Actually, I wasn’t going to write a journal in the summer, but I couldn’t be indifferent to so many questions about circumcision. I will try to answer your questions by writing a short, candid information about circumcision in the Paediatric Surgeon’s Journal. You can find more detailed information in the journals I write before, and more in my book “The Story of Male Circumcision”.
Enjoy reading.
I organize the content of this journal in the form of answers to the questions directly from you. That’s why the flow can sometimes go off course. After giving this information, let’s start with the most frequently asked question:
Is circumcision a necessary surgical procedure?
There are cases where medical benefits have been proven.
For example, the risk of infection will be eliminated by removing the foreskin, which is an environment where bacteria and viruses can settle and reproduce. Thanks to the absence of the foreskin, which is more open to trauma during sexual intercourse, there will be no irritations, microorganisms will not be able to find an entrance door for themselves, they will not be able to multiply, and some protection from sexually transmitted diseases will be provided. There are dozens of studies on this subject, especially in the African continent, where AIDS is more common. There are reports that cervical cancer is less common in the spouses of circumcised men, as some viruses reduce the risk of transmission to women. Although I think there were statistical errors in what I read, still let me mention what was said in the literature.
It is also known that it reduces the risk of urinary tract infections, especially in the first year. For this reason, we recommend circumcision to some children, especially those with urinary system problems.
Well, considering all I’ve said, should all men be circumcised? The answer is clear. No. All of the advantages I just mentioned can be achieved with proper hygienic care and proper protection during sexual intercourse.
If circumcision is not medically necessary, why do we do it?
I was very curious too. I even did a lot of research on this subject, published it in magazines and wrote articles. In our last study, which was a survey study that we asked to parents. We wanted to find out why their children were circumcised. The most marked option was our customs and traditions. I want this to be a short writing, as I said, you can find the details in my previous videos and articles.
We decided to do circumcision, at what age will we do it?
The satisfaction rate is very high after circumcisions performed in the newborn period. Of course, it must be done by a paediatric surgeon or paediatric urologist who knows how to touch babies. Let me remind you that the newborn period is the first month period. Then, until the age of 1, the infancy period begins. During this period, babies gain a lot of weight and the penis may begin to bury into the fat. As children begin to crawl and walk, the fat tissue will begin to decrease and the penis will appear again. So my second recommended period is between 1-2 years old. Then begins the period when the child begins to learn about his or her sexual identity. This period lasts for about 5-6 years. Psychologists don’t want us to do it during this period if we don’t have to. We listen to them, and the third recommended period is 6 years and above. Preferably, it is beneficial to finish the circumcision until the pre-puberty period, when morning erections do not start.
Out of the three periods I mentioned, which period do I recommend the most?
Like I said, the neonatal period. We do it locally, by applying cream only. Easy to make, easy to look after. In our surveys, parents state that they are mostly satisfied with newborn circumcision. The incidence of problems after the procedure is also less. Afterwards, we do it by putting them to sleep under general anaesthesia in the operating room.
Do I recommend circumcision?
I come across this question almost every day. I think you understand how I look from doctor’s point of view. I am not saying that all men should be circumcised. On the other hand, almost all of the men in our beautiful country are circumcised, regardless of religion. Almost all children are circumcised. In such an environment, it is very difficult to be an uncircumcised child. The consequences of peer bullying can be permanent. I see that circumcision has a very important place in our society. And this is not a situation that can only be explained with the religion of Islam, because as its name, “sunnah”, it is not obligatory. For this reason, I think circumcision can be recommended for children who will grow up in countries, like Turkey.
Let’s end this short course. I tried to quickly answer the questions that were asked dozens of times every day. For more detailed explanations, you can watch the videos I shot before and read my articles.
I thought a lot about this subject and wrote a book. “The Story of Male Circumcision”. I have studied circumcision from religious, historical, medical and psychological aspects. I wrote in a language that everyone could understand, starting with the stories and deepening the subject for those who are interested. You can find it anywhere on the internet. I’m sure you can find answers to many of your questions.
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Stay happy!
Prof. Dr. Egemen Eroğlu
September 2022