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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Circumcision is the surgical removal of the skin covering the tip of the penis. Circumcision is fairly common for newborn boys in certain parts of the world, including the United States — making it the most common surgical procedure in newborn males worldwide. Circumcision after the newborn period is a more complicated procedure that may require general anesthesia.
For some families, circumcision is a religious ritual. Circumcision can also be a matter of family tradition, personal hygiene or preventive health care. For others, however, circumcision seems unnecessary or disfiguring. After circumcision, it isn't generally possible to re-create the appearance of an uncircumcised penis.
- Task Force on Circumcision. Circumcision policy statement. Pediatrics. 1999;103:686.
- AAP publications retired and reaffirmed. Pediatrics. 2006;117:1846.
- Weismiller DG. Procedures for neonatal circumcision. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 30, 2009.
- Shoemaker C. Circumcision: Risks and benefits. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 30, 2009.
- Brown-Trask B, et al. Circumcision care. RN. 2009;72:22.
- Aydur E, et al. Effects of childhood circumcision age on adult male sexual functions. International Journal of Impotence Research. 2007;19:424.
- Bleustein CB, et al. Effect of neonatal circumcision on penile neurologic sensation. Adult Urology. 2005;65:773.
- Kigozi G, et al. The effect of male circumcision on sexual satisfaction and function, results from a randomized trial of male circumcision for human immunodeficiency virus prevention, Rakai, Uganda. BJU International. 2008;101:65.
- Krieger JN, et al. Adult male circumcision: Effects on sexual function and sexual satisfaction in Kisumu, Kenya. The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2008;5:2610.
- Payne K, et al. Sensation and sexual arousal in circumcised and uncircumcised men. The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2007;4:667.
- Tobian AAR, et al. Male circumcision for the prevention of HSV-2 and HPV infections and syphilis. New England Journal of Medicine. 2009;360:1298.
- McAninch JW. Disorders of the penis and male urethra. In: Tanagho EA, et al. Smith's General Urology. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3131278&searchStr=male+circumcision. Accessed Nov. 2, 2009.
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