Editing Glans penis (section)

===Foreskin===
The glans is completely or partially covered by a double-layered fold of skin, known as the [[foreskin]]. In adults, glans exposure can be easily achieved by manual retraction of the foreskin and sometimes automatically during [[erection]]. The degree of automatic foreskin retraction varies considerably depending on the foreskin length. The foreskin can be characterized as long when the preputial orifice extends beyond the glans during erection, or medium when the orifice is located around the meatus.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Velazquez |first1=Elsa F. |last2=Bock |first2=Adelaida |last3=Soskin |first3=Ana |last4=Codas |first4=Ricardo |last5=Arbo |first5=Manuel |last6=Cubilla |first6=Antonio L. |year=2003 |title=Preputial variability and preferential association of long phimotic foreskins with penile cancer: An anatomic comparative study of types of foreskin in a general population and cancer patients |journal=The American Journal of Surgical Pathology |volume=27 |issue=7 |pages=994–998 |doi=10.1097/00000478-200307000-00015 |issn=0147-5185 |pmid=12826892 |s2cid=34091663 |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12826892/ |url-status=live |access-date=2022-10-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108122414/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12826892/ |archive-date=2022-11-08 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> The primary purpose of the foreskin is considered to be the covering of the glans and the [[urinary meatus]],<ref>{{cite book |vauthors = Kirby R, Carson C, Kirby M |year=2009 |title=Men's Health |edition= 3rd |location=New York, NY |publisher=Informa Healthcare |isbn=978-1-4398-0807-8 |oclc=314774041 |page=283}}</ref><ref name=dobanavacki>{{cite journal |vauthors = Dobanovacki D, Lucić Prostran B, Sarac D, Antić J, Petković M, Lakić T|year = 2012 |title = Prepuce in boys and adolescents: What when, and how? |journal = Medicinski Pregled |volume = 65 |issue = 7–8 |pages = 295–300 |pmid = 22924249 |doi = 10.2298/MPNS1208295D |doi-access = free }}</ref> while also maintaining the [[Mucous membrane|mucosa]] in a moist environment.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cold |first1=C.J. |last2=Taylor |first2=J.R. |year=1999 |title=The prepuce |journal=BJU International |volume=83 |issue=S1 |pages=34–44 |doi=10.1046/j.1464-410x.1999.0830s1034.x |issn=1464-410X |doi-access=free |pmid=10349413 }}</ref> 

Foreskin rectractability gradually increases with age. In [[infancy]] the foreskin is fused to the glans.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dave |first1=Sumit |last2=Afshar |first2=Kourosh |last3=Braga |first3=Luis H. |last4=Anderson |first4=Peter |year=2018 |title=CUA guideline on the care of the normal foreskin and neonatal circumcision in Canadian infants |url=https://cuaj.ca/index.php/journal/article/view/5033 |journal=Canadian Urological Association Journal |language=en |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=E76–E99 |doi=10.5489/cuaj.5033 |pmid=29381458 |pmc=5937400 |issn=1920-1214 |quote=At birth, the inner foreskin is usually fused to the glans penis and should not be forcibly retracted |access-date=2022-10-29 |archive-date=2022-10-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221028075921/https://cuaj.ca/index.php/journal/article/view/5033 |url-status=live }}</ref> It remains non-retractable in early [[childhood]] and it continues to be tight during [[preadolescence]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Dave |first1=Sumit |last2=Afshar |first2=Kourosh |last3=Braga |first3=Luis H. |last4=Anderson |first4=Peter |year=2018 |title=CUA guideline on the care of the normal foreskin and neonatal circumcision in Canadian infants |journal=Canadian Urological Association Journal |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=E76–E99 |lang=en |doi=10.5489/cuaj.5033 |pmid=29381458 |pmc=5937400 |issn=1920-1214 |quote=...&nbsp;the incidence of non-retractable physiological phimosis was 50% in grade&nbsp;1 boys and decreased to 35% in grade&nbsp;4 and 8% in grade&nbsp;7 boys |url=https://cuaj.ca/index.php/journal/article/view/5033 |access-date=2022-10-29 |archive-date=2022-10-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221028075921/https://cuaj.ca/index.php/journal/article/view/5033 |url-status=live }}</ref> The skin begins to loosen up significantly during [[puberty]] allowing the glans to be completely exposed when needed. By the age of eighteen, most boys will have a fully retractable foreskin.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=McGregor |first1=Thomas B. |last2=Pike |first2=John G. |last3=Leonard |first3=Michael P. |date=2007 |title=Pathologic and physiologic phimosis: Approach to the phimotic foreskin |journal=Canadian Family Physician |lang=en |volume=53 |issue=3 |pages=445–448 |pmid=17872680 |pmc=1949079 |quote="most foreskins will become retractile by adulthood."}}</ref>

In some cases, for [[Circumcision#Society and culture|cultural]], [[Indication (medicine)|medical]], or [[Preventive healthcare|prophylactic]] reasons, some men undergo [[circumcision]] or were circumcised as infants, a procedure in which the foreskin is partially or completely removed from the penis.<ref name=":1"/> The glans of circumcised men remains fully exposed and dry. Several studies have suggested that, generally, the glans of both circumcised and uncircumcised penises are equally sensitive.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Bleustein |last1=Clifford B. |first2=James D. |last2=Fogarty |first3=Haftan |last3=Eckholdt |first4=Joseph C. |last4=Arezzo |first5=Arnold |last5=Melman |date=April 2005 |title=Effect of neonatal circumcision on penile neurologic sensation |journal=Urology |volume=65 |issue=4 |pages=773–777 |doi=10.1016/j.urology.2004.11.007 |pmid=15833526 }}</ref><ref>{{cite conference |last1=Bleustein |first1=Clifford B. |first2=Haftan |last2=Eckholdt |first3=Joseph C.|last3=Arezzo |first4=Arnold |last4=Melman |title=Effects of circumcision on male penile sensitivity |conference=American Urological Association 98th Annual Meeting |place=Chicago, IL |journal=Clinical Prostate Cancer |year=2003 |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=8–12 |doi=10.1016/s1540-0352(11)70011-7 |pmid=15046675 |url=http://www.cirp.org/library/sex_function/bleustein2/ |access-date=February 11, 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230211152204/http://www.cirp.org/library/sex_function/bleustein2/ |archive-date=February 11, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Payne |first1=Kimberley |last2=Thaler |first2=Lea |last3=Kukkonen |first3=Tuuli |last4=Carrier |first4=Serge |last5=Binik |first5=Yitzchak |date=May 2007 |title=Sensation and sexual arousal in circumcised and uncircumcised men |journal=Journal of Sexual Medicine |volume=4 |issue=3 |pages=667–674 |doi=10.1111/j.1743-6109.2007.00471.x |pmid=17419812}}</ref>