At birth, the penis has a natural protective skin covering called foreskin. The process of removing the foreskin is called circumcision. Removing the foreskin is not essential, so some penises are circumcised and some are not. The major difference is going to be in caring for the penis. If you are uncircumcised it is important to wash under the foreskin when you bathe (returning it to the full-covering position when you’re done). This should be an easy process.

However, sometimes the foreskin opening is too tight, making it difficult to pull it back. This is called phimosis, and it can make cleaning the penis, urinating and/or getting an erection very painful. What you can do on your own is try to gently stretch the foreskin opening every day, but if this doesn’t work you should visit a doctor to discuss other ways to stretch the foreskin. They may give you a special medicine to put on your foreskin (or discuss circumcision as a final option).