NotEinstein
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Medically speaking, doctors have come out several times to tell the public that circumcision is not medically necessary. The first time was a statement made by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in 1975. They were joined by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in 1983. The AAP reissued the statement in 1999, and they, again, felt it was necessary in 2005.
In the U.S., the rate of circumcision of all males falls somewhere between 60 and 75 percent. Looking at demographics, the numbers are very different depending on ethnicity and religion. For instance, Jewish and Muslim boys are circumcised because of religious doctrine, so rates are much higher than for Christians. In the U.S., many parents choose circumcision for their boys because they believe there is a medical benefit or purely for aesthetic purposes.
Circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin from around the glans (head) of the penis. In an uncircumcised penis, the glans is covered by a retractable fold of skin, which means it can be pulled back to expose the glans. Babies rarely have a retractable foreskin, but it usually becomes fully retractable by age 3.
Most doctors agree that uncircumcised males must clean their penis more thoroughly than uncircumcised males. The foreskin creates a space where dead skin, oil, and other moisture can build up to form a substance called smegma. Smegma can harbor bacteria if not cleaned properly. Rates of urinary tract infections are also higher for uncircumcised boys than for those who have had a circumcision. Reports also show that uncircumcised men experience higher rates of infection by sexually transmitted diseases, including gonorrhea, syphilis, and herpes. In studies, circumcision also appears to be related to lower rates of cervical cancer in long-term sexual partners.
 Posted 5345 day ago
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