For as long as I could remember I hated having a foreskin and admired the penises of my circumcised friends.

  As a small child, another uncut friend and I used to 'circumcise' each other by pretending to be doctors. We would lie on the bed and take turns in pulling each others' foreskin right back. We called the 'dick skin pullbacks' and thought it was too late for us to be circumcised. We also tried, in vain, to keep our foreskins back with rubber bands and sticky tape.

  By the way, my father was circumcised, but my grandfather, my brothers, most sons of family friends and all my male cousins were not. I went to a primary school with many Greek and Italian kids, none of whom were cut. Most of the 'Australian' kids were circumcised, which made me feel left out.

  My fascination with the subject grew. When I reached puberty I fooled around a few times with a circumcised friend who had a fantastic, sleek penis that I was immensely jealous of. I wanted to have one just like him. Around this time I again tried to keep my foreskin back with rubber bands, super glue and tape. Nothing worked. I also realised, to my joy, that the foreskin could be pulled back when I masturbated. God only knows why I hadn't thought of this earlier. What a revelation!

  When I started to have girlfriends I hated them seeing my penis. I thought the foreskin was ugly (although, as far as foreskins go, mine wasn't that bad). A couple of them had had guys with cut cocks before and told me they liked that better ('they're smoother', 'it feels better', etc). I also hated the feeling of my foreskin rolling around inside. With one of my girlfriends, there was a 'click' each time I withdrew, which did not add to the experience.

  I always used to pull back my foreskin when I went to the toilet and like to keep it pulled back. Invariably it would roll back over the glans, catching pubic hair on the way. In my early 20s, I made a device to keep my foreskin back during sex. I couldn't believe how good it felt.

  At the time I was going out with a girl who had no strong feelings about circumcision one way or the other although said it felt better with my foreskin held back during sex.

  It was then that I took the plunge and went to see a doctor, who referred me to a specialist who did the operation about a month later. He cut me about 2cm back from the glans and I am fairly happy with the results, although would have liked to have the scar a bit further back.

  I was having sex within about five weeks and couldn't believe how different it was. Instead of feeling the skin, I could feel my girlfriend's vagina enveloping my penis right to the base, a feeling that was totally new to me.

  She says she didn't really notice the difference, although said she could feel the head of my penis more. It was, and still is, amazing seeing the bare head of my penis every time I went to the toilet, showered or masturbated; it was a sight I thought I would never see. When I had a foreskin, I would hide my penis from everyone. I hated people to see it. Now I am proud of it and love people to know that I have a beautifully sleek, cut penis hanging between my legs

  My current girlfriend found out by chance (in my presence, very embarrassing) from another friend that I was not cut as an infant. I already knew she hated foreskins, and she said what a great thing it was that I had had myself circumcised. She says she might not have started going out with me if I had a foreskin. Most of my female friends and all my gay male friends love cut penises and hate foreskin with a passion.

  Getting circumcised was one of the smartest things I've ever done.

  However, it hasn't dampened my enthusiasm (it's possibly an obsession) for reading and talking about the subject, especially stories from women about how much they love circumcised penises.

  I think my life, and certainly my teenage years, would have been significantly different if my parents had had me circumcised as an infant. I think I certainly would have been more sexually active had I not been so aware and embarrased of my foreskin.

  It's a subject I've never talked to my parents about and would be too embarrased, considering they know how I feel (but they don't know I've had it done) and know I used to play doctors with my young friend. From some asides they've made I believe they think it's their one failure as parents. I would tend to agree. But who knows, if they had done it, I might have resented it and now be in the process of restoring my foreskin (although I like to hope not!).

  All I can say is that I'm so glad that I'm now rid of the ugly bit of excess skin that once covered my penis and would encourage any uncut man to do it without hesitation.

  I have never missed my foreskin and don't think I ever will.

Email: cutlate@hotmail.com