Advantages of Circumcision

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According to some medical experts, there are many health advantages to circumcising your baby boy’s penis. Some studies have indicated that men with uncircumcised penises are more likely to develop penile cancer and childhood kidney infections. They may also be more susceptible to contracting STDs such as HIV, human papilloma virus, and Chlamydia.

Several clinical trials conducted in the 1980s suggest that uncircumcised men are more at risk of contracting HIV during penile-vaginal sex. This seems to be because the inner lining of the foreskin has special cells called Langerhans cells. These cells normally help to ward off infections, but HIV binds to the cells easily. In addition, the foreskin may tear very slightly during sex, making it easier for HIV to enter the body through these small wounds.

In terms of Chlamydia and HPV, a 2002 study found that uncircumcised men are three times more likely to develop these two sexually transmitted diseases. When uncircumcised men with HPV had sex with female partners, these women were at greater risk for cervical cancer.

When circumcision is performed shortly after birth, it seems to protect males against penile cancer. A Kaiser Permanente HMO study recently found that uncircumcised men are 22 times more likely to develop invasive penile cancer. This is a rare disease in the West; it’s more common in parts of Africa and South America. When a male is circumcised later in life, the operation doesn’t protect him as much as if he had had it done in infancy.

The same Kaiser Permanente study found that uncircumcised infants are 10 times more likely to get kidney infections and urinary tract infections, especially in their first year of life. Even so, only one percent of uncircumcised infants will have these issues. The inner lining of the foreskin can attract fecal bacteria, which can then make their way into the urinary tract.

Uncircumcised males also suffer from more penile irritation, inflammation and infection than do those who’ve been circumcised. Circumcised penises are easier to clean; however, an uncircumcised child can easily learn to clean under his foreskin as soon as he’s able to pull it back, which usually happens sometime before his fifth birthday.

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