Adult Male Circumcision Not Linked To Sexual
Dysfunction
Medicalnewstoday.com,
Nov. 19, 2008.. The World Health Organization recommends male
circumcision as an important element in HIV prevention programs, and the procedure is
promoted in high-risk heterosexual
populations While the benefits of circumcision are well-
documented (they also include
reduced rates of urinary tract infection, penile cancer, and
cervical cancer and chlamydia in female partners), there remains a concern that adult
circumcision may
impair sexual function.
A
new study has found that adult circumcisions do not lead to
sexual difficulties among men
who were already sexually active. The study appears in the
November 2008 issue of The
Journal of Sexual Medicine the official journal
of the International Society for Sexual
Medicine.
The
study group consisted of 2,684 men in Kisumu, Kenya between
2002 and 2005. Both
groups underwent six detailed evaluations between one month and
24 months after
circumcision. "More than 99 percent of the men studied
reported that they were satisfied with
their circumcision, and the majority of men
reported both greater penile sensitivity, and easier
use of condoms," said lead author
John N. Krieger, M.D., of the University of Washington.
The
results also showed no significant difference in the frequency
of erectile dysfunction,
inability to ejaculate, pain during intercourse or lack of
pleasure during intercourse.
Circumcised men also had progressively higher rates of sexual satisfaction over time.
"These
findings are reassuring in view of current efforts to promote
male circumcision to
prevent HIV infections in some countries, particularly in
eastern and southern Africa," say the
authors. They also note that continued
evaluation and counseling in HIV and sexually
transmitted disease risk reduction remain
critical.
"This
topic has been highly controversial." says Irwin Goldstein,
M.D., Editor-in- Chief of The
Journal of
Sexual Medicine. "I am pleased to be able to publish irrefutable evidence that
circumcision does not have negative side effects
regarding sexual health; rather it is quite the
opposite."
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