A circumcision risk-benefit analysis shows that neonatal circumcision’s health benefits outweigh its risks by at least 100 to 1. Evidence suggests reduced lifetime infection risk, cost-effective disease prevention, and no long-term negative impact on sexual function or pleasure, supporting circumcision as a safe, preventive health option.
Circumcision Risk-Benefit Analysis
According to the study’s authors:
A risk-benefit analysis of conditions that neonatal circumcision protects against revealed that benefits exceed risks by at least 100 to 1 and that over their lifetime, half of the uncircumcised males will require treatment for a medical condition associated with retention of the foreskin.
Other analyses show that neonatal male circumcision is cost-effective for disease prevention. The benefits of circumcision begin in the neonatal period by protection against infections that can damage the pediatric kidney.
Given the substantial risk of adverse conditions and disease, some argue that failure to circumcise a baby boy may be unethical because it diminishes his right to good health. There is no long-term adverse effect of neonatal circumcision on sexual function or pleasure.
Circumcision Leads to Lower Rates of Infection
Over their lifetime, half of the uncircumcised males will require treatment for a medical condition associated with retention of the foreskin.
Uncircumcised men are also more likely to put their partners at risk for herpes simplex virus type 2, bacterial vaginosis, and cervical cancer, among other, sometimes fatal infections and viruses (see table 4 in the article Circumcision Rates in the United States: Rising or Falling?). The study concludes that neonatal male circumcision is effective for disease prevention.
The Future of Circumcision
While there are many opinions surrounding circumcision, the fact of the matter appears to be that there are no long-term adverse effects of neonatal circumcision on sexual function or pleasure. According to this article published by The Mayo Clinic, “A recent exhaustive systematic literature review and a meta-analysis found either no adverse effect or an improvement in these parameters as a result of circumcision.”
Further Information
The complete article can be found here. For more information on the virtually painless Pollock Technique used at our clinic, please contact us today for a quick response.
