# Underside of DS penis is red along the "stem"



## Katherine Caldera (Jul 13, 2014)

My 8 yr old, intact, DS complained that his penis was stinging and thought that it was b/c he spilt a little pee on himself. So we got him into the shower to rinse off and he cringed upon touching his penis. It looked totally normal, no red spots visible, at first. But on the underside of his penis I could see a bright red line, running from the base to the head of his penis. The red is exactly along that "stem". What is that thickened, ligament looking part of the penis that looks like a ridge line or a stem actually called? 
The tip of his penis looked fine, but when he gently pulled back his foreskin a little bit (just like he does when he washes) I could see that the tip underneath the foreskin was a bit red also. 
What kind of infection is this that makes that line on the under side of the penis turn red? 
Hoping to do natural home care for this.He wants to avoid the doctor. Any guesses yall have would help. 
Baking Soda bath seemed to soothe him enough to go to sleep. It's been hot here lately, so I'm hoping this is just an irritation due to sweat and/or laundry detergent or something simple to fix.


----------



## hakunangovi (Feb 15, 2002)

That line is called the "raphe" and is the seam where the two parts of the penis came together and joined when he was developing in utero. All penises have one and it is often red. Go to www.circumstitions.com and they have a glossary of terms describing the various parts of a penis. Often the tip of a foreskin is more red than the rest. Your observations do not really indicate an issue or point to a reason why your son is experiencing stinging. It may just be "separation trauma" which occurs when the inner lining of the foreskin detaches from the surface of the glans , creating raw spots that heal within a day or two. This is a normal process that is triggered by hormones and happens at widely varying ages. You did not say whether he is able to retract his foreskin. If not, then the separation process is one step, along with widening of the tip that takes place in order for retraction to be possible.


----------



## Canadian Guy (Sep 4, 2014)

*Penis care*

The line along the length of the shaft on the underside is the raphe. The ligament part you speak of is called the frenulum. It is one of the most sensitive parts of the penis and is where the foreskin will remain attached to the glans(head) when it becomes retractable.
You have to be VERY careful with pulling back the foreskin. You said he is 8 years of age, so I expect that his foreskin is not yet retractable. The average age at which that happens is 10.6 years.
You said he pulled back his foreskin a little bit. If he pulled it too far back, that would cause pain. The foreskin is attached to the head of the penis similar to the way your finger nail is attached to the finger. If you pull the nail up some or stick something under it, you are breaking the connecting membrane and causing soreness, irritation and pain. The same thing happens with the foreskin on the penis until it detaches and becomes retractable.
Some boys foreskins don't become retractable until in teen years or later.
If the foreskin gets pulled back too far prior to it becoming retractable on it's own, it can cause problems, which can be somewhat serious. The ripping or tearing will try to heal and this can cause skin adhesions which can prevent the foreskin from retracting properly later on.
It is VERY important to NOT try to retract the foreskin prior to it doing so on it's own first. I think mine retracted around the time I was 11 or 12 and came as a bit of a surprise to me while washing one day. My parents had not informed me this would happen and it almost scared me at first. I can remember it happening quite vividly but not my exact age at the time. I'm 48 now and have had no problems whatsoever. I think most everybody around my age where I grew up were intact and I only heard of 1 person having any problems, and I think that was because he pulled the foreskin back forcefully before it was ready. I would put up quite a fight if somebody tried to cut off my foreskin, so I can only imagine what it must be like for a child who is circumcised and what they are missing once they become an adult.


----------

