Should You Circumcise Your Baby Boy?
Circumcision probably won’t impact your son’s health, research shows, but a range of cultural and social factors deserve your consideration.
By Susan Reslewic Keatley
February 4, 2026
Originally published July 12, 2019 in NYT Parenting
—
Should you circumcise your newborn son? For some parents, the answer is clear from the moment they know they’re having a boy. For others, the decision is more fraught, and may be anxiously debated into the delivery room and beyond.
Male infant circumcision, the removal of the foreskin from a baby boy’s penis, is far more common in the United States than in most industrialized countries, though rates have declined since the 1970s. A 2013 CDC report found that the national rate of newborn circumcision dropped from about 65 percent in 1979 to about 58 percent in 2010. A more recent Johns Hopkins study in 2022 has shown that U.S. circumcision rates have fallen below 50%.
For some families, circumcision is guided by religious tradition. Most American parents who choose circumcision do so for other reasons, such as beliefs about hygiene or a desire for the child’s penis to resemble that of his father or peers. As circumcision rates decline, children are increasingly likely to resemble peers regardless of parental choice.
—
HOW SHOULD PARENTS DECIDE?
“First, take a breath,” said Dr. Andrew Freedman, M.D., pediatric urologist and member of the AAP task force behind the 2012 policy. “Whatever you do, your child will be fine.”
Experts generally agree that parents should weigh medical benefits and risks alongside religious, cultural, and social considerations. Parents should also understand how to care for their child’s penis, circumcised or not, and how to recognize complications.
Key considerations:
* Consider the medical benefits in context
* Understand that risks are low
* Consider non-medical factors
* Take steps to minimize complications if circumcising
* If not circumcising, leave the foreskin alone
—
MEDICAL BENEFITS AND LIMITATIONS
Prevention of urinary tract infections (UTIs) is considered the strongest medical benefit in the U.S. The risk of UTIs in uncircumcised boys under age 2 is about 1 percent; in circumcised boys, about 0.1 percent, in the first year of life. However even this negligible amount of cares are easily treated with antibiotics. After the first year, UTI rates are similar for all boys.
Some studies suggest circumcision may reduce penile cancer risk, but when controlling for factors such as phimosis, the protective effect diminishes. Penile cancer is extremely rare in the U.S.; an estimated 300,000 circumcisions would be required to prevent one case.
Circumcision has been shown to reduce risk of HIV infection. However, HIV studies were conducted in Africa, where transmission patterns differ significantly from those in the United States. Studies involving men who have sex with men have been inconclusive. Experts note that condom use is far more effective for STI prevention in the U.S. context.
—
RISKS OF CIRCUMCISION
Approximately 11.5 percent of circumcised infants experience complications within five years. The most common are meatal stenosis, bleeding, and infection. Adhesions are also common and can be unsightly. They may require treatment and removal. Disfigurements and deaths also have occurred, but are less common. One study estimated deaths in the U.S. at 117 of babies per year.
—
NON-MEDICAL FACTORS
Circumcision rates vary widely worldwide. Rates exceed 95 percent in parts of the Middle East, while rates in Western Europe are under 15 percent, where circumcision of minors is controversial.
Experts emphasize that most parents ultimately decide for non-medical reasons.
—
IF YOU DECIDE TO CIRCUMCISE
* Ensure your baby is medically cleared
* Use a trained practitioner
* Pain relief should be provided
* Procedure typically lasts 10–15 minutes
* Best performed before 6 weeks of age
* Monitor for bleeding afterward
* Use petroleum jelly to prevent sticking during healing
—
IF YOU DO NOT CIRCUMCISE
The foreskin of infants is naturally tight and loosens with age. No special cleaning is required. Parents should not attempt forcible retraction. By early childhood, boys can learn to retract and clean themselves.
In rare cases, phimosis may require treatment, often with steroid cream. Fewer than 2 percent of boys in countries where circumcision is uncommon require later surgical intervention.
—
WHEN TO WORRY
Contact a doctor immediately if there are signs of bleeding, infection, adhesions, skin bridges, or abnormal appearance after circumcision. Phimosis, paraphimosis, or inflammation should be evaluated by a physician.
—
Neurological analysis proved long ago that all the erogenous nerves are in the foreskin. As a victim of teenage circumcision, i have a point of comparison and can say with certitude that circumcision destroys sexual pleasure and causes ED. No circumcised boy or man is “fine”, he is always sexually suppressed. Unfortunately most victims are unaware they’re sexually disabled because they have no point of comparison.
I got grok AI to admit there is zero scientific evidence any form of FGM is worse than male circumcision in terms of sensory loss. And that is 100% true.
Lawsuits are now being won due to gender transitioning kids. We need mass action lawsuits against the medical establishment for circumcision harm.
Let’s not conflate gender affirming care, which demands informed consent with a strong willingness from the patient, with FGM & MGM, which ignore consent entirely.
If there is some type of nonconsensual gender transitioning, you’ll have to show where that is happening.
Trans ops aren’t medical care any more than circumcision. Both are blood sacrifices. Children cannot consent to it. Look up Fox Varian who just won 2 million dollars because her psychiatrist and doctor manipulated her into cutting off her breasts. Lawsuits are going to be coming thick and fast and once the financial incentive is removed, not many doctors will be carrying out these evil mutilations. It’s interesting that you reject the experts on circumcision but believe the experts on the trans agenda. I smell far left political bias.
Fox Varian’s case was a case of nonconsent and improper conduct. The standards & practices of the State of New York were not followed, hence the result.
As per your other comments, I want to extend to other readers that the anti-circumcision movement is NOT rightwing or leftwing. It should NOT be associated with any other movement, positively or negatively. Trans and nonbinary people are welcome here as are people of any political, religious or irreligious persuasion.
However, the only politics here is surrounding circumcision. This is supposed to be a place where those who wish to discuss that topic can do so without alienating others.
The history surrounding circumcision does trespass upon modern social and ancient religious beliefs and mores, so some challenging points might be arise, but we can stay on topic without trying to alienate anyone.
Kids are brainwashed with gender ideology in schools now. It’s grooming. It’s psychological abuse. Hence why trans identifying people has exploded from 0.01% not long ago to something like 5%. Thousands of times increase. The truth is there is as much scientific evidence of gender dysphoria as there is for ADHD , ie zero scientific evidence.
Anthony W
Neither trans ops nor circumcision are medical procedures. Circumcision is an ancient religious blood sacrifice and trans ops are a new left wing religion’s frankenstein transhumanist blood sacrifice. Children cannot consent to unnecessary genital mutilation.