MR SMEG: Meaning of Smegma in male

Information reaching Kossyderrickent has it that smegma began to trend after Ari Lennox used the word on popular South African influencer, Mr. Smeg. (Read More Here).

Meaning of Smegma for males:

"In males, smegma helps keep the glans moist and facilitates sexual intercourse by acting as a lubricant. Smegma, itself, is completely benign, but uncircumcised "men with smegma or phimosis have an increased risk of penile cancer."

"Smegma was originally thought to be produced by sebaceous glands near the frenulum called Tyson's glands; however, subsequent studies have failed to find these glands. Joyce Wright states that smegma is produced from minute microscopic protrusions of the mucosal surface of the foreskin and that living cells constantly grow towards the surface, undergo fatty degeneration, separate off, and form smegma. Parkash et al. found that smegma contains 26.6% fats and 13.3% proteins, which they judged to be consistent with necrotic epithelial debris.

"Newly produced smegma has a smooth, moist texture. It is thought to be rich in squalene[13] and contain prostatic and seminal secretions, desquamated epithelial cells, and the mucin content of the urethral glands of Littré. Smegma contains cathepsin B, lysozymes, chymotrypsin, neutrophil elastase and cytokines, which aid the immune system.

"According to Wright, little smegma is produced during childhood, although the foreskin may contain sebaceous glands. She also says that production of smegma increases from adolescence until sexual maturity when the function of smegma for lubrication assumes its full value, and from middle-age production starts to decline and in old age virtually no smegma is produced. Jakob Øster reported that the incidence of smegma increased from 1% among 6- to 7-year-olds and 8- to 9-year-olds to 8% among 14- to 15-year-olds and 16- to 17-year-olds (an overall incidence of 5%).

"There is no evidence that smegma, itself, causes penile cancer, but it may harbor cancerous pathogens, like HPV, and its presence over a long period of time may irritate and inflame the penis, which may increase the risk of cancer. It may also make it harder to see very early cancers."