Circumcision Should Not Be Banned Essay

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The second reason why newborn circumcision should not be banned is that it decreases the risk of penile cancer. Being uncircumcised alone is considered a risk factor for penile cancer since it can lead to many penile problems that cause irritation and inflammation of the penis, thereby increasing the risk of penile cancer (“What Are the Risk Factors for Penile Cancer?”). In an article entitled “What Are the Risk Factors for Penile Cancer?” the writers state that “Men who were circumcised as children may have a lower chance of getting penile cancer than those who were not, but the same protective effect is not seen if the foreskin is removed as an adult.” As previously stated, it is unclear why men who are uncircumcised are at increased risk of penile cancer, but it is thought to be related to the accumulation of smegma beneath the foreskin (“What Are the Risk Factors for Penile Cancer?”). Smegma is defined as “a thick, cheesy …show more content…

Unfortunately, the findings were not enough to warrant the implementation of circumcision programs as health policy, so three trials were performed to provide concrete evidence to support the claim that circumcision reduces the risk of HIV infection in men. The trial at Orange Farm resulted in a 60% drop in the risk of HIV infection in the men that were circumcised at the beginning of the trial over the two years that the trial went on. The results of the other two trials showed comparable results. It was also discovered that “the biological explanation for circumcision’s protective effect is the foreskin’s nine times greater absorption of HIV when compared with other genital mucosa. Langerhans and other receptor cells mediate this susceptibility” (Lazarus). Circumcising males at birth would do much to protect them against, and prevent, the spread of

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