No major medical organization recommends universal circumcision of newborn children, and no major medical organization calls for banning it.[3]
This change to the penis is common in many countries of the world including theUnited States and Israel. Circumcision has been suggested to reduce the risk ofcancer of the cervix in female sexual partners and some cancers of the penis.[4][5] Circumcision reduces, but does not eliminate, the risk of getting or spreadingHIV/AIDS. Circumcision became more common in Africa after HIV/AIDS began. Use ofcondoms is a more effective way of preventing sexually transmitted diseases.
People disagree about whether circumcision is a good for health andsexual pleasure. People who think circumcision is a good idea may point to health reasons. Circumcision reducessexually transmitted diseases likeHIV and HPV. It prevents certain kinds ofcancer, and gets rid of infections and unpleasant smells under the foreskin. If circumcision is done soon after birth, it makes it less common for baby boys to geturinary tract infections (UTIs). UTIs can cause permanent damage to thekidneys. Many people think a penis looks better if it is circumcised. A study done in the United States found that the women prefer a circumcised penis, to look at and in sexual activity, especially if they are going to put their mouth on the penis.[6] In countries where most boys are circumcised as babies, parents sometimes think that uncircumcised boys will be teased. Some boys are mean to a boy if his penis looks different. Bullying was a bigger problem in the past when boys had to take showers together at school after gym class or before swimming. People opposed to routine circumcision are calledintactivists.[7]
The University of the Western Cape in South Africa lists these benefits of medical male circumcision (MMC):[8]
- Reduces the risk of HIV Infection
- Less risk of sexually transmitted infections
- Provides health benefits for sexual partners
- Better hygiene - Circumcision makes it simpler to wash the penis. Also, when a guy is not circumcised, moisture can get trapped between his penis and the foreskin, which creates an ideal environment for bacteria to grow. Removing the foreskin gets rid of the wet, warm and dark environment that can sustain viruses such as HIV and other sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis, herpes and chancroids.
- Eliminates bruising and tearing during sexual intercourse
- Reduces the risk of penile cancer. Cancer of the penis is rare. It is less common in circumcised men.
- Being circumcised reduces female partner’s risk ofcervical cancer.
- Decreased risk of urinary tract infections - The overall risk of urinary tract infections in males is low, but these infections are more common in uncircumcised males.
- Circumcision simplifies the task of keeping the penis clean
Some myths about medical male circumcision:[8]
- Myth: Circumcision affects a man’s ability to make his partner pregnant.
- Truth: Circumcision has no effect on a man’s ability to make his partner pregnant.
- Truth: Circumcision leads to a loss of sexual function and pleasure.
- Truth: Although there can be some loss in sensitivity at the tip of the penis, it does lead to a loss of sexual function and pleasure also. Several studies conducted after adult medical male circumcision suggest that very few men report their sexual functioning to be worse after circumcision. Most men report either improvement or no change.
One study, conducted in 2015,[9] determined that theforeskin does not provide a sexual response or serve a sexual function in men. Instead, it is thecorona and frenular (the areaunder thefrenulum) areas which provide sexual response due to the high concentration of genital corpuscles. Out of a large sample of Kenyan men in a controlled trial, 74.8% of men reported higher penile sensitivity two years after circumcision, while only 7.1% reported lower penile sensitivity two years after circumcision. It was deduced that even a retracted foreskin would tend to reduce the stimulus to the corona and frenular areas, particularly on the outward stroke of intercourse. The study determined that “any sexual effect of circumcision must depend solely on the exposure of the glans and not on the absence of the prepuce.”[9] The study concluded that male circumcision has no adverse effect on sexual function, sensation, sensitivity, satisfaction, or pleasure.[9]
The area of the outer and inner foreskin combined spans a wide range: 7–100 cm2 and 18–68 cm2 respectively.[2] In discussing vestigial structures, Charles Darwin stated, “An organ, when rendered useless, may well be variable, for its variations cannot be checked by natural selection.”[10] The variability in foreskin size is consistent with the foreskin being a vestigial structure.[2]
Those who believe that the foreskin is important for sexual pleasure are against circumcision. Others do not like circumcision because they believe it has no medical advantage, or that it is easy to clean under the foreskin, or that circumcision harms thepenis or the mind. People who do not like circumcision of baby boys say doctors and parents should not make this decision. They say that the owner should choose when he is old enough to decide for himself. However, it will hurt more if done at a later age.
There are 8 large groups of circumcised men:
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