If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day.

OVERVIEW

What is paraphimosis?

Paraphimosis is a serious condition that can happen to people who have penises and who haven’t been circumcised. (Circumcision is when the foreskin of the penis is removed, usually in the first few days after birth.)  Paraphimosis means the foreskin is stuck behind the head of the penis and can’t be pulled back down into a normal position.

Paraphimosis can happen to any uncircumcised penis. It is most common in younger and older people. It is a medical emergency and needs to be treated quickly.

SYMPTOMS

The main symptoms of paraphimosis include:

• Not being able to pull the foreskin back to its normal position
• Swelling of the end of the penis
• Discomfort and pain

Other symptoms could include:

• Redness and tenderness
• Trouble urinating

If you can’t pull your foreskin over the head of your penis, you should contact your healthcare provider right away.

CAUSES & RISK FACTORS

What causes paraphimosis?

Uncircumcised people sometimes pull the foreskin back during sex, when they go to the bathroom or when they clean their penises. Healthcare providers and nurses might pull the foreskin back when they examine the penis or put in a catheter.

Sometimes you, a healthcare provider or a nurse might forget to pull the foreskin back down. If the foreskin is left behind the head of the penis too long, your penis might swell so much that the foreskin is trapped behind it.

Other causes of paraphimosis:

• An infection. This can happen when the area is not washed well.
• An injury to the area. Injury can happen from vigorous sex, a piercing, scarring from repeated infection, or an insect or spider bite.
• A circumcision that wasn’t done correctly.
• Diabetes, which can cause chronic inflammation of the penis and foreskin.

PREVENTION

Can paraphimosis be prevented or avoided?

The only way to completely prevent paraphimosis from happening is by being circumcised. If you are not circumcised, you can still avoid paraphimosis by:

• Always pulling the foreskin back down to its natural position. This could be after having sex, going to the bathroom, or cleaning yourself
• Never leave the foreskin behind the head of your penis for any longer than you need to.
• Checking to be sure that the foreskin is covering the head of your penis after a catheter is put into your bladder.

TREATMENT

The first thing your healthcare provider will do is treat the swelling. This can be done by pressing your penis with a hand or by wrapping your penis in a tight bandage. After the swelling has gone away, your healthcare provider should be able to pull the foreskin back down. If the foreskin remains stuck, your healthcare provider might need to make a small cut in the trapped foreskin to loosen it.

Living with paraphimosis

If paraphimosis is diagnosed and treated quickly, you shouldn’t have any other problems. If the condition is left untreated, it can cause complications. It could disrupt blood flow to the tip of the penis. Though rare, this could lead to damage to the penis tip, gangrene, or loss of the penis tip.