For parents facing the difficult decision of whether or not to have a circumcision performed on their child, up-to-date considerations on the topic are important. Recent studies carry a great deal of weight for parents who are keen on preventative care, such as reduction of STD transmission. Also, U.S. circumcision reasoning is compared to that of other Western countries.
Of all the choices parents have to make, circumcision is not one of the easier ones. There are many myths and misunderstandings, cultural implications and other hot-button issues surrounding the procedure. Getting a more well-rounded view of the reasoning, procedure, and results may help parents—or even men considering this surgery for personal reasons—make a more sound decision.
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Past reasoning for going through with this operation has included cleanliness and disease prevention. Recent medical studies have cited connections between men whose sexual organs are left intact and higher rates of STDs. We’ll come around to that later, though.
First of all, male circumcision has quite a history. It’s been practiced for thousands of years, for both health-related reasons and also as part of varied cultural rituals. In West African countries, this practice is mostly seen as a coming-of-age event. In contrast to other Western Counties, the procedure is chosen in the United States for non-religious or ritual reasons; there are many socio-economic factors with clear ties to circumcision rates in the United States. That isn’t to say that those in the U.S. don’t also choose this option for religious reasons, but that the United States sees a markedly different rationale from parents and men in Europe, for example. In the U.S., men who have undergone the procedure generally have more socio-economically advantaged parents.
Today, there’s quite a bit of controversy around the question of whether or not to make such a significant decision for a child. Traditional proponents of this procedure cited cleanliness, religious and moral reasons when making a choice. Modern families can now make better assessments with the additional information provided by recent medical studies, including some that tackle major public health concerns such as HIV.
Numerous recent studies have found that this procedure doesn’t only help reduce the risk of contracting STDs—including HIV and HPV—for the male, but also for their female partners; uncircumcised men have about a 10% higher risk of passing the HPV infection along to their partner. This is an extremely significant factor, considering HPV alone is responsible for the majority of cancer in sexual organs. Studies in Africa, where heterosexual activity is the primary mode of transmission for HIV infection, show that circumcision reduces the risk of HIV infection by almost 60%. Again, it isn’t suggested that altering a male’s sexual organs eliminates the possibility of contracting STDs, but rather it has the ability to help reduce the transmission rate.
Many parents may choose to leave their son’s sex organ intact for financial reasons, as many states’ Medicaid plans funding for this type of procedure on an infant. This puts many financially disadvantaged males and their future or current partners at risk.
As parents or as a male debating whether or not to leave your manhood intact, it is your responsibility to exercise due diligence when making this sort of decision. Consult a medical professional such as a pediatrician, and perform your own research by referring to unbiasedArticle Submission, credible sources such as the Center for Disease Control to assess the benefits and risks.
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