[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":289},["ShallowReactive",2],{"research-studies":3},{"items":4,"categories":286,"total":287,"updatedAt":288},[5,13,21,29,37,45,53,61,68,76,84,90,97,102,111,118,124,129,135,142,147,153,160,167,175,181,190,197,205,212,218,226,231,236,243,250,257,264,270,278],{"category":6,"title":7,"authors":8,"journal":9,"year":10,"summary":11,"doi":12,"url":12,"number":12},"Anatomy & Function","Normal penis and foreskin development (intact hygiene guidance)","Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust","NHS patient information (URO14)",2023,"NHS guidance establishing that the childhood foreskin is naturally non-retractile and must never be forcibly retracted (which causes tearing, pain, scarring); it becomes retractile with age (≈99 in 100 boys by 16); smegma is a normal collection of shed skin cells, not pathological; and routine cleaning needs only water. Shows intact hygiene needs washing, not surgery — undercutting the \"it smells / it's unhygienic\" rationale for circumcision.",null,{"category":6,"title":14,"authors":15,"journal":16,"year":17,"summary":18,"doi":19,"url":20,"number":12},"Examining penile sensitivity in neonatally circumcised and intact men using quantitative sensory testing","Bossio JA, Pukall CF, Steele SS","Journal of Urology",2016,"Quantitative sensory testing that found no significant difference in glans sensitivity between circumcised and intact men — an often-cited counterpoint to Sorrells, included here for balance.","10.1016/j.juro.2015.12.080","https://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2015.12.080",{"category":6,"title":22,"authors":23,"journal":24,"year":25,"summary":26,"doi":27,"url":28,"number":12},"Histological correlates of penile sexual sensation: does circumcision make a difference?","Cox G, Krieger JN, Morris BJ","Sexual Medicine",2015,"Opposing-view review arguing histology shows no difference in glans keratinization between circumcised and intact men. Listed for balance and labelled contested: the authors did no original histology (they relay Szabo & Short's n=13 study) and lead author Morris is a documented pro-circumcision advocate. Its stronger claim that circumcision is \"likely beneficial\" for pleasure was refuted on adversarial review.","10.1002/sm2.67","https://doi.org/10.1002/sm2.67",{"category":6,"title":30,"authors":31,"journal":32,"year":33,"summary":34,"doi":35,"url":36,"number":12},"Keratinization of the adult male foreskin and implications for male circumcision","Dinh MH, McRaven MD, Kelley Z, et al.","AIDS",2010,"Histology finding no significant keratin-thickness difference between inner and outer foreskin (P=0.451). Often cited against the keratinization hypothesis — but note it measures the foreskin, not the circumcised glans over time, so it does not directly settle whether an exposed glans keratinizes. A contested-evidence entry.","10.1097/QAD.0b013e3283367779","https://doi.org/10.1097/QAD.0b013e3283367779",{"category":6,"title":38,"authors":39,"journal":40,"year":41,"summary":42,"doi":43,"url":44,"number":12},"Fine-touch pressure thresholds in the adult penis","Sorrells ML, Snyder JL, Reiss MD, et al.","BJU International",2007,"Study finding that the five most sensitive areas of the penis are removed by circumcision, with the foreskin being more sensitive than the glans.","10.1111/j.1464-410X.2006.06685.x","https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-410X.2006.06685.x",{"category":6,"title":46,"authors":47,"journal":48,"year":49,"summary":50,"doi":51,"url":52,"number":12},"How does male circumcision protect against HIV infection? (glans keratinization)","Szabo R, Short RV","BMJ",2000,"The single small cadaver study (n=13) reporting the glans is \"equally keratinised\" with or without circumcision — the root source for the view that circumcision does NOT additionally keratinize the glans. Included for balance: the popular claim that the exposed glans \"keratinizes and goes numb\" over time is disputed, and this is the main (if very small) study behind that dispute.","10.1136/bmj.320.7249.1592","https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.320.7249.1592",{"category":6,"title":54,"authors":55,"journal":56,"year":57,"summary":58,"doi":59,"url":60,"number":12},"The prepuce: specialized mucosa of the penis and its loss to circumcision","Cold CJ, Taylor JR","British Journal of Urology",1999,"Comprehensive anatomical study describing the foreskin's structure, including its immunological functions and erogenous tissue.","10.1046/j.1464-410x.1999.0830s1034.x","https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1464-410x.1999.0830s1034.x",{"category":6,"title":62,"authors":63,"journal":56,"year":64,"summary":65,"doi":66,"url":67,"number":12},"The prepuce: specialized mucosa of the penis and its loss to circumcision (ridged band)","Taylor JR, Lockwood AP, Taylor AJ",1996,"Histological study identifying the densely innervated ridged band of the inner foreskin — the 'Taylor's ridged band' removed by circumcision.","10.1046/j.1464-410X.1996.85023.x","https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1464-410X.1996.85023.x",{"category":6,"title":69,"authors":70,"journal":71,"year":72,"summary":73,"doi":74,"url":75,"number":12},"Further fate of the foreskin: incidence of preputial adhesions, phimosis, and smegma among Danish schoolboys","Øster J","Archives of Disease in Childhood",1968,"Landmark longitudinal study showing non-retractile foreskin and phimosis resolve naturally with age, undermining the rationale for circumcising children to \"treat\" a normal developmental stage.","10.1136/adc.43.228.200","https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.43.228.200",{"category":77,"title":78,"authors":79,"journal":80,"year":17,"summary":81,"doi":82,"url":83,"number":12},"Complications","Foreskin morbidity in uncircumcised males","Sneppen I, Thorup J","Pediatrics","Population study finding the absolute risk of needing circumcision for a foreskin problem is very low (~1.7%), so routine prophylactic circumcision would over-treat the vast majority of boys.","10.1542/peds.2015-4340","https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-4340",{"category":77,"title":85,"authors":86,"journal":87,"year":88,"summary":89,"doi":12,"url":12,"number":12},"Complication rate after circumcision in a paediatric surgical setting should not be neglected","Thorup J, Thorup SC, Ifaoui IBR","Danish Medical Journal",2013,"Danish surgical series documenting a non-trivial complication rate even under controlled hospital conditions, countering claims that medical circumcision is essentially risk-free.",{"category":77,"title":91,"authors":92,"journal":93,"year":33,"summary":94,"doi":95,"url":96,"number":12},"Complications of circumcision","Weiss HA, Larke N, Halperin D, Schenker I","BMC Urology","Systematic review finding complication rates of 2-10% for infant circumcision, including bleeding, infection, and surgical injury.","10.1186/1471-2490-10-2","https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2490-10-2",{"category":77,"title":98,"authors":99,"journal":100,"year":33,"summary":101,"doi":12,"url":12,"number":12},"Lost boys: an estimate of US circumcision-related infant deaths","Bollinger D","Thymos: Journal of Boyhood Studies","Statistical estimate that ~117 US neonatal deaths per year are attributable to circumcision-related causes — a figure absent from most official complication tallies.",{"category":103,"title":104,"authors":105,"journal":106,"year":107,"summary":108,"doi":109,"url":110,"number":12},"Ethics & Policy","Circumcision of male infants and children as a public health measure in developed countries: a critical assessment","Frisch M, Earp BD","Global Public Health",2018,"Assessment concluding the evidence does not justify routine infant circumcision as a public-health measure in low-risk developed countries.","10.1080/17441692.2016.1184292","https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2016.1184292",{"category":103,"title":112,"authors":113,"journal":114,"year":17,"summary":115,"doi":116,"url":117,"number":12},"Circumcision is unethical and unlawful","Svoboda JS, Adler PW, Van Howe RS","Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics","Bioethics argument that non-therapeutic infant male circumcision violates the four cardinal principles of medical ethics (autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, justice) and infringes boys' rights. A contested normative position from an anti-circumcision standpoint, catalogued as the argument its authors make.","10.1177/1073110516654120","https://doi.org/10.1177/1073110516654120",{"category":103,"title":119,"authors":120,"journal":80,"year":17,"summary":121,"doi":122,"url":123,"number":12},"The circumcision debate: beyond benefits and risks","Freedman AL","Commentary from within the pediatric establishment acknowledging the circumcision decision is driven more by culture and family values than by medical evidence.","10.1542/peds.2016-0594","https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-0594",{"category":103,"title":125,"authors":126,"journal":127,"year":25,"summary":128,"doi":12,"url":12,"number":12},"Female genital mutilation and male circumcision: toward an autonomy-based ethical framework","Earp BD","Medicolegal and Bioethics","Bioethics argument (attributed, not stated as law): some legally-permitted forms of female genital cutting are less invasive than the male circumcision routinely allowed, so the sex-based legal line is ethically inconsistent. Proposes an autonomy/consent-based framework treating non-consensual genital cutting of any child alike. Context for the legal asymmetry: in the US, even a symbolic \"nick\" of a girl is criminal under 18 U.S.C. §116 (no religious/cultural exemption), while non-therapeutic circumcision of boys remains legal — a normative argument, not a claim of legal consensus.",{"category":103,"title":130,"authors":131,"journal":80,"year":88,"summary":132,"doi":133,"url":134,"number":12},"Cultural bias in the AAP's 2012 Technical Report and Policy Statement on male circumcision","Frisch M, Aigrain Y, Barauskas V, et al.","Response from 38 European physicians criticizing the AAP's circumcision policy as culturally biased and inconsistent with European medical positions.","10.1542/peds.2012-2896","https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2012-2896",{"category":103,"title":136,"authors":137,"journal":138,"year":88,"summary":139,"doi":140,"url":141,"number":12},"Out of step: fatal flaws in the latest AAP policy report on neonatal circumcision","Svoboda JS, Van Howe RS","Journal of Medical Ethics","Detailed ethical and methodological critique arguing the AAP's 2012 report overstated benefits, understated harms, and sidestepped the question of infant consent.","10.1136/medethics-2013-101346","https://doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2013-101346",{"category":103,"title":143,"authors":144,"journal":145,"year":33,"summary":146,"doi":12,"url":12,"number":12},"Non-therapeutic circumcision of male minors","Royal Dutch Medical Association (KNMG)","KNMG Position Statement","Official statement discouraging non-therapeutic circumcision of minors, citing violation of children's rights to autonomy and physical integrity.",{"category":148,"title":149,"authors":150,"journal":114,"year":151,"summary":152,"doi":12,"url":12,"number":12},"HIV & Disease","A fatal flaw in the African studies on male circumcision and HIV transmission","Van Howe RS, Storms MR",2011,"Critical analysis of the African HIV trials identifying methodological flaws including lead-time bias and inadequate controls.",{"category":148,"title":154,"authors":155,"journal":156,"year":41,"summary":157,"doi":158,"url":159,"number":12},"Recurrent urinary tract infections in children: risk factors and association with prophylactic antimicrobials","Conway PH, Cnaan A, Zaoutis T, et al.","JAMA","Large cohort showing UTI in boys is uncommon and manageable, contextualising the small absolute UTI-risk reduction sometimes used to justify circumcision.","10.1001/jama.298.2.179","https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.298.2.179",{"category":148,"title":161,"authors":162,"journal":163,"year":41,"summary":164,"doi":165,"url":166,"number":12},"Circumcision for HIV prevention: failure to fully account for behavioral risk compensation","Kalichman S, Eaton L, Pinkerton S","PLoS Medicine","Argument that the HIV-prevention benefit attributed to circumcision may be offset by risk compensation — men believing themselves protected and reducing condom use.","10.1371/journal.pmed.0040138","https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0040138",{"category":148,"title":168,"authors":169,"journal":170,"year":171,"summary":172,"doi":173,"url":174,"number":12},"Cohort study on circumcision of newborn boys and subsequent risk of urinary-tract infection","To T, Agha M, Dick PT, Feldman W","The Lancet",1998,"Cohort study quantifying the UTI-risk difference, frequently cited to show ~111 circumcisions would be needed to prevent a single UTI.","10.1016/S0140-6736(98)02392-7","https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(98)02392-7",{"category":176,"title":177,"authors":12,"journal":178,"year":12,"summary":179,"doi":12,"url":180,"number":12},"Intact care & hygiene","Care of the Uncircumcised Penis in Infants and Children","American Academy of Family Physicians (American Family Physician)","Clinical review: the foreskin separates from the glans naturally over years; forced retraction risks adhesions, scarring, and pain.","https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2018/0915/p385.html",{"category":182,"title":183,"authors":184,"journal":185,"year":186,"summary":187,"doi":188,"url":189,"number":12},"Pain & Trauma","Post-traumatic stress disorder among Filipino boys subjected to ritual or medical circumcision","Boyle GJ, Ramos S","Annals of Medicine and Surgery",2019,"Retrospective cohort of 1,577 Filipino boys finding meaningful rates of PTSD symptoms following both ritual (\"tuli\") and medical circumcision.","10.1016/j.amsu.2019.04.007","https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amsu.2019.04.007",{"category":182,"title":191,"authors":192,"journal":193,"year":25,"summary":194,"doi":195,"url":196,"number":12},"fMRI reveals neural activity overlap between adult and infant pain","Goksan S, Hartley C, Emery F, et al.","eLife","Brain imaging showing infants experience pain in much the same neural regions as adults, refuting the assumption that newborns do not meaningfully feel surgical pain.","10.7554/eLife.06356","https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06356",{"category":182,"title":198,"authors":199,"journal":200,"year":201,"summary":202,"doi":203,"url":204,"number":12},"Male circumcision: pain, trauma and psychosexual sequelae","Boyle GJ, Goldman R, Svoboda JS, Fernandez E","Journal of Health Psychology",2002,"Review linking neonatal circumcision pain to behavioural changes, disrupted breastfeeding and bonding, and possible long-term psychosexual effects.","10.1177/1359105302007003228","https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105302007003228",{"category":182,"title":206,"authors":207,"journal":170,"year":208,"summary":209,"doi":210,"url":211,"number":12},"Effect of neonatal circumcision on pain response during subsequent routine vaccination","Taddio A, Katz J, Ilersich AL, Koren G",1997,"Research showing circumcised infants display stronger pain responses to vaccination months later, suggesting lasting physiological changes.","10.1016/S0140-6736(96)10316-0","https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(96)10316-0",{"category":182,"title":213,"authors":214,"journal":156,"year":208,"summary":215,"doi":216,"url":217,"number":12},"Comparison of ring block, dorsal penile nerve block, and topical anesthesia for neonatal circumcision","Lander J, Brady-Fryer B, Metcalfe JB, et al.","Randomised trial halted early on ethical grounds when unanaesthetised infants showed such severe distress that continuing the no-anaesthesia arm was deemed unacceptable.","10.1001/jama.1997.03550240048035","https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1997.03550240048035",{"category":219,"title":220,"authors":221,"journal":222,"year":25,"summary":223,"doi":224,"url":225,"number":12},"Psychological","Ritual circumcision and risk of autism spectrum disorder in 0- to 9-year-old boys","Frisch M, Simonsen J","Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine","National Danish cohort reporting a statistical association between ritual circumcision and later ASD diagnosis; the authors stress it is an association requiring cautious interpretation, not proof of causation.","10.1177/0141076814565942","https://doi.org/10.1177/0141076814565942",{"category":219,"title":227,"authors":228,"journal":229,"year":151,"summary":230,"doi":12,"url":12,"number":12},"Alexithymia and circumcision trauma: a preliminary investigation","Bollinger D, Van Howe RS","International Journal of Men's Health","Survey finding circumcised men scored higher on alexithymia (difficulty identifying and describing emotions), a marker associated with early trauma.",{"category":219,"title":232,"authors":233,"journal":234,"year":208,"summary":235,"doi":12,"url":12,"number":12},"Circumcision: the hidden trauma","Goldman R","Vanguard Publications","Examination of psychological effects of circumcision, including research on trauma responses and long-term psychological impacts.",{"category":237,"title":238,"authors":239,"journal":40,"year":88,"summary":240,"doi":241,"url":242,"number":12},"Sexual Function","Male circumcision decreases penile sensitivity as measured in a large cohort","Bronselaer GA, Schober JM, Meyer-Bahlburg HF, et al.","Large Belgian study finding circumcised men report decreased sexual pleasure and more difficulty achieving orgasm.","10.1111/j.1464-410X.2012.11761.x","https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-410X.2012.11761.x",{"category":237,"title":244,"authors":245,"journal":246,"year":88,"summary":247,"doi":248,"url":249,"number":12},"Does male circumcision affect sexual function, sensitivity, or satisfaction? A systematic review","Morris BJ, Krieger JN","Journal of Sexual Medicine","The most-cited pro-circumcision review, concluding the highest-quality studies show no adverse sexual effect. Included as the labelled opposing view (matching this library's standing approach to Morris & Krieger): the lead author is a documented circumcision advocate, and critics argue it is not a true meta-analysis and relies on non-peer-reviewed letters. Treat as one contested view, not the final word.","10.1111/jsm.12293","https://doi.org/10.1111/jsm.12293",{"category":237,"title":251,"authors":252,"journal":253,"year":88,"summary":254,"doi":255,"url":256,"number":12},"Effects of circumcision on male sexual functions: a systematic review and meta-analysis","Tian Y, Liu W, Wang JZ, et al.","Asian Journal of Andrology","Opposing-view meta-analysis (10 studies, 18,740 men) finding no significant difference in premature ejaculation, ejaculation latency, or orgasm difficulty — concluding circumcision is unlikely to harm sexual function, while conceding low evidence quality and high heterogeneity. The more neutral counterpoint to Sorrells/Bronselaer/Frisch; included so the contested picture is shown honestly, not cherry-picked.","10.1038/aja.2013.47","https://doi.org/10.1038/aja.2013.47",{"category":237,"title":258,"authors":259,"journal":260,"year":151,"summary":261,"doi":262,"url":263,"number":12},"Male circumcision and sexual function in men and women: a survey-based, cross-sectional study in Denmark","Frisch M, Lindholm M, Grønbæk M","International Journal of Epidemiology","National Danish survey associating circumcision with more frequent orgasm difficulties in men and a higher rate of unfulfilled sexual needs and pain in their female partners.","10.1093/ije/dyr104","https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyr104",{"category":237,"title":265,"authors":266,"journal":40,"year":41,"summary":267,"doi":268,"url":269,"number":12},"The effect of male circumcision on sexuality","Kim D, Pang MG","Study of men circumcised as adults showing significant decrease in masturbatory pleasure and sexual enjoyment post-circumcision.","10.1111/j.1464-410X.2006.06646.x","https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-410X.2006.06646.x",{"category":237,"title":271,"authors":272,"journal":273,"year":274,"summary":275,"doi":276,"url":277,"number":12},"Circumcision in Australia: prevalence and effects on sexual health","Richters J, Smith AMA, de Visser RO, et al.","International Journal of STD & AIDS",2006,"Large national Australian survey examining circumcision prevalence and its associations with sexual difficulties across the population.","10.1258/095646206778145695","https://doi.org/10.1258/095646206778145695",{"category":237,"title":279,"authors":280,"journal":281,"year":282,"summary":283,"doi":284,"url":285,"number":12},"Penile sensitivity and sexual satisfaction after circumcision: are we informing men correctly?","Masood S, Patel HRH, Himpson RC, et al.","Urologia Internationalis",2005,"Study of men circumcised as adults: roughly half reported worse penile sensation and overall satisfaction afterward, raising informed-consent concerns.","10.1159/000085930","https://doi.org/10.1159/000085930",[6,77,103,148,176,182,219,237],40,"2026-06-24T05:51:22.054Z",1782280281421]