The circumcision decision - Is less really more?
Parents are encouraged, however, to discuss the matter with their physicians and make an informed decision. Many will prefer to follow tradition, and there is clearly still some justification for electing to have an infant circumcised. For instance, research indicates that circumcised males have a 1 in 1,000 chance of developing a UTI in the first year of life, while uncircumcised males have a 1 in 100 chance. The chances of an uncircumcised male developing rare cancer of the penis is three-fold that of circumcised males. It's important to note however that overall this cancer is extremely rare, occurring in only about 10 out of a million men.
Some of the recent debate regarding the circumcision decision has centered on the fact that the procedure was done for decades without analgesia, on the theory that infants would either not feel the pain, or would not remember it. New evidence suggests that infants do experience considerable pain and stress during the procedure. The new AAP policy recommends analgesia as a safe and effective means of reducing this discomfort when circumcision is performed. Several forms of such pain relief are available.
Finally, some of the cons associated with circumcision include the following: Although generally a safe procedure, complications occur in 1 in 200 to 1 in 500 cases. Most are minor and involve mild bleeding or local infection. Some argue that removing the foreskin reduces future male sexual pleasure, but there is no evidence to support this claim.
If a boy is left intact, he must be taught to clean the penis thoroughly and carefully each day. The foreskin produces a cheese-like substance called smegma, which must be washed away daily for good hygiene. In this regard, circumcised males have the advantage in that their personal hygiene is easier.
For more information regarding your circumcision decision, visit the web site of the American Academy of Pediatrics at www.aap.org. Follow the links to "You and your family," "Advocacy," and "Publications" for more information. And certainly discuss the matter with your physician.
A final note: while a common practice among some cultures around the world, so-called female circumcision is considered barbaric in most of the civilized world. There is no medical justification for this genital mutilation, in which the clitoris is surgically removed (usually without any analgesia) or the vagina is sewn shut. The practice is designed only to "benefit" males who consider their young
Latest Articles