Danny, 29 - Yorkshire
Where were you born?
North Wales.
When did you first become aware of circumcision?
It wasn't until I was about 8 when me and a group of boys around my age were playing out in the woods. We ended up comparing what was in our pants and I noticed mine looked a lot different to theirs. It was one of the older boys’ ideas to compare the size of our willies (I think he thought that because he was older he'd be the biggest, but I beat him to that haha!).
It was then that I noticed mine looked completely different to the other five boys. I'd been around naked older men before at swimming and things, but thought that any differences between my boyhood and their manhood was purely to do with age and that your stuff looked different when you grew up. My friend said that I'd had a bit of my willy cut off and then showed me his foreskin and how it could roll back. I knew I'd been to the doctors as a younger kid for a problem 'down there' but this was the moment I first understood what had happened.
I had remembered going to the doctor's to be checked and going to hospital, but I didn't really realise what was going on. I knew I'd had a 'willy operation' but didn't realise my foreskin had been removed. I remember straight after the operation I spent a week recovering and couldn't wear underwear as it was uncomfortable and it stuck to me. I had to take salt baths. That was the most embarrassing and painful bit that I remember.
After the incident the woods, I was too embarrassed to ask my parents. I was then trying to find it dictionaries and encyclopaedias to work out what it was and then it made sense what the "willy operation" was all about. I didn't hear the word "circumcised" until about two years after the incident in the woods. It was on an American sitcom – and when I asked what is was my dad said that it was what I had had done as a kid.
Are any members of your immediate family circumcised?
I know my cousin is, after we met at a family party recently and he told me he'd had to undergo the op. Apart from that, growing up I never saw or knew of any family members who had had it done. I know my dad and my uncle definitely aren't as I've seen them both at the gym.
My dad has told me that he wishes he were circumcised, for both aesthetic and hygiene reasons. Dad and I had gone fishing and he asked me if I was 'okay with it all'. If anyone had taken the piss and if it all 'worked' fine. Skirting around the masturbation chat, I quickly told him everything was working fine but not to be weird! But I think he was concerned about me being in the minority, so I let him know I'd hadn't had any issues with other lads ribbing me. He mentioned that he thought that it looked good and he had known some guys who had had the snip and thought it looked a lot neater and obviously was more hygienic. That had made him consider getting done himself but he had never done anything about it.
At what age were you circumcised?
I was 5 when I was circumcised.
North Wales.
When did you first become aware of circumcision?
It wasn't until I was about 8 when me and a group of boys around my age were playing out in the woods. We ended up comparing what was in our pants and I noticed mine looked a lot different to theirs. It was one of the older boys’ ideas to compare the size of our willies (I think he thought that because he was older he'd be the biggest, but I beat him to that haha!).
It was then that I noticed mine looked completely different to the other five boys. I'd been around naked older men before at swimming and things, but thought that any differences between my boyhood and their manhood was purely to do with age and that your stuff looked different when you grew up. My friend said that I'd had a bit of my willy cut off and then showed me his foreskin and how it could roll back. I knew I'd been to the doctors as a younger kid for a problem 'down there' but this was the moment I first understood what had happened.
I had remembered going to the doctor's to be checked and going to hospital, but I didn't really realise what was going on. I knew I'd had a 'willy operation' but didn't realise my foreskin had been removed. I remember straight after the operation I spent a week recovering and couldn't wear underwear as it was uncomfortable and it stuck to me. I had to take salt baths. That was the most embarrassing and painful bit that I remember.
After the incident the woods, I was too embarrassed to ask my parents. I was then trying to find it dictionaries and encyclopaedias to work out what it was and then it made sense what the "willy operation" was all about. I didn't hear the word "circumcised" until about two years after the incident in the woods. It was on an American sitcom – and when I asked what is was my dad said that it was what I had had done as a kid.
Are any members of your immediate family circumcised?
I know my cousin is, after we met at a family party recently and he told me he'd had to undergo the op. Apart from that, growing up I never saw or knew of any family members who had had it done. I know my dad and my uncle definitely aren't as I've seen them both at the gym.
My dad has told me that he wishes he were circumcised, for both aesthetic and hygiene reasons. Dad and I had gone fishing and he asked me if I was 'okay with it all'. If anyone had taken the piss and if it all 'worked' fine. Skirting around the masturbation chat, I quickly told him everything was working fine but not to be weird! But I think he was concerned about me being in the minority, so I let him know I'd hadn't had any issues with other lads ribbing me. He mentioned that he thought that it looked good and he had known some guys who had had the snip and thought it looked a lot neater and obviously was more hygienic. That had made him consider getting done himself but he had never done anything about it.
At what age were you circumcised?
I was 5 when I was circumcised.
"We all decided to wank. It ended up in a few of the boys having a feel and a tug of mine, then we focused on the porn."
What is the main reason you were circumcised?
I've never been properly told. My Dad just told me that I had trouble pissing when I was little and that I needed doing. Still unsure but I'm guessing it was phimosis.
Are you happy about being circumcised?
I really am now. I wasn't bothered as a kid, but then when I was in high school I was conscious of being different. I've played rugby since high school, which meant group showers. We also had them after PE. I was brought up in a very un-diverse area, so the majority of lads were of a white Christian background. This meant that I was the only circumcised guy on my rugby team and the only one that I knew of at all in high school. I wasn't teased or bullied for it like I know some other boys may have been. Luckily I didn't have a small dick and I think being sporty helped.
I did have a lot of banter off my mates though about it and was always asked if I was Jewish and still get called Snip Dick by my rugby mates to this day. Although I think of it was a nickname to be proud of, not an insult now.
It wasn't until 6th Form when a few of the local schools were mixed together, that there were three other circumcised guys I knew of. Two more on my rugby team and one in the rowing club I'd joined. I immediately felt a sense of relief and a bond with these guys. On my current rugby team, me and the other cut guys always end up next to each other. Unsure if this is on purpose or not?!
What is the best/worst thing about being circumcised?
The best thing to me is the aesthetic, I think a circumcised penis looks more masculine and adult. I can't comment on any loss of sensitivity as I don't know any different. One of the best things is the sensation I have. Not just on my glans but also the scar and the remaining bit of my fren (which I'm tempted to get pierced). I have a very good sex life and my partners have commented that they prefer my circumcised manhood.
Going back to sensitivity though, I definitely think a downside is that I can’t wear loose underwear or go commando as the rubbing of my exposed head on the fabric gives me an instant hard on! Bit awkward in public.
The worst thing for me was just growing up in the minority and some of the daft questions people did ask and sometimes still do. ‘How do you wank?’, ‘Doesn't it hurt all the time?’ etc. Although I'm more than happy going into that with anyone who asks.
Above all that though, my favourite thing has to be the 'brotherhood' or unspoken bond there is between cut lads. Especially in the UK and non-circumcising countries. It's the knowing looks between two cut guys when they see each other in the showers or changing room at the gym - or that feeling when someone you know tells you that they have been cut too. I've had a few chats with guys at urinals and on nude beaches who are in the cut club. I was recently asked about my cut cock in the gym by a guy as his son was getting done and he didn't have a clue about it. I love it.
Have you had any memorable conversations about circumcision with mates?
A fair few over the years! When I was 16 I went on a rugby training camp to France. While there, me and the lads I was sharing a room with started watching porn and inevitably got turned on. We all decided to wank, which then led to them asking me about my cock, how I wanked, did I need Vaseline? It ended up in a few of the boys having a feel and a tug of mine, then we focused on the porn. The male actor was cut, which I pointed out! We then had a bit of a contest to see who came first and the furthest. It had been a few days of no wanking by then, so we all blew a big load. Mine was second furthest (we stood up around a double bed and put a couple of towels down to catch the jizz and judge the distance).
Another time was at uni. I worked part-time as a chef and one night went out with another chef I'd had a crush on. While we were out, the topic of circumcision came up and he told me he was done as kid like me. We had a laugh about it and spoke about how we had both felt like the odd one out growing up. He then asked me to prove I'd been done! I was shocked but we both went to the toilet and I got my dick out and so did he. There was no touching, but we compared how they both looked and where are scar lines were. I still think about it now!
If you had a son, would you circumcise him?
I wouldn't get him done routinely, I think it should be his decision. I'd make sure he was aware that I was and also of the benefits. Though if he needed it doing for medical reasons, without a doubt, I'd have home done.
I've never been properly told. My Dad just told me that I had trouble pissing when I was little and that I needed doing. Still unsure but I'm guessing it was phimosis.
Are you happy about being circumcised?
I really am now. I wasn't bothered as a kid, but then when I was in high school I was conscious of being different. I've played rugby since high school, which meant group showers. We also had them after PE. I was brought up in a very un-diverse area, so the majority of lads were of a white Christian background. This meant that I was the only circumcised guy on my rugby team and the only one that I knew of at all in high school. I wasn't teased or bullied for it like I know some other boys may have been. Luckily I didn't have a small dick and I think being sporty helped.
I did have a lot of banter off my mates though about it and was always asked if I was Jewish and still get called Snip Dick by my rugby mates to this day. Although I think of it was a nickname to be proud of, not an insult now.
It wasn't until 6th Form when a few of the local schools were mixed together, that there were three other circumcised guys I knew of. Two more on my rugby team and one in the rowing club I'd joined. I immediately felt a sense of relief and a bond with these guys. On my current rugby team, me and the other cut guys always end up next to each other. Unsure if this is on purpose or not?!
What is the best/worst thing about being circumcised?
The best thing to me is the aesthetic, I think a circumcised penis looks more masculine and adult. I can't comment on any loss of sensitivity as I don't know any different. One of the best things is the sensation I have. Not just on my glans but also the scar and the remaining bit of my fren (which I'm tempted to get pierced). I have a very good sex life and my partners have commented that they prefer my circumcised manhood.
Going back to sensitivity though, I definitely think a downside is that I can’t wear loose underwear or go commando as the rubbing of my exposed head on the fabric gives me an instant hard on! Bit awkward in public.
The worst thing for me was just growing up in the minority and some of the daft questions people did ask and sometimes still do. ‘How do you wank?’, ‘Doesn't it hurt all the time?’ etc. Although I'm more than happy going into that with anyone who asks.
Above all that though, my favourite thing has to be the 'brotherhood' or unspoken bond there is between cut lads. Especially in the UK and non-circumcising countries. It's the knowing looks between two cut guys when they see each other in the showers or changing room at the gym - or that feeling when someone you know tells you that they have been cut too. I've had a few chats with guys at urinals and on nude beaches who are in the cut club. I was recently asked about my cut cock in the gym by a guy as his son was getting done and he didn't have a clue about it. I love it.
Have you had any memorable conversations about circumcision with mates?
A fair few over the years! When I was 16 I went on a rugby training camp to France. While there, me and the lads I was sharing a room with started watching porn and inevitably got turned on. We all decided to wank, which then led to them asking me about my cock, how I wanked, did I need Vaseline? It ended up in a few of the boys having a feel and a tug of mine, then we focused on the porn. The male actor was cut, which I pointed out! We then had a bit of a contest to see who came first and the furthest. It had been a few days of no wanking by then, so we all blew a big load. Mine was second furthest (we stood up around a double bed and put a couple of towels down to catch the jizz and judge the distance).
Another time was at uni. I worked part-time as a chef and one night went out with another chef I'd had a crush on. While we were out, the topic of circumcision came up and he told me he was done as kid like me. We had a laugh about it and spoke about how we had both felt like the odd one out growing up. He then asked me to prove I'd been done! I was shocked but we both went to the toilet and I got my dick out and so did he. There was no touching, but we compared how they both looked and where are scar lines were. I still think about it now!
If you had a son, would you circumcise him?
I wouldn't get him done routinely, I think it should be his decision. I'd make sure he was aware that I was and also of the benefits. Though if he needed it doing for medical reasons, without a doubt, I'd have home done.