benefits

Last reviewed 01/2018

  • lower risk of UTI during first year of life; American studies report that uncircumcised males are 11 times more likely to develop a UTI in their first year of life than their circumcised colleagues

  • evidence is not conclusive that circumcision protects an individual against penile carcinoma or reduces the risk of cervical carcinoma in partners independent of known risk factors. There is however an increased incidence of human papillomavirus in the uncircumcised male "but the number of sexual contacts may be a more important factor in risk of exposure to the virus".

  • sexually transmitted infection
    • human immunodeficiency virus seropositivity is higher in uncircumcised males in Africa (1) and also the risk of male to female transmission is greater in uncircumcised seropositive males. These risks are likely to be far less significant than the increased risks of becoming seropositive related to increased numbers of sexual contacts, and non/improper use of condoms
    • herpes simplex and human papilloma virus:
      • study evidence revealed that circumcision of adolescent boys and men in a rural Ugandan population significantly reduced the incidence of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) and human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and syphilis in HIV-negative adolescent boys and men during 24 months of follow-up but did not affect the incidence of syphilis
        • efficacies of circumcision for the prevention of HSV-2 incidence and HPV prevalence were 25% and 35%, respectively
        • the study authors state that "..These findings, in conjunction with those of previous trials, indicate that circumcision should now be accepted as an efficacious intervention for reducing heterosexually acquired infections with HSV-2, HPV, and HIV in adolescent boys and men. However, it must be emphasized that protection was only partial, and it is critical to promote the practice of safe sex..." (2)

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