Circumcision is a surgical procedure to remove the foreskin, the skin that covers the tip of the penis. In the United States, it is often done before a new baby leaves the hospital. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), there are medical benefits and risks to circumcision. Possible benefits include a lower risk of urinary tract infections, penile cancer, and sexually transmitted diseases. There is a low risk of bleeding or infection. The baby might also feel some pain.
The AAP said that because of the possible benefits, parents should have the option to circumcise their sons. They recommend that parents discuss circumcision with their baby's health care provider. Parents should make their decision based on the benefits and risks, as well as their own religious, cultural, and personal preferences.
Videos and Tutorials
- Circumcision (BroadcastMed) - Broward Health Coral Springs, Coral Springs, FL, 3/31/2014
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Circumcision (National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Soccer-based promotion of voluntary medical male circumcision: A mixed-methods feasibility...
- Article: Predictors of voluntary medical male circumcision prevalence among men aged...
- Article: Prospective comparison of two models of integrating early infant male...
- Circumcision -- see more articles
Find an Expert
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish