Circumcision does not improve hygiene

Circumcision legitimate only for medical reasons or free will: However, from a medical point of view, arguments for better hygiene are not sustainable.

07/17/2012

In some religious communities, the removal of the foreskin at a young age is considered an expression of faith. However, according to a recent ruling by the Cologne district court, religiously motivated circumcision of boys is to be regarded as bodily harm and thus punishable. In general, the removal of the foreskin is associated with a low surgical risk and good cosmetic results. Potency and sexual excitability remain unimpaired.

Nevertheless, as with any other procedure, there are dangers: in rare cases, the operation may result in painful wound infections, bleeding or even urethral injuries. Therefore, not only in circumcision for purely religious reasons advise physicians to rethink this step well and can only be made by an experienced urologist.

However, before the age of 14, circumcision is not permitted without a medical indication, even after careful consideration. After that counts also the free will of the patient. Urologists even recommend to wait until the age of 18 with the decision. This timeframe must now be met by Muslim and Jewish parents. According to current judgment, the free will can be adopted at the earliest in adolescent men from about the age of 14 years. The parent's will as presumed will of the child should not apply in this case, especially since the practice of religion is not fundamentally impeded by non-circumcision. „From a medical point of view, it is not justified to downplay the possible consequences of circumcision,“ emphasizes Wolfgang Rulf, urologist and managing director of the medical network Uro GmbH North Rhine. „However, this does not mean that there are generally objections to religiously motivated circumcision, if it is based on free will.“

But even far from ritual customs, more and more men are considering circumcision. For a variety of reasons: some consider a circumcised penis to be more hygienic and to protect oneself from sexually transmitted diseases. Others hope to help their virility. „In fact, the procedure involves only minor risks, but a gain in pleasure can not be proven and the same level of cleanliness can be achieved through daily personal care,“ explains Dr. Rulf. Contrary to popular belief, the removal of the foreskin, according to studies affects neither the intensity of sensation nor the duration of the act of love. In our culture, urologists usually perform this procedure only in the case of a medical indication - for example, in the case of a foreskin narrowing. Here, the OP in the best sense of the word is often equal to a liberation, because it remedies health consequences such as bladder emptying disorders as well as repeated inflammations and urinary tract infections. (Pm)

Also read:
Thorough hygiene prevents penile carcinomas
Men's Health: How the potency is preserved
With foreskin constrictions caution is necessary