Circumcision

Excerpt

Circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin (prepuce) covering the glans of the penis, typically performed on male neonates. Circumcision has been practiced for thousands of years as part of cultural and religious teachings. The procedure was regarded as a ritual of transition to adulthood and a measure of hygiene. Over the past decades, cultural changes and new research have led to a closer examination of the practice. Recent knowledge and outrage over the practice of female circumcision have also fueled discussions on the validity of elective male neonatal circumcisions. As a result, healthcare professionals should provide objective, unbiased, factual information to parents and caregivers about the procedure's potential medical benefits, risks, and complications. Clinicians should emphasize that the procedure is completely elective.

The most common reasons for parents in the United States to request an elective circumcision for their newborns were improved hygiene and medical benefits (about 50%), personal or family preference (about 30%), or religious requirements (about 15%). Reasons cited by parents who opted against neonatal circumcision included the belief that the procedure was unnecessary, concerns about causing pain to the child, and the father being uncircumcised. The prevalence of circumcision among men in the United States is about 80%. In contrast, worldwide, almost 40% of all adult males are circumcised, with a high degree of regional and geographic variability. Worldwide, religious factors accounted for 70% of all circumcisions.

The incidence of circumcision is lowest in Armenia, Iceland, the Caribbean, and Central and South America, and highest in Islamic countries and Israel. Circumcision reduces the risk of HIV infection by up to 60% and is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for countries with high endemic HIV infection rates.