Circumcision the Cut of Controversy

Parents have on occasions brought up the subject of circumcision and asked for my professional opinion. I read the article in the Sydney Morning Herald, Tuesday 5th of November titled “Cruelest cut may be kind after all” It was a very well written article written by July Skatssoon of AAP and Geesche Jacobsen, highlighting the positive side of circumcision. Their article stated that “recent studies showed circumcision protected men against HIV and lowered the risk of cervical cancer in their partners.” “...research showed uncircumcised boys were significantly more likely to suffer urinary tract infections.”

Study finds circumcision protects against HIV

Wednesday, Oct. 26 2005 (Health Day News) — “Circumcision reduced the rate of HIV infection among heterosexual men in South Africa by 60 percent, according to a study that provides the first published data about the effects of male circumcision on HIV infection.” Bertran Auvert of the French health institute INSERM studied 3,274 young, sexually active men divided into two groups. Circumcised and uncircumcised. “After 18 months, the researchers detected 20 HIV infections in the circumcised group and 49 in the control group. The researchers concluded that because circumcision was so effective at preventing HIV infection, it would be unethical to continue the study for the planned 21 months. They halted the trial and offered circumcision to all the men in the control group.” -- Robert Preidt, Health Day News.

To be or not to be?

Circumcision is a hotly debated topic but invariably the choice to circumcise or not is up to parents. I suggest you make an informed decision not based on other peoples opinions but on possible health benefits and risks, as well as religious, and ethnic traditions.

Pros and cons of circumcision.

I also suggest reading “In favour of circumcision” by Dr Brian Morris, purchased through UNSW Press. Dr Morris is a Professor in the Department of Physiology at the University of Sydney.