Unsure about circumcision?

Just a generation ago, about 90 per cent of Australian baby boys were circumcised. Today, that figure stands at around 10 to 15 per cent, mostly for religious or cultural reasons, as many parents and doctors now see the procedure as outdated and unnecessary.

But an increasing number of studies are putting the “outdated and unnecessary” argument to the test. The Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics have revised their recommendations and while they do not endorse routine circumcision, they emphasise the importance of parents learning about its potential benefits and risks.

So what is it?

The circumcision procedure involves numbing the area with an anaesthetic cream or injection, and inserting a bell-shaped instrument under the foreskin to separate it from the penis. The foreskin is then removed using scissors, a scalpel or a special clamp.

Benefits & risks

In 2007, after three African studies indicated circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men, the World Health Organization (WHO) decided the procedure should be recognised as an additional, important intervention in countries with high levels of this type of infection.

Professor Brian Morris from the University of Sydney says circumcision reduces a range of health issues in men. “Circumcision eliminates the risk of getting infections under the foreskin. Research also shows that circumcised men are three times less likely to carry human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer in women,” he says.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) in the first year of life are also significantly reduced in circumcised babies, dropping from a risk of one in 100 to one in 500.

But paediatrician Dr George Williams believes there is no justification for circumcision. “You’re cutting the penis and removing an essential part of it,” he says. “The foreskin is a sheath designed for sexual activity. It contains erotic organs and it should be left on the penis for full function.”

Complications of circumcision can include cutting the foreskin too short or too long, haemorrhage and infection. “About 5 per cent of circumcised children need further surgery to correct problems,” says Dr Williams.

What will I do?

I don’t have a son, but we do want to add to our family so I have a 50/50 chance of being faced with this lifelong decision. It’s hard to know what’s right as both arguments are made with such emotion and conviction.

We don’t have a high risk of HIV in Australia, but my potential male offspring may travel or relocate. And with circumcisions performed by trained surgeons, serious complications are rare.