Benefits of Circumcision

Uncircumcised boys are about 10 times as likely to get serious kidney infections in the first year of life as are circumcised infants; even in adults circumcision protects against UTIs. These kidney infections are most dangerous in the first 3 months, during which time they often lead to hospitalization and can result in overwhelming blood infection and other serious infections. Kidney scarring has been shown to occur later. There is concern that future kidney failure and high blood pressure may follow infantile UTIs. Abnormal kidney function and hormonal secretion can occur with infant UTIs. Fecal contamination of the moist inner foreskin layer with bacterial attachment leads to these kidney infections.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection/AIDS:        

Uncircumcised men were first shown to be more likely to acquire heterosexual HIV infection over a decade ago, in articles in the leading medical journals “Lancet” and “New England Journal of Medicine”. Since then over 40 separate studies have shown that uncircumcised men are more likely to become infected with HIV on heterosexual exposure. The ease with which the foreskin tears during intercourse, leaving mini-abrasions through which the virus enters, can lead to the infections. It has recently been shown that certain specialized cells in the foreskin, Langerhans cells, can trap the HIV virus and promote infection.

Sexually Transmitted Disease (STDs):        

As with HIV, mini-abrasions of the foreskin during intercourse is the explanation for the fact that uncircumcised men are more likely to acquire certain (though not all) STDs. The STDs for which uncircumcised men are at greater risk include syphilis, chancroid and genital herpes, all of which involve ulceration of the penile surface through which the infection enters.

Cervical cancer in female partners of uncircumcised men:        

It has long been known that in population groups where circumcision is performed e.g. -Jews and Muslims – cancer of the cervix is rare and penile cancer almost nonexistent. In recent years the role of human papilloma virus (HPV) in both penile and cervical cancer has been proven, and these cancers are now being thought of as sexually transmitted diseases. A recent study of over 1900 couples in 5 countries found that penile HPV infection is about 3 times as common in uncircumcised males as in circumcised males and there is about a 2.5 fold increased risk of cervical cancer in women whose sexual partner is uncircumcised and has had multiple partners.

Invasive Penile Cancer:        

It has been known for over 100 years that circumcised men almost never get invasive penile cancer, a devastating disease which is more deadly than breast cancer (higher 5 year mortality rate). About 1400 U.S. men get this disease and over 200 die annually, almost all of them uncircumcised.

Local Problems- Phimosis, Balanoposthitis, and Genital Hygiene:         

Local foreskin infections (balanoposthitis) can occur at any age in uncircumcised males, but is most common at age 2-5 years, an age when the foreskin has often not yet completely separated, cannot be fully retracted, and genital cleanliness is more difficult to accomplish. In addition between 0.5% and 1% of boys will never be able to retract their foreskin due to a pinpoint opening at the end (phimosis) and will have to be circumcised at a later date when the procedure is more complex and difficult, and about 10 times more expensive. Newborn circumcision leads to improved genital hygiene throughout life, but most importantly in infancy, early childhood and old age when personal hygiene may be inadequate.

Women’s Preference, Sexual Activity, Psych Effect:        

Sexual function is not adversely effected by NC. On the contrary, published evidence shows that circumcised men have a wider variety of sexual activity, and women prefer circumcised men, mainly because of better genital hygiene.

For documentation see Reference Section, pages 124-135 from the book “Ed Schoen, MD on Circumcision Timely Information for Parents and Professionals from America’s #1 Expert on Circumcision, RDR books, 2005.”