Circumcision

Circumcision is a <a href="/facts/Medical_procedure/0TdEJQkM">procedure</a> that removes the <a href="/facts/Foreskin/kfa9pYJq">foreskin</a> from the <a href="/facts/Human_penis/shzvo9ML">human penis</a>. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with <a href="/facts/Forceps/JQK3rCev">forceps</a>, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin is excised. Topical or locally injected <a href="/facts/Anesthesia/b3MKVn8E">anesthesia</a> is generally used to reduce pain and <a href="/facts/Stress_(physiology)/H29jPp2B">physiologic stress</a>. Circumcision is generally <a href="/facts/Elective_surgery/ne9phpB5">electively performed</a>, most commonly done as a form of <a href="/facts/Preventive_healthcare/pWGlacXu">preventive healthcare</a>, as a <a href="/facts/Religious_law/CoYusVvr">religious obligation</a>, or as a <a href="/facts/Culture/c5JgMqpX">cultural practice</a>. It is also an option for cases of <a href="/facts/Phimosis/9w24WHUS">phimosis</a>, other <a href="/facts/Pathology/U9b18LJG">pathologies</a> that do not resolve with other treatments, and chronic <a href="/facts/Urinary_tract_infection/4NwY9tL0">urinary tract infections</a> (UTIs). The procedure is <a href="/facts/Contraindicated/HawhU8x9">contraindicated</a> in cases of certain genital structure abnormalities or poor general health.
The procedure is associated with reduced rates of <a href="/facts/Sexually_transmitted_infection/IYL1rxdI">sexually transmitted infections</a> and <a href="/facts/Urinary_tract_infection/4NwY9tL0">urinary tract infections</a>. This includes reducing the incidence of <a href="/facts/Carcinogenesis/PC8wc1Mf">cancer-causing</a> forms of <a href="/facts/Human_papillomavirus/7XW8mjG2">human papillomavirus</a> (HPV) and reducing <a href="/facts/HIV_infection/RqLIEMuJ">HIV transmission</a> among <a href="/facts/Heterosexual_men/HDLc2Mna">heterosexual men</a> in high-risk populations by up to 60%; its prophylactic efficacy against HIV transmission in the <a href="/facts/Developed_country/sqwTSDHm">developed world</a> or among <a href="/facts/Men_who_have_sex_with_men/F2gI6FQG">men who have sex with men</a> is debated. Neonatal circumcision decreases the risk of <a href="/facts/Penile_cancer/0P3Em4dc">penile cancer</a>. Complication rates increase significantly with age. Bleeding, infection, and the removal of either too much or too little foreskin are the most common acute complications, while <a href="/facts/Meatal_stenosis/zpQyL8Kd">meatal stenosis</a> is the most common long-term. There are various <a href="/facts/Views_on_circumcision/kb0aUtsY">cultural, social</a>, and <a href="/facts/Ethics_of_circumcision/yxHvpDWY">ethical</a> views on circumcision. Major medical organizations hold variant views on the strength of circumcision's prophylactic efficacy in developed countries. Some medical organizations take the position that it carries prophylactic health benefits which outweigh the risks, while other medical organizations generally hold the belief that in these situations its medical benefits are not counterbalanced by risk. 
Circumcision is one of the world's most common and oldest medical procedures. Prophylactic usage originated in <a href="/facts/England/U9mE5bGL">England</a> during the 1850s and has since spread globally, becoming predominately established as a way to prevent sexually transmitted infections. Beyond use as a prophylactic or treatment option in healthcare, circumcision plays a major role in many of the world's cultures and religions, most prominently <a href="/facts/Judaism/tjQ5Tgs6">Judaism</a> and <a href="/facts/Islam/zDLbL45C">Islam</a>. Circumcision is among the <a href="/facts/613_commandments/4AqtnMzm">most important commandments in Judaism</a> and considered obligatory for men. In some <a href="/facts/Christianity_in_Africa/dLAbQN4e">African</a> and <a href="/facts/Eastern_Christianity/ks2ztPhI">Eastern Christian denominations</a> male circumcision is an established practice, and require that their male members undergo circumcision. It is widespread in the United States, South Korea, Israel, <a href="/facts/Muslim_world/n9vVGogr">Muslim-majority countries</a> and most of Africa. It is relatively rare for non-religious reasons in parts of Southern Africa, Latin America, Europe, and most of Asia, as well as nowadays in Australia. The origin of circumcision is not known with certainty, but the oldest documentation comes from <a href="/facts/Ancient_Egypt/BDsEGK4g">ancient Egypt</a>.

Circumcision open-in-new

Circumcision