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Circumcision, It's More Than Just A Snip - HER Health Minute - Dr. Connie

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Circumcision, It's More Than Just A Snip - HER Health Minute - Dr. Connie
Circumcision, It's More Than Just A Snip - HER Health Minute - Dr. Connie
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Former White House Doctor Connie Mariano returns to reveal the added benefits later in life to having your newborn son circumcised after birth.

Should you circumcise your sone?

The are many medical reasons for saying yes.

I'm former White House Doctor Connie Mariano with EmpowHER.

While circumcision remains a personal decision for many parents, there is now some overwhelming medical evidence that shows the procedure can significantly reduce the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

According to the CDC, clinical studies show circumcision reduces a man's risk of HIV during penile-vaginal intercourse.

But that's not all.

Uncircumcised men show an increased risk of genital ulcer disease, chlamydia, urinary tract infections, penile cancer, and cervical cancer for women who are partnered with uncircumcised men.

Studies also show an increased risk of HPV, the human papilomavirus, syphilis, and chancroid.

Now there are additional costs and risks associated with circumcision. And the procedure in no way should be considered a substitute for condoms and other safe sex practices.

But in my opinion and the CDC's, a little snip is well worth the risk.

I'm Dr. Connie Mariano for EmpowHER; To ask any question or for more information visit EmpowHER.com.

Add a Comment70 Comments

EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to Anonymous)

You were lucky. In my opinion, men who are circumcised sometimes favour it because they don't know any different and are in denial of the fact have they have been butchered. It is a barbaric, archaic procedure and should never be carried out without real medical reason. No one has the right to chop off a piece of someone else's body, especially such a significant part! It's a shame it's a woman medic supporting this anachronism. Let men choose when they are older. Should they really think it right to chop off part of their penis they can do it when they are adults and it's their choice. There won't be many takers! I'm glad I live in Britain where it's only done rarely for medical reasons, or by minority religious groups, sadly. How can a woman stand by, or a man, for that matter, and watch their tiny baby be butchered and then celebrate it? I find it incredible.

December 6, 2012 - 3:22pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

Uncircumcised isn't the correct term for the natural penis. I'm not "undecapitated" because my head is still attached. Do you refer to natural women as uncircumcised? If it's beneficial for males to get circumcised than it must be extremely beneficial for females to be circumcised seeing as they have more skin to trap bacteria and judging by the massive amount of commercials for yeast infections and vaginal odor and itching, it sounds as if females would greatly benefit from having that extra skin removed. It's just a little snip, right? They wouldn't even remember it! Absolutely ridiculous, right? It's really sad when a doctor, who is supposed to be well educated, has such an ignorant view of the male anatomy.

October 28, 2012 - 6:32am
(reply to Anonymous)

Intact is a better word. And it highlights the fact that someone who has gone under the knife no longer is.

February 1, 2013 - 4:17am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

What about the rights of the people on whom circumcisions are being performed without consent?

What if they didn't want this unnecessary body modification forced on them?

Why don't their rights matter?

October 27, 2012 - 7:35pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

I didn't do much research when I was pregnant with my son. In the end, we decided since he was born with it , and it's healthy, we should not cut it off. Honestly I don't know much about all these studies on how cutting off a boy's foreskin will benefit him. Some say it's medical fraud. So to err on the side of caution, I will tell my intact son when he is a little older (he is only 4) that some people say that having his whole penis might make him more susceptible to certain STDs. I will tell him to respect himself and protect himself because he is worth it. He might decide that having a foreskin is a good thing and worth more than any supposed health "benefit". Boys have brains, believe it or not. By telling parents that it's their choice to cut off a part of their son's penis because of some benefits later in life, you are basically saying that boys are too stupid to weigh the pros and cons on keeping or cutting off a part of their body. I will encourage him to do his own research if the subject ever comes up. Of course I'll make sure he gets his research from credible sources. Seeing as most intact men would never consider cutting off a part of their penis, I am hopeful that he will be perfectly happy having a whole penis.

October 27, 2012 - 7:21pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

If a quack cuts a baby they should loose the medical license and be imprisoned for mayhem.

October 27, 2012 - 6:41pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

Does this "doctor" even know the function of the foreskin?

October 27, 2012 - 6:18pm
(reply to Anonymous)

Most clearly not, which is generally true for most people, but less forgivable for a doctor giving medical advice that goes against nearly every major pediatric and medical organizations' recommendations.

February 1, 2013 - 5:05am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

I want to throw up. That's what I think about this. Even if these "benefits" were real (which they are not) we have one little problem here.....INFANTS ARE NOT HAVING SEX!!! How dare you recommend cutting off a healthy and functional part of a baby boy's body for some supposed sexually related benefits later one. You have NO idea what kind of man he will become. This might be shocking to you, but he might become a responsible man who will respect his body by not humping everything that moves. Passing HPV to women?? What if he turns out gay. Hey, what if he turns out asexual and doesn't even have sex. Again, you do NOT know. It is HIS body therefore it's completely unethical of you say that it's a parents choice. NO it is NOT. He is the one that is going to live with their decision. He is the one that might experience problems, physical and mental, because his parents decided to cut off a part of his penis at birth. More and more men are standing up to say that they are not happy that this was done to them at birth.

October 27, 2012 - 6:18pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

I am sick and tired of dry and abrasive intercourse. A circumcised man often has a hairy shaft bc his skin has to come down from his pubic bone area to accommodate the erection since the foreskin was SUPPOSED to do this job. This causes abrasions inside a woman. On top of that a dry glans will suck up a woman's moisture. Circumcision of males harms men AND women. You are NOT "EmpowHER"ing anyone with the load of bull you have posted on this site. Time to take it down. By the way "This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here." is clearly NOT true.

http://mondofown.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/how-women-are-harmed-by-male.html

http://www.circumcisionharm.org/

October 27, 2012 - 6:00pm
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