Benefits of Circumcision
Benefits of Circumcision
- Begin in infancy and continue lifelong.
- Easy to care for and to keep clean.
- Lower incidence of Urinary Tract Infection (UTI).
- Lower risk of balanitis (yeast infection).
- Avoids the possibility of circumcision at an older age which is more complicated and painful. This occurs in approximately 6% of uncircumcised males for medical reasons such as phimosis, a painful condition where the foreskin becomes tight and non-retractable.
- Lower risk of STD (sexually transmitted disease) including HIV (AIDS), HSV (Herpes Simplex Virus), HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) and most others.
- Reduced risk of cancer of the cervix in female partners of circumcised males.
Risks of Circumcision
As with any surgical procedure, the two most common complications are bleeding and infection.
Bleeding usually amounts to spotting for the first several diaper changes and is usually very minimal. Any oozing of blood can usually be stopped with a few minutes of pressure applied with a gauze directly onto the penis.
Infection is rare, less than 1%, and can easily be treated in most cases with topical antibiotic ointment.
More serious complications are almost unheard of in the hands of an experienced operator.The American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement in September 2012 that the benefits of neonatal circumcision outweigh the potential risks.