Foreskin - meaning and definition
Alsoprepuceuncircumciseduncut
Not yet reviewed by a clinician. This health entry was written from the public-health sources listed below and is general information only. It is not medical advice.
Definition
The foreskin is the retractable fold of skin that covers the glans (tip) of the penis in people who have not been circumcised.
At a glance
- The foreskin is a retractable fold of skin covering the glans of an uncircumcised penis.
- It protects the sensitive glans and keeps it moist.
- In babies and young children it is usually attached and should not be forced back.
- It usually becomes retractable gradually, often by late childhood or the teenage years.
- A foreskin stuck behind the glans with swelling needs urgent medical care.
In detail
The foreskin protects the sensitive glans and keeps it moist. In babies and young children it is usually attached to the glans and should not be forced back; it gradually becomes retractable, often by late childhood or the teenage years.
Gently washing under the foreskin with water is part of routine hygiene. A foreskin that is too tight to pull back (phimosis), or one that gets stuck behind the glans, as well as redness and soreness (balanitis), are common reasons to see a doctor. A stuck foreskin that causes swelling needs urgent care.
In a sentence
- The health visitor told the parents not to pull back their baby's foreskin.
- He asked the GP whether a tight foreskin was something that could be treated.
Where the word comes from
An English compound of fore and skin. The medical term is prepuce, from Latin praeputium.
Common questions
When should a foreskin start to pull back?
In babies and young children the foreskin is usually attached to the glans, and it gradually becomes retractable, often by late childhood or the teenage years. It should never be forced back. If you are worried about how it is developing, a doctor can check.
What are phimosis and balanitis?
Phimosis is a foreskin that is too tight to pull back. Balanitis is redness and soreness of the glans, often affecting the foreskin too. Both are common reasons to see a doctor. A foreskin that gets stuck behind the glans and causes swelling is different and needs urgent care.