Foreskin

The popular name for the prepuce, the loose fold of skin that covers the glans of the penis when it is flaccid and which retracts during erection. At birth, the foreskin is attached to the glans and is not retractable. It then separates over the first 3 to 4 years of life. The foreskin may be removed (see circumcision) for religious or medical reasons. In phimosis, the foreskin remains persistently tight after the age of 5, causing difficulty in passing urine and ballooning of the foreskin. There may also be recurrent balanitis (infection of the glans). In paraphimosis, the foreskin becomes stuck in the retracted position, causing painful swelling of the glans that needs emergency treatment.