On Aug. 12, columnists Steve and Lynelle addressed a parent’s concern about circumcision. They advised the parent to have the child circumcised. Readers responded and the columnists wanted to share those comments, followed by their own.

Dear Steve and Lynelle,

Please inform your readers about the horrors of routine infant circumcision.

It is illegal to circumcise a girl in the United States. Why is the genital integrity of little boys routinely violated? 

Mother to two intact boys

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I totally disagree with the advice you gave the mother about circumcision. The AMA and AAP both state clearly there are no compelling reasons to circumcise infants. The father is right. Growing up intact is becoming the norm now so there will be a lot less so-called locker room issues. Medically speaking there is no evidence to support the need for routine circumcision.

Tom

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Presently 44 percent of U.S.A. male babies are not circumcised. Unfortunately, about half of our doctors are misinformed.

Non-therapeutic circumcision is not recommended by any national or international medical association. It has no medical basis, so it is cosmetic surgery.

Circumcision cuts off the foreskin (prepuce), which consists of loose moveable skin and mucosa similar to the lips of the mouth, rich in sensory nerve endings and specialized immune cells, which help provide protection from STDs, including HIV. The foreskin is significantly more sensitive than the rest of the penis. HIV prevalence in the USA is 3 to 7.6 times that in many European countries, where circumcision is rare.

Circumcision is painful and subjects a baby to risks of hemorrhage, antibiotic-resistant infections, adhesions and skin bridges, acquired phimosis, urinary retention, and even death. Some complications, such as painful erections, tearing at the scar site, or hair on the penile shaft are not apparent until puberty.

James Moore, director