Kamasutra News

Circumcision is the excision of a part, or all, of the foreskin of the penis, to prevent its smooth gliding over the penile head or glans.

Circumcision jokes are a plenty, and one such joke doing the round says that males go through circumcision because females would grab anything that is 20% off. Male circumcision, for religious reasons, is a common practice among Jews, Muslims and also among a few Christian sects.  Today, circumcision is one of the most common surgeries and is carried out on millions of babies the world over. Circumcision is touted as an effective measure to treat or to prevent some  medical conditions.

• Penile cancer, phimosis, paraphimosis, balanoposthitis, glans inflammation and other penile problems can be effectively treated with circumcision.

• Several studies have documented greater incidence of cervical cancer in women who have enjoyed the company of at least one uncircumcised partner. This adds to the merits of circumcision.

• Rate of penile cancer is 3 – 22 times higher in men who are uncircumcised than in men who are circumcised.

• Circumcision decreases the risk of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD)

• Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is ten times greater in boys who are uncircumcised compared to circumcised ones.

• Circumcision is believed to provide better hygiene. An ‘intact’ foreskin is a hot bed of microbes. This is due to the accumulation of smegma, a cheesy matter made up of dead cells and secretions. The odor due to the pile-up can ‘cheese off’ even the most resilient.

The AIDS controversy

A spate of studies carried out recently in Kenya, Uganda and South Africa has evoked wide interest. It has been discovered that the risk of contracting HIV infection in circumcised men, through heterosexual sex, was reduced by 50-60 percent, compared to uncircumcised men. The National Institute of Health (NIH) published this fact in The Lancet. These studies led the WHO and UNAIDS, in 2007, to acknowledge male circumcision as a preventive measure against AIDS.

It has been understood that the Langerhan’s cells located in the foreskin are highly prone to the AIDS virus and hence removing the foreskin reduced the chances of HIV infection. However, it must be noted that these cells, which are a part of the immune system, are prevalent all over the penis and other parts of the body too.