Do I need a GP referral to see a urologist?

[VersionRoberts]

Or can I simply arrive at a urology clinic?

[Hidden]

I called and set an appointment myself.

[Hidden]

Where do you live

[VersionRoberts in reply to Hidden]

In the UK

[Hidden in reply to VersionRoberts]

It's from a gp referral m8

[VersionRoberts]

Alright, thanks.

[Skertchly]

In NZ you can make an appointment but it’s expensive.

[jonblane]

In the UK the GPs are the gatekeepers to the specialists.

You won't see an urology specialist without a referral from your GP ( unless you were keen to pay privately ).

What's the problem anyway ? lol

[VersionRoberts in reply to jonblane]

Thanks for the info.

While I’m quite young, my foreskin is still attached to the glans and I just want to see if there’s a medical issue ie phimosis.

[jimfromfresno in reply to VersionRoberts]

What do you mean attached? Is the foreskin stuck to the glans

[jonblane]

Well do you have any difficulty or pain on urinating or when masturbating ?

As it happens there is a very interesting film on Netflix at the moment about the controversy in the US over infant circumcision.

It's a big moral issue which is what the film is mostly about.

However, mixed in with that discussion there are docs who explain what the foreskin is and does.

Mention is made of the fact that the foreskin usually of its own volition detaches from the glans during childhood, though it can take through the teens to get there in some cases.

Yours might be one of those cases ~but worth seeing a skin specialist ( via your GP ) who may wish to keep you under review for a few years.

If you don't have any pain or other probs with it at the moment I would not expect the first dermatologist you see to recommend circumcision ~but if s/he does ask for a second opinion before going ahead.

[VersionRoberts in reply to jonblane]

I’m in no pain at all, what’s the name of this film? Sounds very interesting

[jonblane in reply to VersionRoberts]

Can't recall the name of the film but if you have Netflix you can find it under Recently Added or use the search facility.

It IS a fascinating film. Although, as I say, it is about the political struggle by Intactivists to get infant circumcision banned ( the equivalent op in females was banned in 1996, apparently ) there is a lot of interesting stuff in there related to that ~such as how important it is to keep the foreskin unless there is some genuine medical reason to chop it off. ( Which, after all, is what you would expect ~ if it is there then nature has evolved it for a reason. )

Interesting question : do apes and so on have foreskins ? Do dogs ?

[VersionRoberts]

When is the frenulum supposed to detach?