Medical reasons : A guide to Circumcision

There are two reasons for having circumcision: it is part of your religion or there is an ‘indication’for treatment. Indication for treatment means that there is a medical need which requires treatment.

This can be separated into two:

• Absolute indication: this means that there is a mandatory requirement for treatment, e.g. antibiotics for a bacterial infection.
• Relative indication: there is likely to be a benefit from the treatment in certain circumstances.

How does this relate to circumcision?

There are diseases which are classed as a relative indication for circumcision but only one which is an absolute indication for circumcision.

The diseases which could be treated by circumcision are:

• Phimosis
• Paraphimosis
• Frenulum
• Balanoposthitis

The only disease which has to be treated with circumcision is balanitis xerotica obliterans.

These are all discussed further within this section of the guide.