I understand from reading different sites on the Internet that I have the "Frenulum Breve" condition. The brevity is not severe - the foreskin comes back behind the glans even when erect but gets painful beyond that.

I didn't have a problem with this while masturbating or while having intercourse with a condom. But, ever since I'm having intercourse without a condom, I've experienced bruising, sorenes, and in one instance, bleeding from the frenulum. The bleeding incident happened when I was in an extremely dry environment (I'm not sure if dryness exacerbates the problem). The bleeding stopped spontaneously in a short while (minutes).

I understand that there is a surgical option of correcting this condition. However, I'd first like to try non-surgical options, if any are available. Are there any stretching or massaging exercises that I can do, with or without creams and oils?

Also, is this condition known to reduce the chances of conception?

Also, in the future, be sure you have enough lubrication.

I'm afraid you can't use this as an excuse for not using birth control!

hi i'm 52 and i have a frenulum problem its verry tight when errect it does go back but tightly it pulls last time i had sex it got torn i have a red mark which is very sore whats the quickest way for it to heal and whats the remedy for it not to happen again am i too old to stretch it as in the picture if not how often and how much do i stretch it and are there any other remedys i dont want surgery hope you can help
terry

Terry, for your information, 52 is not old. Got it? Yes, stretching, as in the picture will work for you too. I suggest doing the exercise no less than twice a day, but since you have your penis in hand several times a day to relieve yourself, why not take a few extra seconds or minutes to work in some extra reps? Healing should happen fairly rapidly if you refrain from sexual activities, but don't fail to manipulate the skin once the danger of opening up a wound is past. This will prevent any scarring from delaying progress.

Somehow I find it just a little difficult to postulate a great number of sites on the 'net discussing "Fraenulum Breve". The main one seems to be the "ARC Forum", which to my mind gives it a respectability that is thoroughly undeserved.

There are two substantial myths promoted by ARC - and others. The first is that "Fraenulum Breve" is somehow a quite different problem to a tight foreskin, while the second is that the foreskin is difficult to stretch, and the fraenulum *much* more difficult, almost impossible.

I tend to see this differently. One problem is that many people pontificate from the viewpoint of being circumcised - which is why they will tell you that it's "no big deal" to be circumcised because of course, it would be very upsetting indeed if they permitted themselves to realise and accept just how much sensitivity and functionality they have lost. In particular, many or most circumcised men have had their frenulum removed at least in part so that the foreskin "flattens out" completely on retraction, and they may try and tell you that's "how it should be".

In practice however, the fraenulum would appear to serve as a sort of "shock cord" like those used to tie a surfboard to your ankle, in this case, to cause the foreskin to slip back over the glans. In some men the effect of this is to "furl" the foreskin when the erection is lost, whilst in others, it tends to keep the foreskin over the glans even with an erection. Again from the circumcised "point of view", this is claimed to somehow restrict the sensations during intercourse because the corona - the "skirt" or widest part of the glans - is not "exposed".

But as you say, whatever limitation you may have, is not a problem - it works fine, *except* under certain conditions, and the exact condition you specify, is lack of lubrication. I specifically wonder in fact, whether it happens that when using a condom, you realise the necessity of lubrication on the *outside* of the condom, but are presuming it is not necessary when you do not use the condom. The solution might be as simple as using the same lubrication when you do not use the condom. Perhaps in fact, the condoms are lubricated, and this makes all the difference. In any case, you are objecting to the "drag" of thrusting (and we must presume you have a young, "tight" partner who has not yet had children) on the fraenulum.

The true difference between the foreskin and the fraenulum, as far as stretching goes, is that the former is the whole of the circumference of the penis, and the latter, just a narrow web. A given force has negligible effect when applied to the foreskin but is painful when applied to the tiny fraenulum - the exact problem you have with intercourse.

To stretch the fraenulum then, the procedure is exactly the same as to stretch the foreskin - you pull on it with a uniform pressure for some minutes at a time, many times a day (perhaps when you go to pee, or are sitting somewhere private and can put your hand down your trousers), but the force you use is far less than stretching a foreskin, sufficient to make it feel "tight" and a little uncomfortable, but not painful or causing actual tearing.

Jim has demonstrated the manner of doing this stretching, and reminded you to use plenty of lubrication whilst having intercourse without a condom (we won't go into the pros and cons of condoms ...). What you may expect to find, over no particular time period, is that firstly you feel less discomfort on the fraenulum itself both whilst "exercising" and in intercourse, and then if you continue to stretch, the foreskin will indeed be able to retract further and sit "flatter" on the penis. Of course you may in the event, forget about the stretching once it is comfortable, and intercourse itself will keep things that way, but it is generally recommended with any of these stretching exercises, that you do it with "overkill" - for some time after you achieve the desired effect, to "set" the alteration.

Betamethasone or Triamcinolone ointment (but not others), applied twice daily in only the tiniest amount to the very fraenulum itself and nowhere else, would speed the process if you had it on hand already, but we generally do not recommend seeking it out, partly because to do so invites the attention of doctors to try and convince you to "have some surgery" instead. To be honest, doctors are *not* used to dealing with patients who are willing to take responsibility and solve problems themselves with daily effort.

Finally, the question about conception, to which Jim has given you the short answer. Let me explain clearly: If you are wishing to make your partner pregnant, given that she is fertile, your task is *nothing* more nor less than to ejaculate a few spurts of semen fully into her vagina. Once you do that, your job is essentially, finished, and it makes virtually no difference whether this happens in five seconds, or after an hour. It is however suggested that her orgasm facilitates conception and I strongly believe that some women actually do ovulate in response to intercourse and orgasm.

Unless you can suggest some way in which "Fraenulum Breve" will prevent you from ejaculating, then there is no manner in which it will affect fertility. You may perhaps see the suggestion on some sites, that men with phimosis - inability to retract the foreskin, cannot on the one hand, have intercourse and therefore, will be infertile. This notion is unbelievably absurd, and is most certainly not in any manner, reality as there are plenty of men - millions if you consider worldwide - who not only have phimosis, but are generally unaware that it represents any sort of "problem" at all or is actually abnormal or unusual, having happily been married, sexually active and fathering the usual cohort of children. They can of course, urinate perfectly normally, and the semen comes out the same way, so conception is not affected in the slightest.

We would as always, greatly appreciate your subsequent "progress reports" regarding your success, or any further difficulties with which we can help.