Some people are having trouble accessing the article shared by KLC. I am going to post it here. Some of you were interested in how circumcision played a role in decreasing STDs. This article explains that circumcision reduces STD acquisition due to anatomic and/or cellular factors. The moistness in the foreskin creates a favorable environment for viral survival. Read more:

The case for neonatal circumcision

Posted by Amy Tuteur, MD on January 7, 2010 651 Comments

Imagine if we could save lives from a dread and often fatal disease simply by performing a minor surgical procedure. People would hail this simple victory and rush to adopt it… Not exactly. The disease is HIV and the simple surgical procedure is circumcision and anti-circ activists oppose it under almost any circumstances.

In this month’s edition of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Tobian, Gray and Quinn present a compelling case for neonatal circumcision. The paper is entitled Male Circumcision for the Prevention of Acquisition and Transmission of Sexually Transmitted Infections. The authors report:

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) male circumcision policy states that while there are potential medical benefits of newborn male circumcision, the data are insufficient to recommend routine neonatal circumcision. Since 2005, however, 3 randomized trials have evaluated male circumcision for prevention of sexually transmitted infections. The trials found that circumcision decreases human immunodeficiency virus acquisition by 53% to 60%, herpes simplex virus type 2 acquisition by 28% to 34%, and human papillomavirus prevalence by 32% to 35% in men. Among female partners of circumcised men, bacterial vaginosis was reduced by 40%, and Trichomonas vaginalis infection was reduced by 48%. Genital ulcer disease was also reduced among males and their female partners. These findings are also supported by observational studies conducted in the United States. The AAP policy has a major impact on neonatal circumcision in the United States. This review evaluates the recent data that support revision of the AAP policy to fully reflect the evidence of long-term health benefits of male circumcision.

The AAP had long recommended male circumcision for prevention of urinary tract infections in young boys, but backed down in 1999, partly in response to pressure from anti-circumcision activists. According to circumcision.org:

Based on a review of medical and psychological literature and our own research and experience, we conclude that circumcision causes serious, generally unrecognized harm and is not advisable.

Anti-circ activists have employed inflammatory language to express their opinion. Circumcision is “mutilation” and parents who choose to circumcise their sons are “mutilators”. But the benefits of circumcision are real and clinically important. As Tobian, et al. explain:

The biological mechanisms whereby circumcision could reduce viral STIs may be due to anatomic and/or cellular factors. The foreskin is retracted over the shaft during intercourse and this exposes the preputial mucosa to vaginal and cervical fluids.61 It has been hypothesized that viral infections may enter the mucosa through microtears in the preputial mucosa. The moist subpreputial cavity may also provide a favorable environment for viral survival. The inner mucosa of the foreskin is lightly keratinized compared with the epithelium of the shaft, coronal sulcus, and glans, which may facilitate mucosal access of HIV, HSV-2, or HPV. The mucosa of the foreskin also contains a high density of dendritic (Langerhans) cells, macrophages, and CD4_ T cells, which are all targets of HIV …

Anti-circ activists are convinced that circumcision reduces sexual satisfaction. Until recently, it was difficult to study that claim because very few men were circumcised after becoming sexually active, making it almost impossible to determine the sensory effect of circumcision. But recent studies make it clear that sexual satisfaction is not affect by circumcision:

… [T]here were no reported differences in sexual satisfaction in the randomized study arms in either the Ugandan or Kenyan male circumcision trials or among men before and after they were circumcised. In addition, it has been hypothesized that behavioral disinhibition may counteract any protective effects of male circumcision. However, there was no consistent or substantial evidence of change in sexual behavior after circumcision in the Kenyan or Ugandan randomized controlled trials.

Tobian et al. call on the AAP to revise its policy to reflect the latest scientific evidence:

The World Health Organization/Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS has concluded that “the research evidence that male circumcision is efficacious in reducing sexual transmission of HIV from women to men is compelling … and has been proven beyond reasonable doubt.” In 2007, the American Urological Association revised their policy to state that “circumcision should be presented as an option for health benefits.” However, the AAP, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and American Medical Association are likely to have the greatest influence on parental decisions and insurance coverage for neonatal circumcision in the United States. With the mounting evidence that male circumcision decreases viral STIs, genital ulcer disease, and penile inflammatory disorders in men, and bacterial vaginosis, T vaginalis infection, and genital ulcer disease in their female partners, it is time for the AAP policy to fully reflect these current data.

The AAP should heed the authors’ call.

so its a health issue.
and i should take to the scalpel because i can not take care of myself, get checked every month, and control where i put my foreskin becauise i think with the small head instead of the big.

nah.
too smart for that, sorry.
I was born this way, and i shall die thuis way.
if the foreskin had no oppositive purpose, nature would not have given me one. simplez.

That is your decision if you're not of a faith which decides for you. There are other factors involved, such as the moisture in the foreskin which creates a favorable environment for viruses. Most people who have a choice in the matter understand the benefits.

Your informative link is still there, Crystal. Thank you, I appreciated it the other night.

^ That article is not current. It's 10 years old. The one shared by KLC has updated findings and it is from 5 years ago.

Circumcision has been practiced for thousands of years, since the days of ancient Egypt. I would say the Jews know what they're doing by now.

I noted in Crystal's article that circumcision is called penile reduction surgery....I wonder if circumcision contributes to the "crooked" ones that are out there? Being that maybe too much of the skin was removed? I've seen scaring well below the top of the shaft down to the middle on some.

and Pansy....you say that this procedure is performed on 13 year olds in your country? Do they complain of pain, compared to a baby who will not remember?

nono, i have no faith. not even in humanity :p
i have conciousness, choice, science...
and i deal with my health risks better than most of the men around me.

whenever i HAD an issue, which was twice in the last 14 years, it was tracked, documented and dealt with in a swift manner.

and the root cause was twice found to be on the female side.
one of the females must have known about the risk she carried. so she too, was dealt with in a swift manner.

so in my particular case, i wash my ding dong twice a day with specific soap, and run tests with my (female) urologist to check i am okay, and stay okay.
And check the females i get intimate with too, before anything happens.

The Big brain at work.
no need for scalpel work.

quitesentially and crystal....

my godson needed it. the foreskin was malformed. the opening was to small to allow it to be rolled back so cleaning was extremely problematic. hence the health reasons.

Good that you take such good care of yourself, Typhoon. But please speak only for yourself and not crap on the beliefs of others. It has worked for thousands of years and the circumcised men are quite healthy and fine.

Did you even bother to read the article? Obviously not since your big brains knows everything.

This...

Never had any sons so I never made the decision for them lol. I don't even know if it's the norm to do it.

I just crazy glued a section of radiator hose around the end of my circumcised unit to see what uncircumcised is like...have to say I like it! I could get used to this...

No crooked is crooked & a genetic defect .

Does it seem foreign to you? Not that you ever missed it or anything...

Okay, now this is taking a crooked turn...

no...more like i'm accessorizing...it's like bling!

Bling!? Prince Albert?

You're not supposed to have hitch hikers.