Patient's question:
I often hear people talk about phimosis and foreskin, and I frequently see similar advertisements on TV, but I've always been confused about the difference between phimosis and foreskin. When I'm not erect, I can force it to retract, but when I'm erect, I can't. Is this phimosis or just foreskin? I really don't understand.Doctor's answer:
Hello, phimosis refers to a condition where the foreskin opening is too small, making it impossible for the foreskin to retract and reveal the glans penis; while excessive foreskin means the foreskin covers the entire glans penis, but the foreskin opening is not too small and can retract to reveal the glans penis.Phimosis has two types: physiological phimosis and pathological phimosis. In physiological phimosis, the foreskin can be retracted to reveal the glans penis with manual manipulation during an erection, or it may even retract spontaneously during an erection. Most cases of phimosis are physiological, so they do not pose any obstacle to sexual activity.