It is my very strong belief that circumcision is of great benefit for many reasons. It always saddens me to hear the militant anti circumcision forum expressing their views with such emotional vigor that has little rational basis.
When we think of vaccinating our children against any disease we do it because we want to decrease their chances of getting such a disease (say polio or mumps). It is not because we think they are definitely going to get such a disease if we don't vaccinate them. We accept that there might be a degree of discomfort when we do it but we still go ahead with it. Why should it be any different for circumcision? There has always been a tremendous amount of evidence about circumcision protecting against penile cancer, decreasing the rates of all sexually transmitted diseases, decreasing the rates of cervical cancer in the female cohorts and now very strong convincing evidence of cutting the rates of HIV infection by 50% (latest papers presented this month in the International AIDS conference).
I am not even mentioning any of the pediatric benefits which always come under attack. The pediatric benefits include decreasing the rates of urinary tract infections, decreasing the number of visits to the pediatrician offices overall, and of a better sense of body image among circumcised boys (since most of their friends are circumcised).
Other benefits that I see on a daily basis in my practice is the problem with phimosis (tight foreskin) and recurrent inflammations and irritations especially in the elderly population.
On a very personal note, I am extremely happy that I was circumcised as a neonate and am ever thankful that the procedure was done. I feel no emotional scars or sexual anxiety. I never have to worry about the issue of hygiene and it is one less cancer for me to have to worry about. I am also glad to learn that my risks of contracting HIV is 50% less. If you are a parent deciding on the matter, I highly encourage you to have your newborn son circumcised. I feel this way from a medical, social and aesthetic stand.
Some QQ and AA
Question: Penile cancer rates are so low why should it matter?
My answer: They are low in the USA because the majority are circumcised. They are not low among uncircumcised men. Penile cancer when detected is very difficult to treat and is usually fatal. It also has a very morbid course. If anybody sees one or two cases of it, they would feel strongly about preventing it with neonatal circumcision.
Question: How is it different from saying "let's cut off women's breasts to prevent breast cancer" ?
My answer: It is very different. The most common site for penile cancer is the head of the penis (glans), then the shaft. So when the foreskin is removed, one is avoiding cancer in the shaft and the head and not just in the foreskin which was already removed.
Question: What right do we have to do this to our sons? Shouldn't they choose to do so if they want to in their adulthood?
My answer: We make many major decisions about our children. We give them their names, we decide on their upbringing, we decide on who their friends are, we decide on what schools they go to, we decide on where they live, and many many other decisions that help shape their lives in a major way. So if we think that this is the only permanent decision we are making for them we are fooling ourselves in a major way. Some of the benefits of circumcision are attained only with neonatal circumcision; Specifically this relates to penile cancer prevention. If you wait till adulthood, you are missing on one of the major benefits.
Question: How about decreasing sexual pleasure?
My answer: The major sexual organ in the body in the brain. I can tell you from numerous personal experiences after having performed the procedure on numerous adults, they report no changes in their sexual satisfaction.
Question: If we were meant not to have foreskin then we wouldn't have been born with it. It must have some function that our bodies need. Shouldn't it?
My Answer: We are constantly evolving as human beings. We have no need for our appendix at this time in our state of evolution. We have no need for long finger nails to help us hunt, gather or cut our food. So just because we are born with an appendage doesn't mean that we need it to survive. At an early stage of evolution, may be foreskin provided some use. At this stage, I strongly believe that its risks outweigh its benefits. As human beings we require a great deal of maintenance to keep our body in good condition. This topic is no different. Most of us shower every day; most men shave everyday; we brush our teeth and a lot of us have our wisdom teeth removed; we wear clothes; we clip our nails. So if we were really meant not to interfere with our body the way it is made, we should all be walking around with long beards, long finger and toe nails and of course never to accept any form of vaccinations.
Urologist in California, USA
You can contact me if you wish at: MB