Tek þetta til baka, stupid comment.

Reyndar er Smeg stytting á Smegma sem að þýðir á grísku sápa.

“Human Smegma

Both males and females produce smegma. Since smegma can accumulate under the foreskin in males, its presence is less common and noticeable in circumcised males. This has caused the argument over whether circumcisions ought to be performed to impact the related argument over whether smegma is beneficial or harmful. The lack of smegma has been described as a benefit of circumcision for men who neglect their hygiene. In contrast, the loss of subpreputial wetness consisting of natural skin oils has been described as a harm of circumcision for men whose glans could become dry and chafed. Smegma can be removed by wiping or washing the genital area.

The subpreputial moisture keeps the glans moist and may lubricate the movement of the foreskin. However, if allowed to accumulate and decay in the foreskin cavity, it can combine with shed skin cells, providing an ideal medium for potentially pathogenic bacteria to colonise; current medical opinion is that allowing smegma to accumulate freely is unhealthy. Accumulation of smegma can cause or aggravate a variety of irritations known as balanitis. Early medical studies such as those by Plaut, and Heins (1958) claimed that smegma accumulation led to the development of penile cancer, but more recent studies have disagreed.

Uncircumcised men with poor personal or excessive hygiene are most affected by balanitis. Lack of aeration and irritation because of smegma and discharge surrounding the glans penis causes inflammation and edema. Adherence of the foreskin to the inflamed and edematous glans penis is one cause of phimosis.

Preventing accumulation is best done by rinsing the area with warm water. In females, the hood of the clitoris can be gently pulled back to wash away smegma. Some argue that soap is best avoided because it depletes natural skin oils and may cause non-specific dermatitis. In addition, vaginal deodorants that are sometimes used to combat unwanted odors can be harmful, as they tend to upset the normal balance of bacteria in the vaginal cavity. This can in turn upset the pH of the vagina. Noticeably unpleasant odours can be an indicator of a potentially serious medical problem, and deodorant sprays or washes may hide this condition.”