many believe it’s due to injury/trauma during sexual activity (so don’t be too rough guys). Some studies also hint at a genetic factor, as in some men with Peyronie’s disease also have connective tissue problems in their hands and feet. One is generally advised to see an urologist to truly diagnose Peyronie’s disease, as many primary care physicians don’t understand it well enough to do so.

Is it dangerous?

I don’t think so, but it does make erections and sexual activity potentially quite painful.

How can it be treated?

From what (little) I’ve read, there aren’t any “surefire” treatments for Peyronie’s disease. Sometimes the condition resolves itself without medical treatment, and some doctors advise waiting a year or two to see if it spontaneously improves before resorting to surgery. There are also a number of experimental (non-surgical) treatments being looked into.

For more info, see:
http://wiki.medpedia.com/Peyronie%27s_Disease