Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin, which is the skin that covers the tip of the penis. In the United States, it is often done before a new baby leaves the hospital. There are medical benefits and risks to circumcision. Possible benefits include a lower risk of urinary tract infections, penile cancer and sexually transmitted diseases. The risks include pain and a low risk of bleeding or infection. These risks are higher for older babies, boys and men.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not recommend routine circumcision. Parents need to decide what is best for their sons, based on their religious, cultural and personal preferences.
- Circumcision(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/system/surgical/circumcision.html
-
Circumcision(American Urological Association) - http://urologyhealth.org/pediatric/index.cfm?cat=10&topic=350
Also available in Spanish http://urologyhealth.org/espanol/espanol.cfm?topic=350
- Role of Circumcision in Reducing HIV Risk Still Unclear(10/07/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_70164.html
- Care of the Uncircumcised Penis(American Academy of Pediatrics) - http://www.aap.org/publiced/br_uncircumcised.htm
- Circumcision: Weighing the Pros and Cons(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/circumcision/PR00040/METHOD=print
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Circumcision
(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/intervention=circumcision
- Male Circumcision and Risk for HIV Transmission and Other Health Conditions(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/factsheets/circumcision.htm
- Article: Circumcision status and risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infections... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18840841&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Novel way to 'cut' the risk of HIV transmission. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18803464&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Circumcision strategy against HIV continues to prove divisive. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18776870&tool=MedlinePlus
- Circumcision -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=circumcision,male[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- American Academy of Pediatrics - http://www.aap.org/
-
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/
- Trends in Circumcisions among Newborns(National Center for Health Statistics) - http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/circumcisions/circumcisions.htm
- Children and Teenagers - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childrenandteenagers.html
- Male Reproductive System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/malereproductivesystem.html
- Men - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/men.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Circumcision is the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/
Circumcision - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/circumcision.html