CIRCUMCISION – INTRODUCTION
Haemorrhage or bleeding is the greatest risk and if severe, can be fatal or require a blood transfusion.
Infection is another severe complication. The raw surface is easily contaminated and the infant”: ability to fight infection is not well developed. The infection may spread to the blood, causing fatal septicaemia.
I am uncertain of the figures for Australia but it is estimated that in America each year there will be nearly IV2 million routine circumcisions and that these will lead to over 200 deaths.
Now, I have been painting a grim picture of the hazards of circumcision, but parents should understand that this operation is, in most cases, an unnecessary but harmless procedure. It is carried out for social rather than medical reasons.
The risk of complications from circumcision is indeed small and most infants survive this procedure with minimum discomfort.
Sexual performance or enjoyment does not seem to be affected by presence or absence of the foreskin.
Cancer of the penis, a rare cancer, is more common in the uncircumcised and this is thought to be due to the action of a chemical called smegma which is produced under the prepuce. However, circumcision to prevent the development of this cancer later in life is carrying preventive medicine a little too far.
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