How Does Circumcision Affect Your Penis?

Video Player
SCIENCE  Feb 14, 2015 08:00 AM ET


Many babies around the world get circumcised, but what is it actually doing to your penis?
BY SEEKER
 97
Related On TestTube:
Why Do Lizard Penises Evolve So Fast?
Could an STD Cause Prostate Cancer?
Do Penises Have Bones?

In the past year, we've discussed the human microbiome a lot here on DNews, as scientists have recently been discovering the importance of tons of different genomes of microorganisms living on and in our bodies. The latest microbiome that humans may have unknowingly been disrupting is the one living on the head of the human penis.

Circumcision is a practice dating back millennia that's been done by a number of ancient cultures independently of each other and for a number of different reasons. There's been several high-profile reports in recent years that have criticized circumcision, deeming it medically unnecessary. However a new compilation study released by the Mayo Clinic reports that circumcision might reduce the risk of a number of medical conditions, including sexually transmitted infections, prostate cancer, and even cervical cancer in female partners of circumcised men.

According to a 2010 study in Plos One, the area under the foreskin attracts enough bacteria to qualify it as having its own microbiome. The study followed men in Uganda before and after circumcision and found that the microorganisms found on the penis were radically altered after the procedure. One cell in this microbiome -- Langerhans cells -- may play a role in HIV transmission -- since previous studies have shown that HIV transmission is lower in circumcised men.

So, in light of this dizzying array of information about circumcision, where do you stand on the issue? Let us know your opinion in the comments section below.

Learn More:
5 Things You Didn't Know About Circumcision (via DNews)
"A new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is likely to throw fuel on the fiery controversy surrounding male infant circumcision."

How Circumcision Works (via HowStuffWorks)
"Circumcision rites and procedures vary around the globe."

Circumcisions Performed in U.S. Community Hospitals, 2005 (via Healthcare Cost & Utilization Project)
"In 2005, circumcision was the third most common inpatient surgery performed in the U.S., with over 1.2 million procedures performed at the hospital."


Copyright © 2016 Discovery Communications, LLC. The Leader in Global Entertainment