Embarrassed about being uncircumcised?

Question

Guys, I have a question for those of you who are uncircumcised. I was in a public changing room yesterday and about to get changed when I noticed virtually all the other guys in the room were circumcised. I'm not gay (in fact I'm engaged to a beautiful young woman!) but I just couldnt help but glance at a couple of them, then some more. There must have been about 10 guys in the changing room ALL circumcised. So when I took my clothes off I pulled my foreskin back to show the helmet (or glans or whatever you call it) and appear circumcised too. Anyone else ever done this or felt this way???
By the way, i'm proud of my penis, but in this particular instance I felt alien with a foreskin

Answer 1

I can understand why you did that, given the situation. I have sometimes felt slightly conscious (not embarrassed) about the fact my penis is intact when a lot of the guys around me are cut. However as I have quite a long foreskin I don't think I'd be able to disguise the fact I'm uncircumcised (even if I pull it back to just show the head, the foreskin is still there instead of a circumcision scar!)
But given it was a public changing room I doubt anyone would've said something (unlike in college for example!), the worst any of the cut guys could've done was give you a funny look. If so, who cares - they're missing out :-)

Answer 2

many good answers so far so I'll make this brief:

- America has a high circumcision rate and almost every other country has a majority of uncircumcised men. You're not weird, America is just a special case.

- In light of the comment that recommended you get circumcised because it is unhealthy to be uncut: It is not unhealthy. To anyone who thinks it is, read up a bit on it and you will find that all of the "facts' that claimed a higher rate of infection, and less pleasure for the partner and less pleasure for yourself and so on and so on HAVE BEEN DISPROVEN. There was actually an article recently in either the SF chronicle or the NY times (can't remember which) that revealed a study saying that many women have found sex with an uncut male is more enjoyable. the science behind this being that the foreskin keeps more of the vaginal juices in the motion of things which creates less uncomfortable friction.

-I used to go to a public gym every day, and I never felt the need to pull back my foreskin to appear "normal" and you shouldn't either. If they start looking and make you feel self-conscious, then they have other issues. In general a straight male will not care what other people's penises look like because he is not interested in other penises. The only reason to scoff at someone else's penis would be his own insecurity, or an immature attempt at competition. It's fine to look in the changing room - everyone does it and it doesn't mean you're gay - just don't compare yourself and end up feeling worse about yourself, cause for the most part they're all looking too and they don't care what yours looks like.

If you need any more moral support just go to google and type in something like "anti circumcision." you will find that as of recently there is a huge wave of people against circumcision. they even go so far as to call it a barbaric mutilation against the child's will. There are also many forums and sites with people who are already circumcised and which they had not been (some of these people go so far as to do "exercises" to recreate their foreskin).

hope some of that helped ease your worries.

edit: haha that wasn't so brief...whatever I can get carried away when i start typing.

Answer 3

I think this could backfire if you keep doing this and on one day you forget or your skin slides back down and they notice....how will you explain this? Not only is your secret lost but they will know you're ashamed. That makes you an easy target for ridicule. If you don't try to hide it, at least they can respect that. So this is what i did in similar situation...

I got some questions like "what's wrong with your penis?" I just explained like anything else and showed them i have the same look underneath as them. Only had to do this once. Also got some stares when i pulled back (which can take a while since tight foreskin) to clean out the chlorine. But they get used to this and move on

Answer 4

I don't feel embarrassed by it. At most, some circumcised guys may ask a question from curiosity; nothing else. I don't bother with pulling it back. If they say anything, just say that you like it that way and it's how all guys are born. End of discussion.

Although circumcision is becoming less common, so I'm guessing you live in an area where circumcision rates are really high.

In the United States, circumcision rates vary by state, race... and other factors, like the year you were born. For the most part, the West Coast has the lowest circumcision rates, with some states as low as 14% now. Compare that to national circumcision rates being around 90% back in the 1960s and 70s. US data:
http://www.cirp.org/library/statistics/USA/staterates2004/

The USA is the last developed nation doing circumcision on a significant scale without medical or religious reasons. That means Europe and Japan (and Latin America and China, for that matter) don't circumcise. Circumcision rates in Australia and Canada are low, and in Africa... it varies by nation/tribe. Here's a worldwide map that gives you a general idea of where circumcision is common:
http://www.circumstitions.com/Maps.html

And don't feel that you don't have any advantages. Being uncircumcised is not unhealthy (unless you let it be). If it were Europe would have massive problems with that... and so would the rest of the world. For example, take the following into consideration.

Risks of circumcision include:

In a medical study, it was found that females are more likely to hit orgasm with an uncircumcised man:
http://www.healthcentral.com/drdean/408/60750.html

The lubricated foreskin (on the inside... like your eyelids) slides up and down during sex and masturbation to stimulate the head.
http://www.cirp.org/pages/anat/
http://net.indra.com/~shredder/intact/anatomy/index.html

Studies have found that circumcision reduces sensitivity (this article also mentions how it has lost popularity in the USA in recent times):
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,285532,00.html

And despite being more sensitive, they still last in the same six minute range (average) that circumcised guys do:
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2005.00070.x

Makes masturbation more difficult:
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1464-410X.2006.06646.x

Which makes sense, that's how it was made popular in the USA:
http://english.pravda.ru/science/health/27-03-2006/77873-circumcision-0

Increases erectile dysfunction rates:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=14979200&dopt=Abstract%7C

If too much skin is removed, it can make the penis smaller since the penis needs some skin to expand during an erection:
http://drgreene.org/body.cfm?id=21&action=detail&ref=1125
http://www.altermd.com/Penis%20and%20Scrotal%20Surgery/buried_penis.htm

Answer 5

Uncut is still considered unusual in America because it's been done here for so many years without our permission. When I was born the parents weren't even consulted.
My own son, who was circumcised, told the Pediatrician in no uncertain terms that he did not want his son cut after he was born. I believe that nowadays with the Internet and so much information available on the subject, we will find more and more men in this country opting for keeping their little guy's foreskin intact. We who are cut envy you who are complete. Stand up and be proud! Poke your head out and say, Hey!

Uncut is NOT unhealthy if you are a naturally clean person. Old myths still abound. We wouldn't have evolved over millions of years with our foreskins intact, if they didn't have a purpose. Ask the men who still have them.
Be truthful Steve, do you really want to lose it because of what other guys might think?

Answer 6

Never really had to do that here mate as in the UK most males are uncircumcised anyways.

When I was in America though, I did it once or twice in a public bathroom just incase anybody was looking over my way, just to feel kinda at home if you like.

I am also proud of my penis and foreskin !

Answer 7

No why should it be i am uncircumcised and my penis is just like the other dudes the difference they got thier skin cut off and i have mine i am proud of my tool and dont let anyone make me feel any different about it i am proud of my body and it seems to satisfy the chicks ;-) curtdude

Answer 8

Don't feel alien -- YOU are the natural one! The other guys were victims of a cult of circumcision that destroyed the foreskins of millions of American guys 20-30 years ago. Worldwide, intact men are in the vast majority (estimated 85%). Intact men have more sexual sensation, give their partners better orgasms, and are just as clean as the poor guys who had their foreskins amputated. Glory in it! Check out some of Jorge's links; there is no downside to being natural unless you want to please some incredibly shallow twit who doesn't know any better than to think foreskin is "gross."

Oh, by the way, the cut guys may admire your equipment because they wish they had a whole penis themselves!

Answer 9

well i am not uncircumsized but let me tell you that it is normal to feel akward when you are in those situations especially since you were the only one who was that way. however dont be embarassed. it happens. i am sure not many if any people noticed. it is good you are proud of what you have. hang your head high and be thankful you got a woman who is going to appreciate a full and natural penis. good luck.

Answer 10

Count yourself to be lucky and that you have complete penis. Like many I was cut at birth and had no choice in the removal of my foreskin. To this day I wish I had back.