Circumcision Status And Risk Of Sexually Transmitted Infection In Young Adult Males: An Analysis Of A Longitudinal Birth Cohort

December 7, 2006 – 10:41 am | posted in Men's health, Sexual Health / STDs, Urology / Nephrology

UroToday.com - Previous literature has supported circumcision being a protective factor against acquiring sexually transmitted diseases among men. However, recent studies show that there are mixed results in regards to these findings. This study by Fergusson, et al, on circumcision status and the risk of sexually transmitted diseases in young men examined an association between circumcision and sexually transmitted diseases using a longitudinal birth cohort study.

Data was gathered over a 25 year longitudinal study of the birth cohort of New Zealand children. Information was obtained on: (1) the circumcision status of males in the cohort before 15 years of age; (2) measures of self-reported sexually transmitted infection from ages 18 to 25 years of age; and (3) childhood, family, and related covariate factors.

The group found that being circumcised had a statistically significant association with self reported sexually transmitted infection. Adjustments were made for potentially confounding factors such as the number of sexual partners and unprotected sex, as well as family background and familial factors related to circumcision and they did not reduce the association between circumcision status and the reports of sexually transmitted diseases. Estimates of the population-attributable risk suggested that universal neonatal circumcision would have reduced rates of sexually transmitted infection in this cohort by over 48%.

The group concluded that these findings suggest that uncircumcised males are at greater risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infection than circumcised males. The group states that circumcision may reduce the risk of a sexually transmitted disease and transmission of that disease to another partner by up to one half. Overall, this suggests that there is substantial benefit from routine neonatal circumcision. The only thing that I would caution is that accurate reporting of sexual conduct is at best questionable. I feel this needs further investigation before we can honestly say that routine circumcision would truly prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases more than practicing safe sex.

David M. Fergusson, Joseph M. Boden, and L. John Horwood

? Pediatrics 2006; 118: 1971-1977.
Reviewed by UroToday.com Medical Editor Pasquale Casale, MD

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