Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Circumcision Prevents Some STD


I found this interesting:
"Men who are circumcised are less likely to get sexually transmitted infectionssuch as genital herpes and human papillomavirus (HPV), but not syphilis.his finding—published in a March, 2009 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine—adds to the evidence that there are health benefits to circumcision, the surgical removal of the penis foreskin, usually performed on newborns shortly after birth. It was already known that circumcision can reduce the risk of penile cancer, a relatively rare disease, as well as the risk of HIV infection."

Despite news of this benefit, circumcision is declining especial in the united states.

In the United States, infant circumcision is declining. About 64% of American male infants were circumcised in 1995, down from more than 90% in the 1970s. Rates tend to be higher in whites (81%) than in blacks (65%) or Hispanics (54%).

"Some opponents say the removal of the foreskin is an unnecessary surgical procedure that may reduce sexual sensitivity in adulthood. In Jewish and Muslim cultures, young or infant boys are routinely circumcised for religious reasons. Circumcision rates have traditionally been higher in the U.S. than in Europe, but the American Academy of Pediatrics currently says that the medical benefits are insufficient to recommend circumcision for all baby boys."

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