HomeAnswersToxicologytoxic chemical substancesI used scotch tape on my penis. Will it cause birth defects?

I put scotch tape on penis to regenerate foreskin. Will my babies have birth defects?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Medically reviewed by

iCliniq medical review team

Published At July 9, 2018
Reviewed AtFebruary 17, 2024

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

To make a long story short, I used scotch tape and micropore tape respectively on my penis. Two straps of tape were attached to the penis in the form of a cross, so that they met in the tip of the penis' head, while the ends went all the way down to the skin of the shaft. This allowed the tape to pull the skin of the shaft up when the penis became erect. Here, I also attached the tape also to the foreskin that was left after circumcision had been performed on me during infancy. This also allowed the tape to put tugging force directly on the mucous membranes so that force could stimulate a supposed process of mitosis. I thought that direct pulling force on the mucous membranes, or the inner skin of the foreskin, would be ideal in my effort to regenerate the foreskin that I had. More than a decade later, I realized that this sort of behavior could be dangerous since after all, adhesives comprising these tapes are chemicals and mucous membranes are known to absorb chemicals. I am not aware of what specific kinds of chemicals are at work, except that they are pressure-sensitive adhesives that include acrylics. I am also not aware of the processes involved in a mucous membrane absorbing chemicals, or whether that process also applies to artificial chemicals such as pressure-sensitive adhesives.Will I be okay? Will this increase the chances of me having children with birth defects, or will this make me unable to have a baby and what not? Thank you.

Answered by Dr. Arul Amuthan L

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com. I could not understand what made you do this practice and what benefit would you expect in this practice? There are no scientific studies available to support using this practice. Let me give my opinion. First of all, themucous membrane is one of the highly sensitive areasin our body. Better do not let hard substances come in contact with that, that will hurt it. This could lead to inflammation and pain. Due to a rich blood supply in the penis, there is a chance for absorption through it. Definitely, it will not increase the chances of defective children. The child genetic/defect will never be based on this. So, be confident. This will have no role in affecting the baby issues. Basically, this practice has no benefit in any aspect. It may produce local inflammation or irritation on the penile tip (glans penis). I suggest you consult an andrologist or psychiatrist or sexologist for your specific problem. There are few drugs to manage premature ejaculation (early ejaculation), less erection, or other issues. It is not advisable to practice this tape sticking.

Patient's Query

Thank you doctor,

What would be the symptoms that would allow a doctor (or me, over-the-counter) to know that chemical adhesive was absorbed in the mucous membrane of the foreskin or the glans penis? The glans penis was 'keratinized' because of chafing after circumcision, so it hurt much less when I put scotch tape on it. Apparently, there were some reputable doctors who I believed backed this practice, because they were openly against circumcision, particularly neonatal. So then, I believed these practices were not unhealthy. Can I conclude that other than local inflammation/irritation, the absorption of these chemicals through the mucosa of the penis will not influence my health in any other way, not limiting the discussion to sperm quality, bladder and urethral health, blood poisoning via circulation of the chemicals, brain damage due to the circulation of such chemicals, and other cardiovascular symptoms?

Answered by Dr. Arul Amuthan L

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com. Adhesive or other types of tapes do not release chemicals to enter into the body. Mucus parts such as eyes, nose, mouth, anus, etc., have more vascularity on the surface itself. Comparatively, glans penis has less vascularity on its surface (but more vascularity inside). Hence, do not worry about the toxic entry through glands penis from tapes. I am very sure that this is never going to affect your sperm, testis, bladder or brain. The only bad effect is the local (external) irritation and inflammation.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Arul Amuthan L
Dr. Arul Amuthan L

Pharmacology

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