Male circumcision is a commonly performed surgical procedure. It is an operation to remove the foreskin (the skin covering the top of the penis).
The procedure is typically done for personal or religious reasons. Circumcision in older children and adults may also be done for the same reasons.
Additionally, older children or adults may need circumcision to treat several conditions, including:
- balanitis (swelling of the foreskin)
- balanoposthitis (inflammation of the tip and foreskin of the penis)
- Paraphimosis (inability to return a retracted foreskin to its original position)
- phimosis
One study that looked at the amount and type of bacteria around the penis before and after circumcision found a significantly greater number of bacteria under the foreskin in uncircumcised boys.
These bacteria are precisely the kinds of germs that can make their way into the urinary tract and cause an infection.
Some studies show a three to ten-fold decrease in UTI rates in circumcised boys.
However, because the rates of UTIs are already relatively low in boys, that finding means 50 to 100 boys would need to be circumcised to prevent a UTI in one boy, who might not have otherwise developed an infection.
Considering this, the decision to circumcise boys should be made with both the family and the physician from a health care clinic to evaluate all the cultural and medical issues.
What is a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) ?
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection in any part of the urinary system.
The urinary system includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra.
Most infections involve the lower urinary tract — the bladder and the urethra.
UTI is usually caused by:
- Sexual intercourse
- Diabetes
- Poor personal hygiene
- Problem emptying the bladder completely
- Having urinary catheter
- Bowel incontinence
- Kidney stones
Symptoms of UTI include:
- A strong urge to urinate that doesn’t go away
- A burning feeling when urinating
- Urinating often, and passing small amounts of urine
- Urine that looks cloudy
- Urine that appears red, bright pink or cola-coloured — signs of blood in the urine
- Strong-smelling urine
Untreated UTIs can lead to complications, like kidney infections (pyelonephritis) and sepsis.
If you are experiencing or have experienced symptoms of UTI, it’s best you visit a men’s health clinic in Kuala Lumpur.
How Does Circumcision Reduce the Risk of UTIs?
Circumcision in Malaysia involves removing the foreskin, which can harbour bacteria that may lead to infections such as balanitis and balanoposthitis.
This infection may worsen which lead to bacteria entering the urinary tract system and cause UTIs.
Studies found that circumcision brought about changes in the composition of the subjects’ periurethral bacterial flora; that is, 52% possessed uropathogenic organisms before they were circumcised, whereas none of them did after the procedure.
A prospective study of 50 boys who underwent circumcision for social-religious reasons and isolated pathogenic bacteria in the periurethral region in 64% of boys before circumcision, but in just 10% 4 weeks after circumcision.
Studies have also shown that newborn circumcision results in a 9.1-fold decrease in incidence of UTI during the first year of life as well as markedly lower UTI-related medical costs and rate of hospital admissions.
Newborn circumcision during the first year of life is, thus, a valuable preventive health measure, particularly in the first 3 months of life, when uncircumcised males are most likely to be hospitalized with severe UTI.
It is reported enteric bacteria were the most common pathogens isolated from the prepuce in boys aged 6 years or less, whereas skin flora bacteria were the most common in those aged between 7 and 12 years, which resembles normal skin flora.
(The above picture was kindly provided by J.H. Waskett, Manchester, UK, from unpublished calculations based on the literature)
The illustration shows the cumulative prevalence of urinary tract infections over the lifetime of circumcised and uncircumcised males.
In conclusion, based on evidence circumcision has a huge role in reducing the risk of UTI’s in both infants and adults.
In addition, studies have shown that circumcised men compared with uncircumcised men have also been shown in clinical trials to be less likely to acquire new infections.
Here are the studies that show how much the likelihood will lessen after circumcision:
- syphilis (by 42%)
- genital ulcer disease (by 48%)
- genital herpes (by 28% to 45%)
- high-risk strains of human papillomavirus associated with cancer (by 24% to 47% percent).
Visit Your Nearest Circumcision Clinic Today
At Universal Clinic, we offer adult and child circumcision based on your needs.
If you have any doubts regarding circumcision – kindly contact Universal Clinic using this link where we can explain in detail regarding the procedure and what to expect.
Don’t wait to visit your nearest circumcision clinic today!
Dr Shalan Sugumaran
Dr Shalan Sugumaran is an expert in Men’s and Women’s health related issues and has amassed a wealth of experience over the years dealing with such issues.
Along the way, he also developed a keen interest in sexually transmitted diseases and has successfully managed complex cases including HIV related.
Dr Shalan believes that sexual health is important as it can give benefits in all aspect of one’s life and is highly motivated to provide holistic, compassionate and quality care for his clients.
Dr Shalan Sugumaran
Dr Shalan Sugumaran is an expert in Men’s and Women’s health related issues and has amassed a wealth of experience over the years dealing with such issues.
Along the way, he also developed a keen interest in sexually transmitted diseases and has successfully managed complex cases including HIV related.
Dr Shalan believes that sexual health is important as it can give benefits in all aspect of one’s life and is highly motivated to provide holistic, compassionate and quality care for his clients.
