The Smart Penis

Abstract

The human penis is usually seen, by anatomists, as a patchwork of tissues with distinct and separate functions. Each function makes intuitive good sense; for instance, its skin covering facilitates sliding movement. The glans is seen as touch-sensitive and, therefore, an important source of erogenous sensation, which Guyton, in his standard book on human physiology, informs us is the main trigger of sexual reflexes. The frenulum, like the glans, is thought to have touch-sensory functions; at the same time it helps retain the foreskin on the supposedly sensitive glans. Corpus spongiosum surrounds and supports the long male urethra and may facilitate ejaculation. The question is whether this is the only function of the longest part of the penis, which forms the bulb of the penis at one end and glans at the other. From all this, it is reasonable to suppose that the penis is structured to physically support the glans and its function, namely, the generation of touch and then erogenous sensation which, in turn, is thought to be the main trigger of sexual reflexes including erection and ejaculation. Maybe so, maybe not.

Editors’ note: In 1996, Dr. John Taylor published his landmark anatomical paper, “The prepuce: specialized mucosa of the penis and its loss to circumcision,” in the British Journal of Urology (Cold and Taylor 1999). Dr. Taylor identified and named what is now known as Taylor’s Ridged Band, a vitally important structure that encircles the opening of the prepuce and houses 20,000–70,000 fine-touch sensory, erogenous nerve endings. These are the nerve endings that provide sensory and erogenous feedback to the brain and play a significant and dynamic role in the ejaculatory reflex of the intact penis.

Following further research, Dr Taylor, in collaboration with researcher Dr. Christopher Cold, published a follow-up paper entitled: “The prepuce.” This was also published by the BJU International (Taylor et al. 1996) (successor to the British Journal of Urology). The last sentence of this study reads, “As physicians and parents learn the normal anatomy and functions of the external genitalia, there will be greater understanding of its essential nature, and more attempts to limit its removal”.

Dr. Taylor’s work provided new and ground-breaking information about the anatomy and physiology of the intact human penis, thereby underscoring the importance of genital integrity to health and well-being.

Dr. Taylor was scheduled to deliver yet another paper on the same topic at the 11th International Symposium on Circumcision, Genital Integrity, and Human Rights at the University of California at Berkeley in 2010, but was unable to attend because of a terminal illness. Marilyn Milos delivered the paper at the symposium for Dr. Taylor. This chapter represents Dr. Taylor’s last contribution to the Genital Integrity Movement. His paper is included in this volume to honor Dr. John Taylor and his contributions to science, medicine, and human rights.

This author is deceased