If you are having a boy, you will need to decide whether to have him circumcised or not. This is a somewhat controversial topic, and has generated a surprising amount of concern and even protests from those opposed to circumcision. Ultimately, it is really a personal and cultural decision more than a medical one. In many cases a boy will want to be like his father or other boys, and this may influence your decision. From a medical standpoint, there is good evidence that circumcision reduces the risk of urinary tract infections, sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS, and genital warts which can lead to cancer in both men and women infected by men with the virus. Circumcision helps to prevent all of these. However, most people feel that the risk reduction is not high enough to say that all boys should be circumcised for these reasons. Circumcision also makes the penis somewhat easier to clean, both for parents and later for the child. Uncircumcised children are also at risk for the skin getting stuck in the pulled back position which must be corrected urgently.
There are very few risks to the procedure. There is a minor risk of bleeding which is easily controlled, and the procedure is somewhat painful. Most doctors now give some form of anesthesia and pain relief before the baby is circumcised. Parents and later the child have to keep the skin pulled back and the penis clean or the skin can stick and cause adhesions. Opponents to circumcision also state that sexual pleasure is decreased by circumcision, though there is no scientific evidence for this belief. For now, this decision should be based on personal, cultural, and/or religious reasons.
