Men's Health

8 Things You Didn't Know About Your Penis

8. Most Men Aren't Circumcised continued...

Some research shows that there may be health benefits from circumcision. For instance, circumcised men may be less likely to pass sexually transmitted diseases to their female partners or to develop penile cancer.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) stated in 1999 that while medical data was “not sufficient to recommend routine male circumcision, it is legitimate for parents to take into account cultural, religious, and ethnic traditions in addition to medical factors” when deciding whether or not to circumcise newborn boys. The AAP reaffirmed that statement in 2005.

The percentage of newborns circumcised in U.S. hospitals climbed from about 55% in 1993 to about 63% in 1999. After the AAP outlined its policy on circumcision, the percentage of circumcised newborns tumbled to 54.5% in 2009.

The AAP policy on circumcision is still being debated. In recent years, several studies have shown that circumcised men are less likely to be infected with HIV. The WHO and UNAIDS now recommend male circumcision as an HIV prevention measure. "There is compelling evidence that male circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men by approximately 60%," the WHO states.