Are there any health benefits to male circumcision?

Question

It's been argued by various medical organizations that male circumcision has various medical benefits, such as reducing the risk of catching HIV, or reducing the risk of urinary tract infections, for instance. Are there any respectable scientific studies to back these assertions up?

http://parenting.stackexchange.com/q/1443 – Shokhet Mar 31 '15 at 21:29 — Shokhet, Mar 31 '15 at 21:29
See also these three questions over on Skeptics SE. – Patrick Hoefler Apr 01 '15 at 10:42 — Patrick Hoefler, Apr 01 '15 at 10:42

michaelpri · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-30T01:10:09.960

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There is evidence that neonatal circumcision saying that the benefits of circumcision outweigh the risks.

According to a study done on neonatal circumcision^[1], the lifetime benefits of being circumcised outweighed the risks 100 to 1. Some of the risks people may associate with circumcision are very unlikely. Excessive bleeding only happens 0.1% of the time, infections 0.02% of the time, and loss of penis 0.0001% of the time. The percentage of death is only 0.00001%.

Overall, it shows that males who have been circumcised require half as much medical attention as males who have not been circumcised. Also, the overall risk of circumcised men having serious medical implications is 1 to 5000; this includes things like HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

This graph contains other relevant information.

There are some people who disagree with the article mentioned above.^[2] In a direct statement against the article, it is said that the article is "marred by bias." They note how the article fails to mention many things, such as statements against circumcision and harms in sexual experience. It doesn't completely refute the article that says circumcision is beneficial, but it is something good to think about.

^{[1] Circumcision Rates}

^{[2] Bias and Male Circumcision}

edited Apr 30 '15 at 01:10

answered Mar 31 '15 at 20:29

michaelpri

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Sounds good. My only objection is that Neonatal circumcision tampers with children's bodies before there's reasonable risk of sexually transmitted diseases, I've read there's people who don't even like sex or have any interest in practicing sex, the common term used is "asexual". I know the sex related risks are not the only variables, but there are pros and cons on both choices, so maybe let grown males decide for themselves what to do with their bodies? It seems better to let individuals chose at free will what kind of risk they're willing to take. – JorgeArtware Apr 09 '15 at 09:44
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This is a really tough question, and you’re good to tackle it. Important to also note a direct rebuttal published in the same journal. An accepted answer on Skeptics (which I happen to disagree with ;-) ) also contradicts the HIV data used in the analysis cited. The literature is huge, statistically complex, and marred by all of the biases inherent to a topic that doesn’t lend itself to large randomized controlled trials. :-( – Susan Apr 10 '15 at 23:51
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Another sceptics answer that disagrees with this one (also mentioned by @PatrickHoefler) which has quite some votes. (I don't know which is right, just want to point out that there's apparently controversy despite a reputable source in this answer). – Mark Dec 08 '16 at 12:40
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" half as much medical attention" - unless a foreskin causes heart attacks, appendicitis, car accidents etc this seems utterly impossible. – Kate Gregory Mar 16 '18 at 15:55
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The study quoted is written by people whose views on this topic are somewhat extreme. I'm not really convinced this answer adds anything informative - balancing one extreme viewpoint with a critique right at the end doesn't add much balance. Also that critique is far from the only critique available - there are many other researchers who arrive at the opposite conclusion. No other researcher has replicated the 1:100 ratio claim, and certainly no reputable health organisation (the closest is the AAP's position which states risks and benefits are closely balanced). – Swedish Architect Sep 05 '20 at 17:06
This answer could be improved by adding more detail & perhaps a more balanced presentation of the evidence. What health benefits are accrued by MC - HIV reduction, penile cancer etc. What is the likelihood of these and what is the reduction afforded by MC. I'd suggesting looking at sources other than Morris, generally acknowledged to have extreme views on this topic - "parents who don't circumcise their children need a good talking to", characterising MC as a "surgical vaccine" (which drew a lot of criticism), a paper on MC as a "moral imperative" etc. - Views outside the mainstream – Swedish Architect Sep 05 '20 at 17:11
Despite the statistics, this answer doesn't seem to actually say anything. In particular, I notice that it uses a relative ranking: 100 to 1. But what does that mean? If I have a 0.00000001% chance of a given negative medical event, increasing or decreasing that chance by a hundredfold doesn't matter in real terms. Without any concrete numbers, this isn't helpful. – Kyralessa Sep 16 '23 at 16:03

score 20 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 08 '15 at 17:47

There is some evidence which supports that male circumcision reduces the risk of HIV infection among heterosexual men in sub-Saharan Africa^(1),(2), however the evidence of an HIV benefits for men who have sex with men is less clear^(3),(4) and its use to prevent HIV in the developed world is unclear either⁽⁵⁾.

The treatment option for pathological phimosis, refractory balanoposthitis and UTIs is only contraindicated in cases of certain genital structure abnormalities or poor general health^(6),(7).

WHO recommends considering circumcision as part of a comprehensive HIV program only in areas with high rates of HIV (e.g. Africa)^(8),(9).

Therefore if you're not living in Africa or areas with high rates of HIV, the potential risks outweighs health benefits associated with circumcision. As currently no major medical organization recommends non-therapeutic neonatal circumcision, and no major medical organization calls for banning it either.

Are there any health benefits to male circumcision?

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