Male Circumcision – Is it for all?

Before we start off with the article, let me tell you that I am shocked when I learnt that people are searching for ‘home circumcision’, ‘how to do circumcision at home’, ‘how to cut foreskin at home’, ‘home treatment for sunnat’, ‘sunnat operation at home’, ‘how to foreskin on penis at home’ etc. Please do NOT attempt circumcision at home and by yourself. You will do more damage to your penis than good and you are putting your life at risk if you happen to cut nerves etc.

Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin (prepuce) on the penis. It is a commonly performed surgical procedure and is practiced worldwide. In some religions it is practiced as a routine. In my last Dr X show on Sun TV, I was asked about the beneficial effects of circumcision which actually prompted me to write this blog.

General belief is that Circumcision can improve male sexual dysfunction. Common indications are a tight painful foreskin during sex, fungal infections in the prepuce, pain while having sex, difficulty in ejaculation, erectile dysfunction and so on. Also, there is a thought that circumcision can cause male sexual dysfunction. This could be due to pain, decreased sensitivity of glans, erectile dysfunction and disordered ejaculation and so on. However, it is key to understand, that these conclusions are not evidence based and hence there is no consensus in medical literature to offer circumcision to all men either to enhance sexual function or to relieve sexual dysfunction.

Medical literature is also abound with studies talking about how circumcision can prevent the transmission of Sexually Transmitted Infections. However, these studies are done in various populations across different continents and have to be taken with a pinch of salt.