This surgical procedure involves the removal of the
foreskin or the sheath of tissue covering the penis
head. It is becoming a common procedure on males.
Here are the pros and cons from a medical standpoint.
Pros:
• Circumcised males are one tenth as likely
to experience UTI as their non-circumcised counterparts
• Circumcised men are less likely to pick up
sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis, genital
herpes, genital warts and AIDS
• Males who are circumcised as babies almost
never develop penile cancer and are unlikely to experience
problems with phimosis or the inability to retract
the foreskin by the age of five
• Circumcision prevents the emergency situation
(paraphimosis) that occurs if the foreskin gets stuck
when it is first retracted
• It is easier to practice good hygiene on a
circumcised rather than uncircumcised penis
• Circumcision in infanthood is less expensive
and risky as compared to adulthood
Cons:
• It is a painful procedure, a rather stressful
event for the newborn
• Complications, mainly bleeding, occur in about
1 in a 1000 cases. It is not recommended for a baby
who is unwell, who is premature or has any sort of
penile abnormality
• It is not a necessary procedure; with proper
hygiene and safe sexual habits phimosis, paraphimosis,
penile cancer, STDs and other health problems associated
with the uncircumcised penis can be prevented
• Some opine that circumcision results in decreased
sexual pleasure for the male person and that the procedure
amounts to genital mutilation.
