What to do when your penis is ticklish

Tickling may bring out smiles and laughter, but the majority of people who are ticklish actually hate being tickled. It’s bad enough when arms and legs are to blame, but what happens when you want to be intimate in a relationship and your penis is ticklish?

It’s not joke, and no laughing matter; a number of men experience this dilemma and for some it can be devastating to their sex lives. So what’s to be done? How do you maintain a normal sex life when you’re ready to jump away from your lover’s touch?

Why the penis might tickle

First, it is important to differentiate between true ticklishness–a hypersensitivity to touch–and a ticklish sensation that might not require being touched at all. If you are experiencing tickling sensations in the penis, the first thing you want to do is visit the doctor. Even though such sensations may not seem unpleasant, they can be the symptom of a developing issue like a sexually transmitted disease  (STD) or another form of infection.

SEE ALSO: Sexual health: Do you know your STDs?

According to experts on MedHelp, a tickling sensation in the penis can often be attributed to anxiety, contact dermatitis, traumatic damage to the nerves of penis, diabetes, prostatitis (infection of the prostate), genital herpes, urethritis and STD’s like Gonorrhea and Syphilis. If wearing cotton underwear and applying a mild steroid cream don’t work, be sure to get checked out by the doctor.

Once medical issues have been ruled out, the next question is: Are you ticklish down there at all times, or is it just after sex. If it’s only after sex, this is a very common form of hypersensitivity that comes from having sex. Some men describe it as a tickling sensation, others may classify it as a type of soreness. But whatever the description, the nerve endings in the penis are simply on fire from use.

Now, if tickling is present all the time then in all likelihood you have true ticklishness down below, and you’re probably wondering how to get past the unpleasant stimulation so you and your partner can enjoy being intimate.

How to cope when you have a ticklish penis

Though each individual’s sensitivity is different, there are a few ways you can try to bypass your ticklishness.

• Wear a condom to lessen sensation. (Wearing two condoms at once can help even more, but is not advised if you’re using it for birth control or STD prevention, as it increases the risk of the condoms breaking.)
• Tell your partner to use a more firm touch rather than a light one.
• Use a desensitizing cream recommended by your doctor.
• Try distracting yourself mentally to get past the initial tickling sensation.
• Have sex more often to help desensitize your penis.
• Communicate with your partner how you like to be touched.

SEE ALSO: Exploring 5 embarrassing sex questions

Still too ticklish down there to enjoy sex? It’s time to talk to a professional. Sometimes mental barriers can make tickling worse–such as the embarrassment that might come from laughing in the middle of an intimate act.  A good sexual health therapist might be able to get you past those hurdles and help you learn to embrace your sensitivities.