Circumcision is a surgical procedure performed on boys born with an uncircumcised penis. It may be done for medical needs, religious or cultural beliefs, and personal preference.
Circumcision is generally safe and effective. However, there can be risks involved, such as bleeding and infection.
Lower Risk of Urinary Tract Infections
Urinary tract infections, particularly in infants, can be a serious issue. They may lead to kidney scarring, fever, pain and blood infections.
Infections can be life-threatening, so any intervention to prevent them would be beneficial. That is why Australian researchers have examined past research to see if circumcision makes a difference.penis circumcision adelaide
Researchers examined 22 studies involving 407,902 males worldwide and discovered that uncircumcised boys are at an increased risk for urinary tract infections during their first year, rising to ten times the risk between ages 1-16 and 3.4 times after 16 years old.
Less Risk of Cancer of the Penis
Circumcision can reduce the risk of penile cancer and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Penile cancer may be rare in developed countries, but it remains a significant public health hazard in developing nations where male circumcision is not widely practiced. Unfortunately, many factors contribute to this invasive disease; therefore, public health campaigns should be launched to combat smoking trends, promote better hygiene practices and push for widespread deployment of the HPV vaccine.
Men who were not circumcised during childhood had an increased risk of invasive penile cancer compared to those who had undergone circumcision (OR = 2.3, 95% CI 1.3-4.1). Phimosis also appeared to increase this risk (OR = 7.4, 95% CI 3.7-15.0).
Less Risk of Sexually Transmitted Infections
Studies have consistently demonstrated that men who receive circumcise have a reduced risk of sexually transmitted infections such as genital herpes, HIV, and HPV infection. This effect has been observed in both adults and children alike.
Circumcised men tend to experience lower STI risks than noncircumcised individuals due to the protective effect of the prepuce, as during intercourse the more delicate inner (mucosal) lining of their foreskin becomes exposed to vaginal secretions.
Circumcision can protect men who have had sexual contact with men (MSM) against genital warts, non-chlamydial urethritis and recurrent STIs. Furthermore, circumcision has been linked to a 23% lower HIV incidence overall among MSM in low-income countries; furthermore, it reduces the risk of HSV and penile HPV infections as well.
Less Risk of Balanitis
Balanitis, or inflammation of the head of the penis, is a commonly encountered issue for uncircumcised males. This condition often results from poor hygiene and having tight foreskins that can trap bacteria or fungi.
Circumcision can effectively eliminate the source of this infection. Studies have revealed that circumcised boys have a 68% lower rate of balanitis than their uncircumcised counterparts.
Balanitis can usually be diagnosed through a careful inspection of the glans and foreskin, along with the urethral meatus. On occasion, history and physical examination findings may point to specific etiologies with management implications.
Less Risk of HIV
Circumcision can reduce HIV transmission among men by 50% to 60% when they have heterosexual contact with a female partner who is HIV positive. Furthermore, circumcision has been known to significantly lower the risk of contracting new infections such as syphilis, genital ulcer disease, genital herpes, and high-risk strains of human papillomavirus linked with cancer.
The evidence of VMMC’s lower risk of infection is robust and consistent across various study designs and settings. In particular, several randomized controlled trials conducted in Africa have demonstrated its efficacy as an HIV prevention strategy.
Based on these data, we estimated that 520,000 (425,000 to 605,000) fewer HIV infections occurred among men during community-based studies during VMMC and ART scale-up in 15 priority countries (a total of 22.7 million postcircumcision py). The decrease in HIV incidence was greatest among low-risk populations and lowest among high-risk communities.
