Are There Health Benefits to Circumcision?

At The Center for Advanced Pediatrics, we know that neonatal circumcision is a highly personal decision. If you’re expecting a baby boy, our team can answer your questions and provide the guidance you need to make an informed choice on behalf of your newborn.   

Whether or not circumcision is customary in your family, learning about the procedure’s recognized health benefits allows you to reach the right circumcision decision for your child with confidence. Here’s what you should know. 

Understanding neonatal circumcision

Neonatal circumcision is the surgical removal of an infant’s foreskin, or the loose skin that covers the tip of the penis. During infancy, this skin flap is naturally tight and fully attached to the glans (penile head). There’s another inner layer of foreskin below.  

Penile foreskin naturally loosens and detaches from the glans over time. Usually by the age of five (but sometimes as late as puberty), the foreskin separates from the penile tip, becoming a free-moving sleeve that boys and men can gently retract manually for proper cleaning. 

Circumcision to remove the foreskin is an ancient custom that’s still widely practiced today for many reasons, ranging from religious, cultural, and ethnic traditions to hygiene and personal preferences.

Infant circumcision has health benefits 

For the estimated one in six men worldwide who are circumcised, living without a foreskin offers several measurable health benefits. These include:

Simplified hygiene 

A circumcised penis is generally easier to wash and keep clean — especially during childhood, when boys are learning personal hygiene practices. Uncircumcised males can still maintain good genital hygiene by retracting their foreskin when washing.

Lower infection risk

Circumcision significantly reduces the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs), particularly during the first three to six months of life: Uncircumcised infants are 10 times more likely to develop a UTI compared to newborns who are circumcised.

Later in life, circumcised males have a significantly lower risk of acquiring certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including the heterosexual acquisition of HIV (by up to 60% in some studies), human papillomavirus (HPV), and genital herpes. 

Problem prevention 

Circumcision can help prevent certain foreskin-related penile conditions, including:

Phimosis

Foreskin removal helps prevent phimosis, a condition that occurs when the foreskin can’t be freely retracted. Phimosis can interfere with urination, sexual function, and hygiene. 

Paraphimosis

Circumcision also prevents paraphimosis, which occurs when a tight foreskin is retracted and becomes stuck behind the glans, causing pain, swelling, and reduced blood flow to the tip of the penis.   

Inflammation

Circumcised males can avoid inflammation of the glans and foreskin (balanoposthitis) brought on by poor hygiene, infection, or an allergic reaction. They also have a lower risk of penile head inflammation and pain (balanitis).  

Reduced cancer risk 

While penile cancer is rare in the United States, it’s even less common in men who are circumcised. Further, female sexual partners of circumcised men may have a lower risk of cervical cancer due to reduced HPV transmission.  

Circumcision risks and considerations

Neonatal circumcision is a routine, safe procedure with very high success rates: Complications occur in fewer than 3% of cases. There’s a low risk of:

• Bleeding 
• Infection
• Scarring 
• Pain 
• Irritation
• Inflammation

There’s also a very low risk that too much — or too little — foreskin might be removed. All of these risks are higher when circumcision is performed on older babies, boys, and men. 

AAP guidance 

In 2012, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a policy statement on neonatal circumcision that recognizes its health benefits and asserts that they outweigh the procedure’s minimal risks. However, these benefits aren’t great enough to warrant an AAP universal recommendation for routine newborn circumcision.

Expert neonatal circumcision guidance

Neonatal circumcision is a parental decision that may be influenced by family custom, religious tradition, or personal experience — and is best informed by expert guidance that gives you a clear picture of its advantages and potential drawbacks.

Do you have questions about circumcision? We have answers. Schedule an appointment at The Center for Advanced Pediatrics in Norwalk or Darien, Connecticut, today.