Q&As Tagged Questions

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

Hello Brad, thanks for getting in touch. The colour of your penis head is fairly normal to change different shades off purple/pink, depending on many things, such as temperature and how sexually excited you are, this is due to the amount of blood flowing to that part of your body, and this is most likely reason behind this. Regarding the small yellow spots, the most likely answer is that these are your glans, again perfectly normal, some men they are more visiable, others not as noticeable. However i'm not sure what is causing your foreskin being red, sometimes it can get a bit inflamed if you have been masterbating/wanking too much, but it could also be a sign of a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI), you haven't mentioned if you have had sex, and if you have, if it was unsafe (without a condom) if this is the case then there is a small chance that is what you may have picked up, if you have hand unsafe sex its best to book an appointment at the Swindon GUM clinic at the hospital, it is confidential so you parents won't find out, and if you need help we can make an appointment for you, and even come along with you if you need the support. I hope this has eased your concern, many lads feel concerned about there penis, having not seen others to compare it too, but they come in all shapes ans sizes so don't feel yours doesnt look nice. Please do get back in touch if you feel you want further advice.

Answered by team member Matt
11th October 2012

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

Smegma is a natural secretion,produced by both men and women. This cheesy, sebaceous matter collects between the glans of the penis and the forskin, and is entirely normal. By washing your genitals at least once a day, making sure to retract the foreskin and get rid of any smegma, you will help keep your penis healthy and odour free. With daily washing, smegma will wash away. It will not remain in a hard lump stuck to your penis. It is likely what you see is an entirely normal condition called 'pearly penile papules,' which are small bumps that often form around the rim of the glans. These should be painless and benign, but if you have any worries about it, book an appointment to see your GP who should be able to put you mind at ease. If you have had unprotected sex, you should go to your local sexual health clinic to rule out the possibility of any STI's. If you would like more help with this, please give us a call: 01380 801951.

Answered by team member Mara
8th February 2011

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

No! A circumcision should be the last option for your condition. Your question appears to describe Acquired Phimosis (also known as Pathological Phimosis). Phimosis is a vague term used to describe any condition where the foreskin does not retract over the glans of the penis. All males are born with the foreskin attached. It can take years, even well into puberty, for the foreskin to be able to retract over the glans. This can be completely normal. In adult males, however, Phimosis can lead to problems including difficulty with urination and painful intercourse, among others which can become more serious. It is important you visit your GP to discuss this condition. Your GP will explain your options, which should include applying a topical steroid cream, gentle manual stretching or possibly a combination of both. There is also another surgical procedure called Preputialplasty, which releases the band of constricted skin but preserves much of the foreskin. Please do not be afraid to visit your GP for fear that a circumcision will be immediately recommended, as this should be a LAST RESORT. Your GP may also be able to give you an idea why this condition has occurred and advise you how to avoid it in the future. Please let us know how it goes and don't hesitate to contact if we can be of any help.

Answered by team member Mara
21st October 2009

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

It appears that your foreskin injury has resulted in scarring possibly with a small amount of granulation, resulting in this tugging on your penis. Often, when a scar is formed, the skin can be tight and the scar tissue can be sensitive. Sometimes granulation can occur, which means there is an extra build up of cells during the healing process. When this occurs, the scar can be very sensitive and tight feeling. One way to work through this is with massage treatment. Use an emollient cream, such as aqueous cream, to massage the tight/scarred area, twice daily, to break down the scar and loosen the skin. This can take a long time, but with persistance, should provide relief. Please go speak to your gp if you have any further worries, but rest assured, you won't be told you need a circumcision on the first visit! Here is a link to a previous query ab out Phimosis, tightening of the foreskin, which may also be o use. http://www.wsmsh.org.uk/qa/showpost.php?id=143

I hope this helps. Please feel free to contact us with any further queries you may have.

Answered by team member Mara
16th June 2010

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

If you notice a little clear fluid coming out of your penis pee hole while you are straining to have a poo, this is probably just the result of some pressure on your prostate gland which sits next to the back passage (rectum).

If you find stuff under your foreskin it is likely to be something different, the most common thing being “smegma”. This is a mixture of old dead skin cells and natural body secretions which can build up there. Although pretty harmless it is a good idea to gently pull back the foreskin and clean it and the head of your penis on a daily basis. Ordinary water is OK – if it seems to be irritated or some of the smegma is stuck to your skin, use warm salty water. If you use soap remember to rinse off thoroughly because a build-up of soap can irritate the delicate skin under your foreskin.

If you find the skin over the head of your penis or under the foreskin is red and tender, you could try an anti-fungal cream like “Canesten” – but if you aren’t sure or it doesn’t seem to work, ask your doctor to take a look.

Answered by team member Dr Peter
8th December 2015

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

There are two main ways that are recommended for you to attempt if you are suffering from a tight and restrictive foreskin.



1) First attempt to retract the foreskin until there is some discomfort - as much as you can tolerate without being in agony, hold for 30 seconds, then pull forwards again and relax.

Repeat this for 5 minutes. It can help to do it in the bath - the heat helps loosen things up a bit.



2)Insert your two index fingers into the opening of the foreskin and feel around for the phimotic ring. If you can't find it, try and retract and see which bit snags on the glans - that's the bit you want.

Pull your fingers in opposing directions. Again, discomfort is okay, but not agony.

Hold for 30 seconds, then pull forwards again.

As above, repeat for 5 minutes, and doing it in the bath can help.



If these two exercises don't help, then a steroid cream could also be an option that can help you, but you would need to get a perscription from you GP for this type of cream.



If you are still having no luck then you will need to have a further discussion with you GP and he will suggest further options to you.

Answered by team member Matt
29th December 2010

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

Hi Sam, thanks for getting in contact with MSH. From what you are describing it sounds like you may be suffering with Phimosis which is medical term for 'Tight Foreskin'. Regarding treatment, it depends if Phimosis is being caused because you were born with it, or if its occurred from an infection. Either way, you need to seek medical advice from your GP/Doctor as if its something you were born with he may prescribe a mild steroid cream to help and encourage you with some foreskin stretching exercises. If its an infection then again a medication will probably be prescribed to take care of this. But you need to maintain good personal hygiene in the mean time, when flaccid that you clean the head of the penis. We hope this has helped, please get back in touch we you need further advice or support.

Answered by team member Matt
13th June 2013

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

You say you think you have some form of STD due to your symptoms. This indicates you have had some form of unprotected sexual interaction. If you have put yourself at risk, by having unprotected sex, it is a good idea to go to your local GUM/Sexual Health clinic and have a full STD screening. The symptoms you describe could be a few things that aren't related to an STD, such as a reaction to shower gel. But with the combination of symptoms, and the indication that you have put yourself at risk, we advise you book an appointment with your local clinic straight away, so they can (hopefully) rule out any STD's and, having seen your condition, give a certain diagnosis. Please come back to us if we can be of any more help, or if you are uncomfortable going to the GUM clinic and need further support.

Answered by team member Mara
13th January 2011

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

Thank you for getting in touch, first of all you did the right thing by going to your local GUM clinic. Balanitis can be caused by poor hygiene, infection, sexually transimitted infection, or and allergy. Sometimes it can be a combination of more than one of the above, and the GUM clinic would of treated you if you had an STI. The steroid cream should be used along side good hygine, and maybe changing your bath/shower shoap/gel to a less iritable one as that can often affect balanitis. Some people also find salt baths soothing during treatment phase. But in some rare cases where clients have not seen any resutls from the above suggestions, may have to undergo a circumcision. I would suggest going back to the GUM clinic, or your GP, explain that you are not finding the steroid cream to be working, they may increase the percentage of steroid more, but will discuss your other options possible. Any more concerns please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Answered by team member Matt
3rd August 2011

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

Thank you for contacting us.



In the majority of men the colour of the glans can vary from pink to pale blue or purple.This is due to the blood vessels(capillaries) under the very thin skin that covers it.



Colour may vary with the degree of erection, ambient temperature and whether the person is circumcised or not, and this colouration is quite normal, and for some this can be the normal colour.



The foreskin discolouration may be due to a condition called Phimosis, which is the tightening for the foreskin. This is quite common and can vary from having virtually no effect to having a quite sever effect, but for the majority of men it has little to no effect.



If you are still concerned about your glans and foreskin, we would recommend going and talking to you doctor, we appreciate that you may feel embarrassed about this but please be assured that doctors deal with these types of questions a lot more regularly than you would think, so will deal with you with respect and in confidence.

Answered by team member Tim
4th August 2010

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

Hi, thank you for getting in touch. It is difficult to diagnose what you and your partner have, and it may be that you don't both have the same infection. There are a few Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI's) that can cause pain when urinating (such as chlamydia) , and there are also some that can cause spots/rash/blisters (such as herpes), however it is possible it is not an STI and its some other form of urinary infection. I would suggest both you and your partner either visit your GP or local sexual health clinic and get a proper diagnosis and seek treatment. Leaving things like this alone is not advised, even if the symptoms go away, we advice you to make an appoinment as soon as you are free to do so. If you are local to Swindon and would like more support, an appoinment to be made for you, or someone to accompany you to the health clinic then please get back in touch.

Answered by team member Matt
25th April 2012

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

Circumcision should be the last option for your condition. Phimosis is a vague term used to describe any condition where the foreskin does not retract over the glans of the penis. All males are born with the foreskin attached. It can take years, even well into puberty, for the foreskin to be able to retract over the glans. This can be completely normal. In adult males, however, Phimosis can lead to problems including difficulty with urination and painful intercourse, among others which can become more serious. It is important you visit your GP to discuss this condition. Your GP will explain your options, which should include applying a topical steroid cream, gentle manual stretching or possibly a combination of both. There is also another surgical procedure called Preputialplasty, which releases the band of constricted skin but preserves much of the foreskin. Please do not be afraid to visit your GP for fear that a circumcision will be immediately recommended, as this should be a LAST RESORT. Your GP may also be able to give you an idea why this condition has occurred and advise you how to avoid it in the future. Please let us know how it goes and don't hesitate to contact if we can be of any help.

Answered by team member Tim
26th January 2010

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

Don't worry, this is a common problem and I used to be the same. You can either see your doctor which may lead to a circumcision, or you can over time slowly stretch the skin and avoid the operation.

This is going to take many weeks to get your foreskin to stretch and be comfortable but its not difficult to do. The best way to do this is in a nice warm bath but sitting on the floor of the shower is ok too, you just need to relax.

With a little soap gently try to slide you finger (nails cut short and smooth) inside the hole of your foreskin and down the side of your cock head. If you're very tight this might take a couple of goes. rinse the soap away and you're done for the first go.

Once you have a finger inside your foreskin it gets easier. Gently use your finger to stretch the hole when you can get two fingers in feel free to use two but don’t go mad. Just a few minutes a day is great. 

You may find some creamy goo inside your foreskin. Don't worry, this is normal – just wash it away with a little soap and rinse. All men with a foreskin need to wash under it each time the shower or bath.

Once you have the foreskin a little stretched you may find your cock head pops out when you get a erection but doesn't want to go back, this can be worrying especially if the foreskin swells a little. Mine did most nights. Gently push your cock head back while sliding the foreskin forward. you might find a little olive oil helps with this.

Keep stretching your foreskin in the bath or with olive oil until it slides back over an erection and slides forward easily too.

Congratulations you have just saved yourself from a operation and kept your foreskin too.

You may now find your public hairs get caught in your foreskin, I clip mine short which sorts it.

Answered by team member Douglas
4th December 2015

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

You're not the first person to raise this concern with us. What you are experiencing sounds like a normal condition that effects many men, and, as you've not had any kind of sexual relations, it is highly unlikely to be genital warts. Please click (or cut and paste) on the following link, or scroll down the page to read further about how we answered a similar question: http://www.wsmsh.org.uk/qa/showpost.php?id=212



If you have any more questions, about this or anything else, please feel free to contact us, either here or by phone: 01380 801951

We hope this helps!

Answered by team member Mara
10th January 2011

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

Penises vary from man to man, with many shapes and sizes being normal, hooks and all. It could be that a tight foreskin may cause your penis to bend, especially if it is at the tip, the glans area. If you're not having any problems with pain, having an erection or sexual activity, then your penis is most likely perfectly normal. If you are experiencing problems, please see your doctor to rule out anything more serious.

Answered by team member Mara
1st October 2010

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

Hello and thanks for contacting us. From what you have described it sounds like it could be a possible case of Phimosis, where foreskin won't retract back over the head of the penis, due possibly a case of Balanitis, inflammation of your foreskin, which could be caused by an STI, poor hygiene, an allergic reaction or a possible skin irritation. Depending on the cause, if its hygiene related, a non perfumed soap to wash and bath the area. You may also need medical advice and treatment, as they could prescribe you a certain antibiotic or a mild steroid cream, as circumcision is usually considered a last resort if all other treatments haven't worked, or if you have persistent Balenitis that keeps coming back, so hold of on the circumcision for now and seek medical help to rule out what is causing the inflammation and try the suitable treatment. We hope this has helped, please get back in touch if we can be of any further help.

Answered by team member Matt
12th July 2013

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

Hello and thank you for getting in touch with MSH. A lot of men have problem retracting there foreskin. First of all we would suggest over a period of time, to have a hot bath, with plenty of soap, slowly easing it back one day at a time, not all the way, but just a bit further each day if you can. It is important to be able to pull back the foreskin so that you can clean underneath the head of the penis. If you find in a few weeks no progress has been made or you are finding it too painful, we would suggest going to your GP/Doctor and explain this. He would probably prescribe a mild steroid cream to help. Circumcision is an option, but it would be considered a last option once other methods are tried. We hope this has helped your concern.

Answered by team member Matt
3rd December 2013

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

Hello and thanks for contacting MSH. Balanitis is more common than most people realise, with about 1 in 30 uncircumcised men getting it at some point. And it is usually caused by; skin irritation due to exposure to substances, such as perfumed soaps or shower gels, an allergic reaction after coming into contact with chemicals that are used in products such as soaps or detergents, skin conditions, such as psoriasis, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and/or persistent dribbling of urine following urination.



Treatment can be anti yeast creams, antibiotics and/or a mild steroid cream. So we don't know what has caused your Balanitis, but although you say you have no STI, due you know that due to be tested and given the all clear? As many people don't think they have an STI as they have no symptoms/signs, so please be sure on this fact as Balanitis can be caused by STI.



However you are also having problem retracting your foreskin, this could be Phimosis, I don't know if you told the GUM clinic about this, or if they would have discussed this with you. But the fact you have this Balanitis and its difficult to have sex, we would recommend a repeated trip to the GUM clinic to discuss this further. Yes circumcision is one solution, but they will explore other areas first, like checking its not an STI, that your a maintaining good hygiene, and washing your penis every day with a cleaning product that doesn't cause inflammation.



We hope this has helped, if you need any further advice please do get back in touch, we hope your next visit to the GUM clinic helps solve your issue.

Answered by team member Matt
11th December 2012

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

hey thanks for getting in touch with Mens Sexual Health.

Please do not be embarrassed by your penis, what you are talking about is completely normal. This part of skin on the underside on the penis is called the Frenulum, a elasticated bit of skin connnecting the tip of the underside of the penis to the shaft, it is often called the 'banjo string'. However some men who are circumcised will often have this part removed, not all, but somewhere between 20-30%. Have a look on google by typing in Frenulum, if this is not what you are trying to describe, please get back in touch, but otherwise this is completely normal.

Answered by team member Matt
8th October 2012

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

Hello and thank you for getting in touch with us. Phimosis can be tricky to treat, as it can return. I don't know if the damage it caused from when you were first infected has not been completely healed or if it can be. Due to already having been prescribed something from your doctor, and the fact we do not ever prescribe medicines, we suggest you go back to your doctor and address this issue with him and see what he can do to treat your penis tip. Sorry we couldn't offer more advice, we hope you understand in this instance.

Answered by team member Matt
15th July 2013