LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Circumcision
built 643 days ago
Circumcision is a surgical procedure to remove the skin covering the end of the penis, called the foreskin. In many cultures, circumcision is a religious rite or a ceremonial tradition. It is most common in Jewish and Islamic faiths. In the United States, newborn circumcision is an elective procedure. The National Center for Health Statistics estimates that about 65 percent of newborn boys undergo circumcision. However, this number varies among socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic groups.
Source:
Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin, which is the skin that covers the tip of the penis. In the United States, it is often done before a new baby leaves the hospital. There are medical benefits and risks to circumcision. Possible benefits include a lower risk of urinary tract infections, penile cancer and sexually transmitted diseases. The risks include pain and a low risk of bleeding or infection. These risks are higher for older babies, boys and men.
Source:
"Circumcision is not only a physical command from God; it ... has important spiritual symbolism. It pictures repentance, but this symbolism doesn't eliminate the need to obey God physically, too. In fact, if these people really were obedient to God, they would not want to spiritualize away God's command to be circumcised. Isaiah clearly said that when the good news of salvation is preached, only circumcised people will be able to enter the daughter of Zion, which is the Church today. These gentiles are being grafted into Israel, and they therefore need to keep Israelite laws.
Source:
Circumcision remains a very controversial procedure. Many feel that it exposes a child to unnecessary surgery and in extremely rare circumstances, can cause disfigurement of the penis. Recent research has demonstrated that men who are circumcised have a lower risk of contacting sexually transmitted diseases. Circumcision may reduce the risk of contracting HIV disease by as much as half. Circumcision ... eliminates the risk of a rare form of cancer, penile cancer. Circumcision also reduces the risk of other medical problems such as urinary track infections, swelling/infections of the foreskin, and cervical cancer in female partners.
Source:
Circumcision should not be performed on infants with certain deformities of the penis that may require a portion of the foreskin for repair. The most common condition for surgery using the foreskin is hypospadias, a congenital deformity of the penis where the urinary tract opening is not at the tip of the glans. Also, infants with a large hydrocoele or hernia may suffer important complications through circumcision. Premature infants and infants with serious infections are ... poor candidates to be circumcised, as are infants with hemophilia, other bleeding disorders, or whose mothers had taken anticoagulant drugs. In older boys or men, circumcision is a minor procedure. Therefore, it can be performed in virtually anyone without a serious illness or unusual deformity.
Source:
Circumcision should not be performed until at least 12 to 24 hours after birth to ensure that the infant is stable. This period of observation allows for recognition of abnormalities or illnesses that should either be addressed before circumcision (e.g., hyperbilirubinemia or infection) or would be a contraindication for the procedure (e.g., bleeding diathesis). When there is a family history of a bleeding disorder, appropriate laboratory studies should be done to identify a possible clotting dysfunction. Infants with genital-urinary congenital anomalies, particularly hypospadias, should not be circumcised because the foreskin is frequently used in reconstruction. Premature infants should meet criteria for discharge from the nursery before circumcision is performed.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Circumcision