Johns Hopkins Study on Circumcision

[Randianne]

This is a summary of the findings of a study by Johns Hopkins University. It was published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, but I can't link to the actual study.

https://m.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/...dd_billions_to_health_care_costs_experts_warn

From the article:

“There are health benefits to infant male circumcision in guarding against illness and disease, and declining male circumcision rates come at a severe price, not just in human suffering, but in billions of health care dollars as well.”

This is only one study, but several news outlets are reporting that the American Academy of Pediatrics is going to change its policy and recommend infant circumcision because of it. I guess we'll see if that happens.

I realize there are varying opinions on this subject on this forum. I'm not posting this to start an argument. Every family has to make their own choice regarding circumcision and I completely respect that. But for those still deciding on the subject, I think this article is worth reading.

 

[Kristin52]

Here we go!

 

[ChristinaG]

shall I get the ball rolling?

i got my son circumcised...my husband was, and he felt he knew how to care for it better. I didn't care either way...

 

[Liesje]

"Johns Hopkins experts say the added expense stems from new cases and higher rates of sexually transmitted infections and related cancers among uncircumcised men and their female partners."

I bet if we removed male gentalia entirely, there would be $0 in expenses stemming from new cases and higher rates of sexually transmitted infections and related cancers among uncircumcised men and their female partners.

 

[Jaylynne]

I read the same article but didn't have the balls to post it lol. It's an interesting study with UTIs etc.

 

[Seity]

I'm glad to see another study showing these benefits. I read about them when doing my research when I was pregnant with my son. I felt that my husband should make the final decision since he had the same part and he decided that a circumcision was for the best. I could have been happy with either choice and wish that those who choose not to do it could be as accepting of my decision as I am of theirs.

 

[Kage76]

you know what- condoms are far more effective at controlling stds than circumcision- teach your kids safe sex, teach them how to wash their bits- If they told me that removing the clitoral hood on my daughter would reduce the risk of aids and stds- i would 100% choose education over body modification every time. Not my body not my decision.

 

[BabyJayne]

I don't have a son, and I live in the UK where male circumcision is not something that is even thought about for anything other than health reasons - so I have never really got involved in these debates/conversations.

But, I had a quick look at the article and I completely agree with Kage76 - when talking about STDs it's education and safe sex all the way. Not having a foreskin does not give you protection against HIV. I have two brothers, one is circumcised due to problems when he was younger and one isn't, but they both have equal risk of catching HIV if they don't practice safe sex.

Isn't what this guy is saying a bit like saying if we remove the tonsils or an appendix this will reduce the cost of treating tonsilitis and appendicitis/peritonitis and other complications that arise from it? The body doesn't need these little bits (certainly not the appendix anyway), so remove them and remove all associated healthcare costs.

It's hard for me, being from a country that doesn't have this issue or debate, to agree with the case for circumcision. While it's not something I would ever consider with a son of my own, I respect that it is a decision many face in other countries, and that decision is entirely personal.

 

[vintage67]

When I was a teenage girl, I had a boyfriend who was uncircumcised. I contracted HPV from him. I never saw the warts and he didn't notice them either. When I went to the doctor with the symptoms they did a pap and I had the beginning stage dysplasia (cancer cells). I went through cryosurgery, where they freeze them off the cervix, and my boyfriend was treated. Three months later, a follow up pap smear revealed I still had pre-cancerous cells. I had to be put under and have a portion of my cervix removed. I was 19 years old. I had to go every 6 months for 3 years to screen for cancer.

Husband is circumcised and so are both of our boys.

From a purley objective standpoint, it seems like an unnecessary cosmetic procedure. I could write a lengthy treatise on why you shouldn't have it done. I could also write a similar paper on doing it. People have their personal reasons for having it done whether they are religious, cultural, hygenic, or medical. People have very valid reasons for not having it done such as ethical questions of necessity. I think it is up to the parents either way. If you have it done or do not have it done, you have made a decision based on your own ethics, religion, culture, preference, fear, etc.

 

[BabyJayne]

When I was a teenage girl, I had a boyfriend who was uncircumcised. I contracted HPV from him. I never saw the warts and he didn't notice them either. When I went to the doctor with the symptoms they did a pap and I had the beginning stage dysplasia (cancer cells). I went through cryosurgery, where they freeze them off the cervix, and my boyfriend was treated. Three months later, a follow up pap smear revealed I still had pre-cancerous cells. I had to be put under and have a portion of my cervix removed. I was 19 years old. I had to go every 6 months for 3 years to screen for cancer.

Husband is circumcised and so are both of our boys.

From a purley objective standpoint, it seems like an unnecessary cosmetic procedure. I could write a lengthy treatise on why you shouldn't have it done. I could also write a similar paper on doing it. People have their personal reasons for having it done whether they are religious, cultural, hygenic, or medical. People have very valid reasons for not having it done such as ethical questions of necessity. I think it is up to the parents either way. If you have it done or do not have it done, you have made a decision based on your own ethics, religion, culture, preference, fear, etc.

I'm sorry you went through this - it sounds awful and really traumatic, and I hope everything is okay with you now.

I just think it's important to add that you can carry the HPV virus and have no symptoms at all. The fact it was from an uncircumcised man is irrelevant. Circumcised or uncircumcised, the outcome would have been the same if he was carrying the HPV virus.

 

[Andypanda6570]

Anybody can get HPV .. HPV is so common that at least 50% of sexually active men and women get it at some point in their lives. it mostly stays dormant or can appear at any age in life. Every time I get a PAP smear (every 6 months) they also do a HPV test, if caught early most time it is, everything is ok , but my friend also had HPV it was not caught and it turned into Cervix Cancer she was only 25 and now cannot have children, she had to have a surrogate and now has triplets . Being circumcised has no role in HPV, everyone like I said if they ever had sex most likely has HPV, but it stays dormant and usually never causes a problem unless left untreated. All my 3 sons are also circumcised ... Vintage67 , I am so deeply sorry you had to go through that

 

[Liesje]

Wouldn't circumcizing all boys then create a false sense of security for women?

 

[lovie]

Circumcision will not lead to less STI's education and free healthcare will reduce STI's.

Between 0.6% and 1% of American people are HIV + despite circumcision being common place there. In Sweden where I live circumcision is illegal in infants with no problems and the HIV rate is 0.1% here. What will help make STI rates go down is to put money into a free universal health care system and sex education not cutting of bits of your perfect baby boy's body.

 

[vintage67]

HIV is not the same thing as HPV

 

[lovie]

HIV is not the same thing as HPV

I am aware that hpv and HIV are very different, I never said they were the same, the article discussed (among other things) HIV rates.

 

[Andypanda6570]

Wouldn't circumcizing all boys then create a false sense of security for women?

My 3 boys are all done, they are 21 18 and 12 and I can tell you we didn't do it cause of sexual disease. Like I said earlier at that time when I had my boys, I was lead to believe it just was healthier, now i know that is not true. It is the norm here in the US so for us it is not a big deal. Now that I am older (42) and know more maybe I would not have circumcised my sons, i am not sure. I do know now that doctors do not push it on you, it is your choice. Either done or not I would just say it is not for me, i wouldn't criticize anyone for doing it. ( Not saying u are)

 

[Liesje]

Wouldn't circumcizing all boys then create a false sense of security for women?

My 3 boys are all done, they are 21 18 and 12 and I can tell you we didn't do it cause of sexual disease. Like I said earlier at that time when I had my boys, I was lead to believe it just was healthier, now i know that is not true. It is the norm here in the US so for us it is not a big deal. Now that I am older (42) and know more maybe I would not have circumcised my sons, i am not sure. I do know now that doctors do not push it on you, it is your choice. Either done or not I would just say it is not for me, i wouldn't criticize anyone for doing it. ( Not saying u are)

I'm in Canada and I thought it was the norm here too. People of my generation are all done and based on that, I was just going to go ahead and get my son done too, then I did a little bit of research on it, thinking "while I'm chopping off part of my son, I might as well read a little bit about it first" and I was shocked to see almost everything I heard about circumcision was wrong. Even down to the fact that almost no babies get it done in this country anymore, where I've always been told it's the norm here and he would feel different. I would hate to have found that out after and regretted it. I know it's not a life altering decision or anything, but I'm just amazed at how much misinformation there is about circumsicion. I almost find "I just think it looks better" a more valid reason than when people try to provide false or irrelevant "scientific" data to back up their decision.

 

[Sarahkka]

I agree with others who have said that it makes about as much sense as removing any other random body part to reduce risk of (insert disease here).
Lovie - excellent point and I wholeheartedly agree. Real infection reduction comes from proper education and access to health care, not from removing a foreskin. The findings are failing to look at the big picture and are certainly not something I would use to justify circumcision.