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About Men
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Scent of an uncircumcised penis
Originally Published: August 27, 1999
~ Last Updated / Reviewed on: August 18, 2003
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Hi Alice,
I'm a foreign gay man with an uncircumcised penis. In my country, being uncut is the norm, so it was not strange for me to have contact with other penis like mine. Yes, all of them had a characteristic smell, but it was part of the natural odor that comes with your own skin and, in fact, it was very arousing. When I started having sex with Americans , I felt the opposite of what those girls complain: I missed the "dick smell." Most of them smell like either soap or plain normal skin. I'm not saying that's a problem, I'm just raising the question: Is the uncut penis really stinky (urine, smegma, or any infection) or is it just a perfectly normal "dick smell" that feels bad to her senses because she is not used to it? Thanks,
Dear FGM, The "dick smell" of an uncut, or uncircumcised, penis is produced by sweat or smegma. Smegma is a cheesy secretion from under the foreskin that acts as a natural lube. Some people do not like the distinctive smell smegma produces, whereas others find it agreeable and even arousing. Besides personal preferences, one's like or dislike of smells, scents, and aromas can also be culturally related. Read Bathing - How often? for more information on this topic. Regardless of your penis's particular perfume, pulling back the foreskin and washing away excess smegma is important for hygiene. If smegma gathers without being washed away, it can turn to glue, preventing the foreskin from easily moving back and forth along the head of the penis. When you wash your penis, be sure to rinse away all of the soap underneath the foreskin; soap left there could help cause an inflammation. Uncircumcised penises are also cleaned out every time a man pees. If odor from leftover urine is a concern, wiping the head of the penis after urinating can help reduce it. However, if what you're sniffing is more of an unpleasant rather than natural dick smell, then it's possible that there is an infection, such as yeast. But a yeast infection (similar to what women get) would be accompanied with redness and abnormal pus. To prevent infection, uncircumcised men need to retract their foreskin and wash with soap and water every day. If the foreskin can't be pulled back, or if it's uncomfortable or painful, see a health care provider or urologist.
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