Science has entered the contentious age-old debate about sexual sensitivity among circumcised versus uncircumcised men. And the news is good for those without foreskins.

A small study of 40 men, half of them circumcised, was carried out by Montreal's McGill University. The men, aged 18-45, were first assessed for sensitivity when not sexually aroused.

The study contradicts the widely-held belief that circumcised men experience less sexual pleasure than those who are uncircumcised.
(CBC)

The two groups were then shown erotic films and their arousal was tracked through thermal imaging of the penis and surface skin readings. The two readings were then charted.

Various stimuli were applied to the penile shaft, the glans and the underside of the forearm to develop a pain threshold profile of the individual during these arousal periods. The findings were then compared between the two study groups.

The study found no difference in sensitivity to touch or pain between the two groups, debunking the widely-held belief that uncircumcised men experience greater sexual pleasure.

"This study suggests that preconceptions of penile sensory differences between circumcised and uncircumcised men may be unfounded," said Kimberley Payne, a principal author of the study, in a release. 

The Canadian Institute for Health Information reports that in 1996/1997, circumcision was performed as a primary procedure on about 20 per cent of Canadian male newborns. But by 2005, this had declined to 9.2 per cent.