Unbelievable.  This paper was presented in 2003.
The purported aim of the study was to check for differences
in penile sensitivity due to MGM.

THEY HELD BACK THE FORESKIN TO KEEP IT OUT OF THE WAY DURING
THEIR MEASUREMENTS OF PENILE SENSITIVITY IN INTACT MEN.

Effects of Circumcision on Male Penile Sensitivity
Bleustein CB, Eckholdt H, Arezzo JC, Melman A.
Paper read at the American Urological Association
98th Annual Meeting at Chicago Illinois,
April 26-May 1, 2003.: Publishing ID 1260, Abstract ID: 100769.

Clifford B Bleustein, Haftan Eckholdt, Joseph C Arezzo, Arnold
Melman, Bronx, NY

Introduction and Objective: Controversy continues to exist about
the effect of circumcision on penile sensitivity and sexual
satisfaction. This study was designed to evaluate penile sensitivity
in both circumcised and uncircumcised males. We evaluated both large
and small axon nerve fibers using vibration, pressure, spatial
perception, and warm and cold thermal thresholds. Measurements both
in functional men and men with erectile dysfunction (ED) were
obtained to evaluate for differences in penile sensitivities.

Methods: Seventy-nine patients were evaluated. In the cohort
evaluated, 54% (43/79) were uncircumcised, while 46% (36/79) were
circumcised. All patients completed the erectile function domain
of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire.
Patients were subsequently tested on the dorsal midline glans of
the penis.  IN UNCIRCUMCISED MALES, THE FORESKIN WAS RETRACTED FOR
TESTING.  Vibration (Biothesiometer), pressure (Semmes-Weinstein
monofilaments), spatial perception (Tactile Circumferential
Discriminator), and warm and cold thermal thresholds (Physitemp
NTE-2) were measured. Bivariate relationships were assessed using
chi square, t test, and Pearson correlations. Composite null
hypotheses were assessed with mixed models repeated measures analysis
of variance allowing us to covary for age, diabetes, and hypertension.

Results: Functional group t test analysis only demonstrated a
significant (p= 0.048) difference for warm thermal thresholds with
a higher threshold (worse sensation) for uncircumcised men. However,
significance was lost when we controlled for age, hypertension, and
diabetes. For the dysfunctional groups t-test analysis only
demonstrated a significant (p= 0.01) difference for vibration
(biothesiometry) with a higher threshold (worse sensation) for
uncircumcised men. Again, this also lost significance (p=0.08) when
controlling for age, hypertension, and diabetes. We also found that
overall race is related to circumcision status with Caucasian men
25 times and African American men 8 times more likely to be circumcised
than Hispanics.

Conclusions: We present a comparative analysis between uncircumcised
and circumcised men using a battery of quantitative somatosensory
tests that evaluate the spectrum of small to large axon nerve fibers.
We demonstrated that there are no significant differences in penile
sensation between circumcised and uncircumcised men with respect
to vibration, spatial perception, pressure, warm and cold thermal
thresholds in both patients with and without erectile dysfunction.

[CIRP Comment: The methodology in this study is flawed and displays
a fundamental lack of undestanding of foreskin innervation and
function. Blustein et al. carefully retracted the foreskin for the
purposes of this experiment. The contribution of the nerves of the
foreskin and the ridged band to sensitivity, pleasure, and satisfaction,
therefore, were excluded from the testing. Moreover, this experiment
was carried out under static conditions. The foreskin, however,
moves dynamically during coitus through its gliding action, thereby
stimulating the nerve endings in the foreskin and providing pleasure
and satisfaction to the individual. The evidence provided by this
study, therefore, points to the foreskin, not the glans penis, as
the major source of penile sensitivity, pleasure, and satisfaction.]
Citation:

(File created 15 December 2003)

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