Circumcision, or male circumcision, is the complete or partial removal of the foreskin of the male member. Very common worldwide and usually performed in childhood, circumcision of the foreskin is usually performed for religious or cultural reasons. However, there are also medical reasons for circumcision in adolescents or adults.
What is circumcision?
Circumcision, or male circumcision, is the complete or partial removal of the foreskin of the male member. Circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin of the male member. The foreskin is a movable flap of skin that surrounds the glans of the member. The operation is usually performed under local anesthesia, and sometimes without any anesthesia in infants. While circumcision is uncommon in Christianity, male infants are regularly circumcised in Islam and Judaism. In some countries, such as the United States, circumcision is routinely performed in many cases. It is estimated that over 50% of US males are circumcised. However, there has been a trend there over the past twenty years to perform circumcision of male infants less frequently. The reason for this development is a sometimes quite energetic social debate about the benefits and risks of circumcision. In Germany, circumcision is also performed in Jewish and Islamic communities. Among the Christian majority population, however, it is common only in the case of a medical indication.
Function, effect and goals
In addition to religious and aesthetic reasons, there are also various medical indications for circumcision. These include recurrent inflammation of the foreskin or glans (balanitis) and the urinary tract (urethritis or cystitis). This is especially true when no other treatable causes for these inflammations can be found. Another relatively common cause is foreskin stenosis (phimosis). In this case, the foreskin cannot be retracted or not completely retracted when the member is stiffened, which can make sexual intercourse very painful. Pain during urination and difficulty with hygiene can also be direct consequences of phimosis. However, foreskin stenosis can often be treated in other ways. In addition to treating the aforementioned health complaints, circumcision also serves to make it easier to clean the limb. There is hardly any deposition of the whitish foreskin sebum (smegma) in the circumcised member, so that fewer bacteria can accumulate. This reduces the risk of inflammation of the urinary tract. It also reduces the risk of transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. For example, circumcised men are considered much less susceptible to infections with HIV and HPV. HPV, known as human papillomaviruses, can cause genital warts and cancer in men and women. In particular, they are blamed for cervical cancer. Therefore, circumcision can also serve to protect the man’s sexual partner. In addition to the changed appearance after circumcision, men particularly appreciate the desensitization of the member. Indeed, this effect can lead to the fact that the glans, which is less sensitive to stimuli, contributes to a prolongation of sexual intercourse. The procedure takes only about fifteen minutes. During the operation, the foreskin is grasped with a clamp and tightened. Then it can be completely cut in front of the clamp. In most cases, the inner foreskin blade is also shortened in the process. Circumcision can also be performed circularly (around the glans). For this purpose, two places where the incision is to be made are marked before circumcision. After circumcision is performed, the glans of the member is exposed, whereas it was otherwise covered by the foreskin. Therefore, in the period shortly after the operation, the very sensitive glans may be slightly irritated, but it becomes desensitized after a short time and thus less sensitive. Within about fourteen days, the wound usually heals. However, sexual intercourse should not be resumed until three weeks after the operation at the earliest. During this phase, full baths with bath additives should also be avoided; short showers are more sensible. Unnecessary exercise should also be avoided. Sporting activity is only possible again when healing is complete.
Risks, side effects and dangers
Circumcision is a procedure that usually has very few complications. However, as with any surgery, problems can occur. These include allergic reactions to anesthetics, pain after surgery, the formation of a bruise, and other complications typical of surgery. Especially in the phase of wound healing there are some risks, which should be clear before the operation. Thus, post-operative bleeding of the wound is possible, as well as swelling in the vicinity of the surgical wound. Unwanted nocturnal erections can cause the wound to rupture again. These problems can be minimized or avoided altogether by strict adherence to the rest period. If the foreskin has not been completely removed, shrinkage of the scar tissue may cause re-narrowing, which should be treated as soon as possible. More rarely, nodulation of the dorsal vein occurs. This vein is usually cut during surgery and later re-branches. Knots may form in the process. The proximity of the operation to the regions of the limb that are important for sexual pleasure can lead to impaired sensitivity. However, this side effect is almost always temporary. Researchers also talk about psychological consequences of circumcision. For example, some men have been found to have post-traumatic stress disorder, which can have lasting effects on quality of life. In the worst case, a physical change to this part of the body, which is essential for sexuality, can lead to a negative attitude toward sexuality.
Typical and common penile disorders
- Erectile dysfunction (erectile impotence).
- Potency problems
- Premature ejaculation
- Congenital curvature of the penis
