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Male Circumcision: A Social And Medical Misconception

Male Circumcision: A Social and Medical Misconception

Male Circumcision: A Social and Medical Misconception

University of Johns Hopkins

Introduction

Male circumcision is defined as a surgical procedure in which the prepuce
of the penis is separated from the glands and excised. (Mosby, 1986) Dating as
far back as 2800 BC, circumcision has been performed as a part of religious
ceremony, as a puberty or premarital rite, as a disciplinary measure, as a
reprieve against the toxic effects of vaginal blood, and as a mark of slavery.
(Milos & Macris, 1992) In the United States, advocacy of circumcision was
perpetuated amid the Victorian belief that circumcision served as a remedy
against the ills of masturbation and systemic disease. (Lund, 1990) The
scientific community further reinforced these beliefs by reporting the incidence
of hygiene-related urogenital disorders to be higher in uncircumcised men.
Circumcision is now a societal norm in the United States. Routine
circumcision is the most widely practiced pediatric surgery and an estimated one
to one-and-a-half million newborns, or 80 to 90 percent of the population, are
circumcised. (Lund, 1990) Despite these statistics, circumcision still remains a
topic of great debate. The medical community is examining the need for a
surgical procedure that is historically based on religious and cultural doctrine
and not of medical necessity. Possible complications of circumcision include
hemorrhage, infection, surgical trauma, and pain. (Gelbaum, 1992) Unless
absolute medical indications exist, why should male infants be exposed to these
risks? In essence, our society has perpetuated an unnecessary surgical procedure
that permanently alters a normal, healthy body part.
This paper examines the literature surrounding the debate over circumcision,
delineates the flaws that exist in the research, and discusses the nurse's role
in the circumcision debate.

Review of Literature

Many studies performed worldwide suggest a relationship between lack of
circumcision and urinary tract infection (UTI). In 1982, Ginsberg and McCracken
described a case series of infants five days to eight months of age hospitalized
with UTI. (Thompson, 1990) Of the total infant population hospitalized with UTI,
sixty-two were males and only three were circumcised. (Thompson, 1990) Based on
this information, the researchers speculated that, "the uncircumcised male has
an increased susceptibility to UTI." Subsequently, Wiswell a

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