Circumcision changes a penis' microbiome

[rawTOP]

Here's a weird factoid for you… You've probably heard of your "gut microbiome" but did you know penises have microbiomes too? And they're altered by circumcision…

Quote

 

A small new study involving 11 children in the United States has found evidence that removing the skin that covers the tip of the penis can change the abundance and composition of bacterial and fungal communities that naturally live there.

But what would that actually mean in practice?

Some of the bacterial communities that shrank following circumcision have been linked to inflammation and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in other research. That tentatively implies circumcision may reduce a person's susceptibility to STIs by limiting inflammation in penile tissues and viral targets on the skin.

In 2020, two studies found evidence that circumcised adults have a different penile microbiome to those who are uncircumcised, and this was shown to somewhat protect the former group from spreading bacterial vaginosis or contracting human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV/ AIDS).

The results around HIV are particularly contentious.

Based on observational data collected in South Africa, researchers have argued circumcision could be more effective for HIV transmission among heterosexuals "equivalent to what a vaccine of high efficacy would have achieved" (if one existed).

Such conclusions are based on results from three large, randomized controlled trials conducted in Africa among adult males that showed circumcision might lower the risk of contracting HIV by 50 to 60 percent.

While that sounds incredible (and, some counter, clearly overstated), other studies challenge notions of a relationship between HIV infection and circumcision. In October of 2022, a study again examined the statistics behind male circumcision and HIV prevalence among six African nations, but no link was found.

 

Full article here - https://www.sciencealert.com/circumcision-appears-to-alter-the-penis-microbiome-study-finds

[Guest]

I'd love to restore mine for this and a few other reasons.

[EuroMusk76]

I know 11 guys can definitely be considered an orgy. However calling a sample size of 11 a small study seems to be a bridge to far. One would be better served to call it anecdotal evidence.

 

[BootmanLA]

On 2/13/2023 at 8:54 PM, evilcoyote said:

I'd love to restore mine for this and a few other reasons.

are you suggesting you want to restore your foreskin so you can increase your risk of contracting HIV?

Because the study in question - though its limitations are substantial, and there are contradictory studies out there as well - suggests that being circumcised provides some additional protection over being uncircumcised.

[PozBearWI]

12 hours ago, BootmanLA said:

are you suggesting you want to restore your foreskin so you can increase your risk of contracting HIV?

Because the study in question - though its limitations are substantial, and there are contradictory studies out there as well - suggests that being circumcised provides some additional protection over being uncircumcised.

The operative word being "suggests"...  If one wishes to avoid HIV one can use PrEP.  No need to cut off thousands of pleasurable nerve endings to achieve a "maybe"...  

[rawfuckr]

On 2/18/2023 at 3:42 AM, BootmanLA said:

are you suggesting you want to restore your foreskin so you can increase your risk of contracting HIV?

Because the study in question - though its limitations are substantial, and there are contradictory studies out there as well - suggests that being circumcised provides some additional protection over being uncircumcised.

There's no evidence circumcision prevents HIV. All the studies that claim this, come from sub-saharan Africa and have major major limitations, to name one: the follow up includes the time of healing for the cut men when they were not having sex, therefore less HIV cases on that arm. There are zero studies to prove this HIV risk on cut/uncut outside of Africa (AFAIK) and in fact in USA where most men are cut rates are the same or higher then in Europe. 

Now, let it sink in that most of the USA medical profession and orgs are pushing hard for this given the flimsy or non-existent evidence. And none of them give it a thought given the drastic consequences of getting cut: having a numb dick in your later years.

For example, here is a study about this done on the western world (Denmark) in 2022 where they found that not only does cutting not reduce HIV, it INCREASES chances of STDs.
[think before following links] [think before following links] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354855689_Non-therapeutic_male_circumcision_in_infancy_or_childhood_and_risk_of_human_immunodeficiency_virus_and_other_sexually_transmitted_infections_national_cohort_study_in_Denmark
 

Edited February 26, 2023 by rawfuckr

[Guest]

On 2/17/2023 at 6:42 PM, BootmanLA said:

are you suggesting you want to restore your foreskin so you can increase your risk of contracting HIV?

Because the study in question - though its limitations are substantial, and there are contradictory studies out there as well - suggests that being circumcised provides some additional protection over being uncircumcised.

No, I'm saying I want to restore it because I like foreskin and wish I still had mine.

[Poz50something]

On 2/17/2023 at 9:42 PM, BootmanLA said:

are you suggesting you want to restore your foreskin so you can increase your risk of contracting HIV?

Because the study in question - though its limitations are substantial, and there are contradictory studies out there as well - suggests that being circumcised provides some additional protection over being uncircumcised.

OK first of all, you're saying that circumcision prevents HIV - so why then, in the years before tritherapy did so many of our friends and so many porn stars die of AIDS? It's anecdotal, but a large majority of the US porn actors of the '70s were circumcised, and many of them aren't alive because they died of AIDS. If circumcision prevents HIV, why the high rates of HIV/AIDS among msm? You indicated that "its limitations are substantial".....follow your own logic.

[BootmanLA]

12 hours ago, Poz50something said:

OK first of all, you're saying that circumcision prevents HIV - so why then, in the years before tritherapy did so many of our friends and so many porn stars die of AIDS? It's anecdotal, but a large majority of the US porn actors of the '70s were circumcised, and many of them aren't alive because they died of AIDS. If circumcision prevents HIV, why the high rates of HIV/AIDS among msm? You indicated that "its limitations are substantial".....follow your own logic.

I am not saying that circumcision prevents  HIV. Please do not attribute statements to me that I did not make. Challenge what I said, not what you imagine, in your mind, that I said.

To quote -with extraneous clauses omitted: "the study in question...SUGGESTS that being circumcised provides SOME additional protections over being uncircumcised" (emphasis added).

I do not know how you translate "SUGGESTS" and "SOME" into "prevents". Maybe a dictionary is in order here.

[Poz50something]

On 2/27/2023 at 2:02 PM, BootmanLA said:

I am not saying that circumcision prevents  HIV. Please do not attribute statements to me that I did not make. Challenge what I said, not what you imagine, in your mind, that I said.

To quote -with extraneous clauses omitted: "the study in question...SUGGESTS that being circumcised provides SOME additional protections over being uncircumcised" (emphasis added).

I do not know how you translate "SUGGESTS" and "SOME" into "prevents". Maybe a dictionary is in order here.

this is tiresome....by answering evilcoyote's post as to restoring his foreskin with a mention of this study, you have given tacit agreement with the study's conclusion...that circumcision gives additional protection against HIV. If you didn't believe in the conclusion of the study, you wouldn't have mentioned it. Someone could have a study conducted and even provide data and statistics on why jumping off a bridge has immense benefits, and why everyone should do it. However, if no one takes the thesis statement and the conclusions of the 'study' seriously, it's not likely to be endorsed or quoted. What you've done BootmanLA is a typical straw man argument, coming after me about the word 'suggests' when you haven't been able to refute nary an iota of the points I raised....not about the high number of deaths of '70s precondom porn stars  from AIDS when they were overwhelmingly circumcised, and not about the high number of transmission rates among msm, either.... "Challenge what I said" and I did...and you haven't yet refuted any of my points. But nice try....maybe you should look into your foreskin phobia, or why you're so concerned about someone potentially wanting to restore his foreskin...

Edited February 28, 2023 by Poz50something

[BootmanLA]

2 hours ago, Poz50something said:

this is tiresome....by answering evilcoyote's post as to restoring his foreskin with a mention of this study, you have given tacit agreement with the study's conclusion...that circumcision gives additional protection against HIV. If you didn't believe in the conclusion of the study, you wouldn't have mentioned it. Someone could have a study conducted and even provide data and statistics on why jumping off a bridge has immense benefits, and why everyone should do it. However, if no one takes the thesis statement and the conclusions of the 'study' seriously, it's not likely to be endorsed or quoted. What you've done BootmanLA is a typical straw man argument, coming after me about the word 'suggests' when you haven't been able to refute nary an iota of the points I raised....not about the high number of deaths of '70s precondom porn stars  from AIDS when they were overwhelmingly circumcised, and not about the high number of transmission rates among msm, either.... "Challenge what I said" and I did...and you haven't yet refuted any of my points. But nice try....maybe you should look into your foreskin phobia, or why you're so concerned about someone potentially wanting to restore his foreskin...

Because you accused me of saying something I didn't say only to shoot it down. THAT is the real "straw man" argument - a concept you seem to not really understand. A "straw man" argument is when you create a straw man - something that didn't exist before - only to shoot it down, and pretend you won the original argument. That's EXACTLY what YOU did, not me.

You are free to argue whatever you want, but don't drag me into it by alleging I said something I did not.

As for your insane, fucked-up idea that I have "foreskin phobia" or whatever, here's another hint: don't assume how I feel about anything, because you're probably not capable of figuring it out.

[viking8x6]

Moderator's note:

The article @rawTOP references refers to at least four different studies. Nothing in the tangential argument to his topic that began on Feb. 17th makes it clear which of the studies is/are being discussed, and therefore the argument is rendered bootless (no pun intended).

The original post and @evilcoyote's response to it were discussing the penis microbiome and circumcision and as far as I can tell had nothing to do with HIV transmission. The latter was kicked around by the article (which had precious little actual content) in a way that suggests to me that its purpose is more clickbait than meaningful information.

[tonio]

On 2/27/2023 at 7:29 AM, Poz50something said:

OK first of all, you're saying that circumcision prevents HIV - so why then, in the years before tritherapy did so many of our friends and so many porn stars die of AIDS? It's anecdotal, but a large majority of the US porn actors of the '70s were circumcised, and many of them aren't alive because they died of AIDS. If circumcision prevents HIV, why the high rates of HIV/AIDS among msm? You indicated that "its limitations are substantial".....follow your own logic.

Because most gay/bi guys aren't total tops.

Circumcision only protects total tops, and said protection is incomplete (about 60%).

[funpozbottom]

On 2/13/2023 at 1:11 PM, rawTOP said:

Here's a weird factoid for you… You've probably heard of your "gut microbiome" but did you know penises have microbiomes too? And they're altered by circumcision…

Full article here - [think before following links] https://www.sciencealert.com/circumcision-appears-to-alter-the-penis-microbiome-study-finds

 

I'm not surprised by this, but I think the reason the microbiome changes after circumcision is simple to explain: For bacteria to flourish, they need food, water, proper temperature, and time for a colony to multiply. An uncircumcised penis offers a warm, moist, enclosed environment where bacteria can thrive. After circumcision, the head of the penis is dryer, cooler, more open and easier to clean or rub which could disrupt bacterial growth.

It would be an interesting study if they compared the microbiome of various uncut individuals based on hygiene practices. How does the biome change between a piss and smeg covered cock v.s. one kept clean? Would applying an antibiotic ointment reduce the inflammation causing bacteria without disrupting helpful bacteria? 

If there are any researchers out there who are studying this, I'd like to volunteer to help collect data. I'm an excellent foreskin examiner and I'm willing to examine hundreds every day in the interest of science.