Why do/did you have foreskin?

The foreskin occupies a prominent position on an important organ. The foreskins location and structure indicate that it is the most important sensory tissue of the penis. Its persistence over millions of years suggests that it has played a role in the propagation of the species.

A well-integrated organ

Structurally, the penis is highly integrated. The glans, foreskin and skin of the penile shaft function as a single unit, not as a collection of separate parts with entirely different functions. The functions of the glans and foreskin are similar, and overlapping, but come fully into their own at different times during intercourse.

Simple sensations

The outer surface of the foreskin is specialized to detect feather-light touch and other sensations, including painful ones. The infamous zipper injury is an extreme example of the sort of damage the outer skin was designed to detect and prevent, long before the zipper posed a threat to the uninitiated.

Compared with the true (outer) skin of the foreskin, the glans is only feebly sensitive to light touch, pain, heat and cold. This is part of the reason we call the foreskin the primary sensory tissue of the penis. Without the foreskin, the end of the penis is numb to a host of sensations that tell the owner whether one of his most prized organs is in good company, or should move to safety.

Complex sensations

Thanks to its ridged band, the inner lining of the foreskin is specialized sexual tissue. The ridged band readily expands and contracts and is obviously designed to detect stretching forces. When penile shaft skin tugs on the ridged band, special genital corpuscles in the peaks of the ridges detect movement and trigger ejaculation. Stretching of the ridged band may also trigger and sustain erection.

Electrical stimulation of the glans triggers nerve impulses that pass to the spinal cord and then to the muscle of ejaculation. Clearly the glans has much in common with the foreskin. Where foreskin and glans part company, functionally as well as physically, is in their sensitivity to light touch, pain and heat and cold. Contrary to common opinion, the glans is not highly sensitive to a broad range of stimuli.

Foreskin vs. glans

It is unclear whether the ridged band simply plays backup for the glans, or whether the two have different functions. The location of the retracted ridged band on the erect penile shaft suggests that the difference is one of timing. Possibly, the foreskin and its ridged band are designed to ensure that sexual reflexes are triggered when, and only when, these structures are stretched during intercourse. The biological importance of the ridged band to conception is self-evident, but there is still a major gap in our understanding of the relation between form and function of the penis.

Dartos muscle

Penile skin has two important characteristics, apparent only on erection. Firstly penile skin tenses, stiffens and shortens, firming up the connection between shaft skin and ridged band. This change allows for the transmission of movement from the base of the erect penis to the ridged band.

Secondly, penile skin undergoes a marked frictional change, brought about by stiff, forward-pointing skin folds. The mechanism is similar to that which raises goosebumps.

The changes in penile skin are brought about by contraction of the Dartos muscle. Between them, stiffening and frictionality ensure that the ridged band is instantly alerted to changes in position of the penis within the vagina.

Why two layers?

The double-layering of the foreskin allows the delicate ridged band, which normally is safely hidden from view, to be deployed on the upper surface of the penile shaft during erection. There it stands a better chance of being activated. Double-layering also eases vaginal entry by offsetting the frictional resistance of erect shaft skin.

Summary

The various parts of the penis, including the foreskin, form a functional whole. The foreskin is the primary sensory tissue of the penis. The ridged band of the foreskin is built to trigger and ejaculation.

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FIND OUT MORE!

SUBJECT PLAYLIST

Representing Yourself in UK Family Courts

http://lipfamilycourts.blogspot.com/

Shared Parenting Research

http://sharedparentingresearch.blogspot.com/

CAFCASS

http://cafcasscourts.blogspot.com/

Parental Alienation Syndrome PAS

http://intractablehostility.blogspot.com/

The Welfare of the Child in UK Family Proceedings

http://welfareofchildren.blogspot.com/

COMMENTS

“Very many thanks for sending me a copy of your interesting and informative guide on ‘even Toddlers Need Fathers’. I much appreciate your drawing my attention to it”.
PROFESSOR SIR MICHAEL RUTTER, 13th March 2002.

“I am very grateful to all those, like yourself who have written and particularly where you have been able to demonstrate your own thinking from the experiences you have had. Congratulations on your battle”.
Former UK Home Secretary and father DAVID BLUNKETT, 22 March 2005.

“The PRIME MINISTER has asked me to thank you for your recent letter and enclosure. The Prime Minister does not issue photographs of his children and therefore has to decline your request. He has
however asked me to pass on his best wishes”.
1O DOWNING STREET, 8 March 2001.

“It was thoughtful of you to enclose a copy of your book ‘even Toddlers Need Fathers’ and HER MAJESTY has noted your concerns”.
BUCKINGHAM PALACE, 26 July 2006.

LINKS

WEBSITE
‘even Toddlers Need Fathers’ – not for profit
http://www.eventoddlersneedfathers.com

YouTUBE VIDEO CHANNEL
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=evenToddlers

TWITTER
http://twitter.com/evenToddlers

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“Their families will say ‘it’s the wrong thing to go to the courts, what will society think about you?’” said Sana Masood, the legal coordinator with Pakistan’s Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF).

The nation remains without a domestic violence law. It has been drafted, but lawmakers say it is still under debate because a senator from a hardline Islamic party raised objections and sent the bill back to parliament…..

Acid attacks are rising, with ASF recording 48 cases in 2009 and Masood says countless more probably go unreported because of social stigma. That is up from about 30 cases in 2007, a rise that Masood says could be blamed on increased stress in people’s lives as the country’s economy deteriorates.

Farhat was just 13 years old when a man threw acid in her face in 2003 because her parents refused to let him marry her….. Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry took a personal interest in the case, and recommended that the government pass new legislation to control the sale of acid and increase punishment for acid attacks.

…..industrial-strength acid used in cotton processing can be bought by anyone for just a few dollars. “Because of its easy accessibility to the general public, for very stupid domestic issues they will just throw acid on each other,” she said. “It does not only destroy a person’s face but it destroys a person’s life.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatnews/6935405/Pakistans-acid-attack-victims-pin-hope-on-new-laws.html

Pakistan edges closer to banning domestic violence – ”People don’t appreciate women who go to police stations,” the 38-year-old says. ”I just thought it was my destiny, my fate.”

Rights advocates hope a proposed law banning domestic violence will chip away at such attitudes, giving women a more even playing field and bringing Pakistan in line with a growing number of developing nations that have outlawed spousal abuse.

But several lawmakers in Parliament are objecting, claiming the law could tear apart the social fabric by undermining families.

Violence against women is a widespread phenomenon in Pakistan, a Muslim-majority nation of 175 million where most people are poor, only half the adults can read and extremist ideologies, including the Taliban’s, are gaining traction….. surveys have shown up to 80 per cent of wives in rural parts of Pakistan fear physical violence from their husbands, while 50 per cent of women in urban areas admit their husbands beat them, according to a 2009 US State Department report on Pakistan.

”It happens even in good families — wealthier families,” says Yasmeen Rehman, the sponsor of the bill now stuck in a committee in Parliament. ”In the rural areas, it’s almost like a habit for the men.”

The bill lays out a broad definition of domestic violence beyond assault, including emotional abuse, stalking and wrongful confinement. Depriving a spouse of money or other resources needed to survive is also considered a violation.

The bill strives to cover everyone in a household, including elderly parents, children and husbands. It also sets up local ”protection committees,” which are required to include women and empowered to file complaints on behalf of victims.

Abusers can face months or years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines if they violate court protection orders, the bill says.

Under current Pakistani law, women could turn to anti-assault statutes, but unless they are severely beaten, such claims are hard to prove, activists say. Police are rarely willing to interfere in domestic matters and often don’t take women seriously.

Most women are unwilling to report on a family member, especially if he’s the breadwinner, and they give in to societal pressure to just put up with the abuse…..

”Laws are very good, but unless and until you change the mindset of the people, things won’t change,” said Nayyar Shabana Kiyani, who has worked on the legislation as part of the The Aurat Foundation….. http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/04-pak-domestic-violence-qs-11

Acid attacks a serious concern in Pakistan http://www.ethicsinaction.asia/archive/2010-ethics-in-action/vol.-4-no.-1-february-2010/acid-attacks-a-serious-concern-in-pakistan (see PICS)

http://www.123muslim.com/discussion-room/8107-acid-attacks-women-horrific-act.html

http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/country,,IRIN,,PAK,,498ab6421e,0.html

Pakistan’s Acid-Attack Victims Fight Back http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1971124,00.html

Misogyny …is hatred (or contempt) of women or girls http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misogyny

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_throwing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudood_Ordinance

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www.CWGL.rutgers.edu

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Today we pay special tribute to those who provide services to crime victims and have shown leadership, innovation, and commitment to improving services, Goddard said. These men and women are shining examples of the extraordinary efforts made every day to be sure that victims are treated with fairness, dignity and respect.”

Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Rebecca W. Berch and U. S. Attorney Dennis K. Burke also addressed the honorees at todays ceremony at the Carnegie Center, adjacent to the Attorney Generals Office in Phoenix.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Roland Steinle received the Distinguished Service Award for Innovative Practices for his unique program in the collection of delinquent restitution payments for crime victims. The new programs inspiration came from the process for collecting late child support payments in family court, which has been highly successful. The concept has received national attention, and Judge Steinle has been invited to Washington D.C. to speak about the program to the National Center for Victims of Crime. To date, the Restitution Court has ordered over $200,000 in delinquent restitution for crime victims.

Goddard also presented the Public Policy Distinguished Service Award to Bobbi Sudberry from the Arizona Coalition against Domestic Violence and co-founder of Kaitys Way. Bobbi lost her daughter tragically to dating violence and has been instrumental in getting Kaitys law enacted in honor of her daughter, Kaitlyn.

Distinguished Service Awards for Leadership were presented to Dr. Neil Websdale, professor of criminology and criminal justice at Northern Arizona University, and Sue Rutherford, executive director for the Trauma Intervention Program (TIP) of Arizona.

In 2008, through a Governors Office initiative to protect domestic violence victims, Dr. Websdale created the fatality review teams to make system changes that would safeguard victims and prevent domestic violence-related deaths. Dr. Websdale has authored books on domestic violence, worked as a past national director of the Domestic Violence Fatality Review initiative and helped craft legislation giving review teams legal protection.

Sue Rutherford was instrumental in creating the Yavapai Chapter of the Trauma Intervention Program of Arizona. This group of trained volunteers provides emotional aid and practical support to victims and their families following a traumatic event. Additionally, she implemented the first automatic call system for TIPs in the country. Working with various agencies, they developed a system where specific types of calls are automatically dispatched by the 911 system at the same time police and fire are dispatched. This has tremendously improved response time.

The Distinguished Service Award for Service Collaboration was presented to the F.B.I. Phoenix Divisions Squad C-4. Supervisor Special Agent Julie A. Halferty of this squad formed the Securities Fraud and Mortgage Fraud Task Force to address the plight of crime victims. These multidisciplinary teams, comprised of law enforcement agencies, the I.R.S., lending institutions, the US Postal services and the Arizona Corporation Commission have coordinated efforts to combat mortgage and securities fraud that has swept Arizona.

Finally, the Distinguished Service Award for Advocacy and Direct Service was presented to Pamela Turner for her work with the Northern Arizona Center against Sexual Assault (NACASA). In 2001, she led the charge to establish NACASA, the first program of its kind in this region to serve three counties, the Navajo and Hopi nations and the Grand Canyon National park.

To reach the Attorney Generals Office of Victim Services, please contact victimservices@azag.gov or (602) 542-5025. Additional information is available at the Attorney Generals Office Web site, www.azag.gov.

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Compares womens voting rights discrimination in the past, with men’s pension rights discrimination in the present day. Looks at the consequences for men regarding lifespan.
Also considers another example of discrimination against men from the US, concerning registration for the military draft.

Forms part of the Equality: Suffrage and UK Voting Rights film on this channel, but I thought it worth it’s own short clip.

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Suzana Rose, Ph.D. of NVAWPRC:
“Violence appears to be about as common among lesbian couples as among heterosexual couples.”
http://www.musc.edu/vawprevention/lesbianrx/factsheet.shtml

One study that has been used to criticize same sex couples based upon domestic abuse prevalence was reviewed by the NVAWPRC, concluding that:

Suzana Rose, Ph.D. of NVAWPRC:
“Abuse was as prevalent among lesbian relationships studied here (55%) as it was in heterosexual relationships (37 to 55%). Questions concerning perpetrating abuse need to distinguish between actions taken in self-defense and actions initiated by the aggressor. This point was not assessed here. Findings are limited by the selective recruiting of participants. Those solicited at a workshop on lesbian battering may have been more likely than a more general sample of lesbians to have been in abusive relationship.”
http://www.musc.edu/vawprevention/lesbianrx/violence.shtml

Another NVAWPRC source identifies a slightly different range of domestic violence among the general population:

Vera E. Mouradian, Ph.D. of NVAWPRC:
“statistics indicate that somewhere between 23 percent (Straus, Gelles, & Steinmetz, 1980) and 66 percent (Roy, 1982) of American women are physically assaulted by a spouse or cohabitant lover during their lifetimes”
http://www.musc.edu/vawprevention/research/ipvestimates.shtml

The key points here being that:

- Domestic abuse prevalence is not an exact science/ statistic yet and/or there are many inaccurate studies.
- Heterosexual prevalence of domestic abuse could just as likely be higher than homosexual statistics.
- If it was, would this mean that homosexuals should be entitled to adoption etc and all heterosexuals should be banned from it?

Further evidence:

American Bar Association:
“11% of lesbians reported violence by their female partner and 15% of gay men who had lived with a male partner reported being victimized by a male partner.
Patricia Tjaden, Symposium on Integrating Responses to Domestic Violence: Extent and Nature of Intimate Partner Violence (2003).”
http://www.abanet.org/domviol/statistics.html#same-sex

Conservative households, unmarried couples and racial minorities all have a higher likelihood of domestic abuse:

Tjaden & Thoennes, U.S. Dep’t of Just:
“Results from these studies suggest that same-sex couples are about as violent as heterosexual couples”

“Results from these studies show that unmarried, cohabiting couples have higher rates of intimate partner violence than do married couples, (racial) minorities have higher rates of intimate partner violence than do whites.”

“Research shows that wife assault is more common in families where power is concentrated in the hands of the husband or male partner and the husband makes most of the decisions.”
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubs-sum/181867.htm
Patricia Tjaden & Nancy Thoennes, U.S. Dep’t of Just., NCJ 181867, Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence (2000).

State benefit recipients also have high risk of domestic abuse:

American Bar Association:
“In a recent study of two California counties (Kern and Stanislaus) public benefits recipients had lifetime abuse rates of 80 percent and 83 percent, respectively.”
Joan Meisel, Daniel Chandler & Beth Menees Rienzi, Domestic Violence Prevalence and Effects on Employment, Violence Against Women (2003).
http://www.abanet.org/domviol/statistics.html#welfare

Carrie Brown, Journal of Family Violence:

Carrie Brown:
“gender-role socializations and heterosexism create and enforce stigmas and obstacles for validation and reporting of this abuse.”
http://www.springerlink.com/content/r721857070871538/

General Information on Same Sex domestic violence: http://www.uwstout.edu/cvpp/same_gender_stats.html

Conclusions:

- Arguments based on domestic abuse would involve the banning of racial minorities, those who have been on state benefits, conservative households and many other groups from adoption.
- At worse, same sex couples have domestic abuse rates no higher than opposite sex couples.
- Heterosexism and gender role stereotypes are detrimental to attempts to prevent/ resolve domestic abuse.
- Any attempts to use domestic abuse statistics against homosexuals are therefore doubly flawd as well as hypocritical.
- As married couples are less likely to suffer domestic abuse than cohabiting couples, LGBT people should be granted marriage rights (if heterosexists consider arguments from a domestic violence prevalence perspective to be valid).

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