J Korean Med Assoc.  2008 Jul;51(7):653-663. 10.5124/jkma.2008.51.7.653.

Male Circumcision: Is It the Proper Treatment or Not?

• Cho IR
• Cho SY

• KMID: 2185916
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2008.51.7.653

Abstract

Recently the male circumcision becomes a hot issue not only in abroad but especially in Korea. Under this circumstance, it will be right that doctors and scholars restart to study about the merits and demerits of the male circumcision. There are little clear answers about its advantages in urinary infection, penile cancer, sexual function, etc. The only issue is that WHO and UNAIDS admit the male circumcision as a significant precautionary measure against HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) after finishing a large scale study. As a doctor, it will be desirable to explain to the patients or parents about the advantages and disadvantages of the male circumcision and help them make a choice considering its cultural, religious, legal, social, and emotional situation when the patient comes to the hospital for a male circumcision. However, it will be difficult to follow the Western statistics impetuously since the course of diffusion of HIV in Korea is different from that in USA, and there is no study in Korea about the merits and demerits of the male circumcision. Therefore, we conclude that it will be an impetuous assertion to argue that the male circumcision should be done before the adolescence, before starting an active sexual life, without any countermeasure.

Keyword

Male circumcision; Sexually-transmitted infection (STI); Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Circumcision, Male
Diffusion
Female
HIV
Humans
Korea
Male
Parents
Penile Neoplasms

Figure

• 

  Figure 1 The uncircumcised foreskin is susceptible to minor trauma and abrasion and can facilitate entry of pathogens (48).

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