"Circumcision removes a piece of skin almost equivalent to a 3 x 5 index card." (Say No to Circumcision! 40 Compelling Reasons, by Thomas J. Ritter, MD, and George C. Denniston, MD. Second Edition. Hourglass Book Publishing, 1996)

[15 quarters will fit on a 3 x 5 index card with room to spare.]

"The prepuce is much more complex than the simple fold of skin described in textbooks. Its inner, mucosal surface contains a tightly pleated zone, near the tip, rich in nerve endings, particularly large mucocutaneous end- organs that are also described in the glans ... the prepuce is specialized junctional tissue with a special sensory function." ("The Prepuce: What, Exactly, Is Removed by Circumcision?," by John Taylor, M.B., FASC, Syllabus of Abstracts of the Second International Symposium on Circumcision, San Francisco, 1991, NOCIRC)

"With its high density of nerve endings, its rich blood supply, its muscle fibers which give both skin tone and shape to its structure, the foreskin is as unique as other skin organs such as the scrotum or the eyelids. As for receptor nerves, the frenulum (the web of tissue on the underside of the penis which helps to hold the foreskin forward over the glans, particularly when the penis is flaccid) is exceedingly rich in nerve endings ... The first advantage [of the intact penis] is, of course, the actual sensual sensations from the nerve endings within the foreskin itself ... These delightful sensations are the major source of pleasure during the earlier, foreplay phase of sexual arousal. As sexual arousal continues, the inner lining of the foreskin and the glans itself become increasingly exposed and responsive to stimulation." (The Joy of Uncircumcising! Restore Your Birthright and Maximize Sexual Pleasure, by Jim Bigelow, PhD, Hourglass Book Publishing, 1992)

"Much of the primary erotic stimulus comes from the skin ... two types of erogenous zones exist in the skin: nonspecific and specific ... the nonspecific regions perceive simply an exaggerated form of tickle ... it is the specific regions when one speaks of erotic sensations originating in the skin. The specific type of erogenous zones are found in the mucocutaneous regions which include the prepuce. This anatomy favors acute perceptions. The rete ridges are well formed and more of the organized nerve tissue rises higher (than in other skin-type regions). In the prepuce the mucocutaneous end-organs extend from the distal margin (tip) of the prepuce (down) to the site (on the shaft) at which the hairy skin begins, where they diminish and disappear." (The Erogenous Zones: Their Nerve Supply and Its Significance, by R. K. Winkelmann, Mayo Clinic, 1959, quoted in Foreskin, by Bud Berkeley and Joe Tiffenbach, Book Printing, San Francisco, 1983) [Omitted from the expanded, updated edition, Foreskin: A Closer Look, by Bud Berkeley, Alyson Publications, 1993]

"Anatomical studies demonstrate that the foreskin has a greater concentration of complex nerve endings than the glans." ("The Female Patient," by George Denniston, MD, MPH, July 1992.)

"The prepuce is a highly enervated and vascularized genital structure. It is entirely lined with the peripenic muscle sheet. Specialized ectopic sebaceous glands on the inner preputial surface produce natural emollients and lubricants necessary for normal sexual function. The primary orgasmic triggers are found in the preputial orifice and frenulum. When unfolded, the prepuce is large enough to cover the length and circumference of the erect penis and acts as a natural sheath through which the shaft glides during coitus. Only the presence and functions of the prepuce allow for physiologically normal coitus to occur as designed by nature." (Paul M. Fleiss, MD, MPH, and Frederick Hodges. American Medical News, Vol. 38, July 17, 1995, p. 16)