What happens if you get circumcised

If you're considering circumcision for a medical reason, it's worth discussing alternative treatment options with your GP or specialist. There's evidence from several trials carried out in Africa that circumcised men have a lower risk of acquiring HIV from infected women. But it's unclear whether male circumcision can help prevent other sexually transmitted infections STIs.

There have been several studies into male circumcision and the risk of other STIs, but the evidence to date has been inconclusive and conflicting. Circumcision is usually carried out on a day patient basis.

This means you'll be admitted to hospital on the same day you have surgery and won't have to stay overnight. You'll be asked not to eat and drink for 6 hours before surgery if you're having a general anaesthetic. After you have been admitted to hospital, you'll be seen by the members of the medical team carrying out the procedure, including your surgeon and anaesthetist. This is a good opportunity to discuss any concerns you have and ask questions about anything you're not sure about.

You'll be asked to sign a consent form to confirm you agree to the surgery. You'll usually either have a general anaesthetic, which means you'll be unconscious throughout the procedure, or a local anaesthetic injection, which will numb your penis and the surrounding area.

In some cases, a spinal anaesthetic, where you're unable to feel anything below your waist, will be used. Read more about the different types of anaesthesia.

Circumcision is a relatively simple procedure. The foreskin is removed just behind the head of the penis using a scalpel or surgical scissors. Any bleeding can be stopped using heat cauterisation , and the remaining edges of skin will be stitched together using dissolvable stitches. When you're discharged from hospital, you'll be given advice about your recovery at home, including when you can drive, return to work and have sex. It usually takes at least 10 days for your penis to heal after circumcision.

It's easier to keep a circumcised penis clean, although uncircumcised boys can learn how to clean beneath the foreskin once they're older. Some people claim that circumcision lessens the sensitivity of the tip of the penis, decreasing sexual pleasure later in life. But none of these subjective findings are conclusive. Although circumcision appears to have some medical benefits, it also carries potential risks — as does any surgical procedure.

These risks are small, but you should be aware of both the possible advantages and the problems before you make your decision. Complications of newborn circumcision are uncommon, occurring in between 0. Of these, the most frequent are minor bleeding and local infection, both of which can be easily treated by your doctor. One of the hardest parts of the decision to circumcise is accepting that the procedure can be painful.

In the past, it wasn't common to provide pain relief. But the American Academy of Pediatrics AAP recommends it and studies show that infants undergoing circumcision benefit from anesthesia, so most doctors now use it. But because this is a fairly new standard of care, it's important to ask your doctor ahead of time what, if any, pain relief your son will receive.

In addition to anesthesia, acetaminophen is sometimes given. This helps reduce discomfort during the procedure and for several hours afterward. Giving a pacifier dipped in sugar water and swaddling a baby also can help reduce stress and discomfort. Following circumcision, it is important to keep the area as clean as possible. Circumcision might not be an option if certain blood-clotting disorders are present.

Also, circumcision might not be appropriate for premature babies who still require medical care in the hospital nursery or for babies born with abnormalities of the penis. Circumcision doesn't affect fertility, nor is circumcision generally thought to enhance or detract from sexual pleasure for men or their partners. The most common complications associated with circumcision are bleeding and infection. Side effects related to anesthesia are possible as well.

Before circumcision, the doctor will explain the risks and benefits of the procedure. Whether you're planning to have your son circumcised or you're pursuing circumcision for yourself, you'll likely need to provide written consent for the procedure.

For newborn circumcision, your son will lie on his back with his arms and legs restrained. After the penis and surrounding area are cleansed, an anesthetic will be injected into the base of the penis or applied to the penis as a cream. A special clamp or plastic ring will be attached to the penis, and the foreskin will be removed. Afterward, the penis will be covered with an ointment, such as a topical antibiotic or petroleum jelly, and wrapped loosely with gauze.

The procedure generally takes about 10 minutes. Circumcision is similar for older boys and adults. However, the procedure might need to be done under general anesthesia, recovery might take longer and the risk of complications might be greater when done later in life. It usually takes seven to 10 days for the penis to heal. Older children can experience a degree of trauma with any surgical intervention, and this is particularly the case if it involves the genitals.

In adolescence, it can lead to symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. In males with phimosis, using less invasive methods — such as a corticosteroid cream — may help reduce the risk of anxiety and castration anxiety that circumcision could entail. Parents and caregivers, as well as older males, can use an online circumcision decision maker to help them decide whether or not to consider the operation.

The area will be bruised and swollen for several weeks, and urination may be painful for a few days or weeks. Some discomfort normally occurs after circumcision, but the pain is not usually severe, as this is a fairly minor operation. Pain medication can help. Applying a little petroleum jelly to the end of the penis may reduce the stinging sensation during urination.

Erections can also be painful during the recovery phase. To minimize the chance of nocturnal erections:. Circumcision is usually a simple operation, with a relatively low risk of complications.

However, it is not always a simple decision to make. Roughly 50 percent of humans have a penis. In this article, we provide further detail on this oddly shaped but reproductively vital piece of anatomy. Circumcision of the penis, or the removal of the foreskin, is not usually medically necessary. For many people, it is a choice. Whether or not it…. Balanitis is an inflammation of the glans, the head of the penis. It can be caused by an infection or an allergic reaction.

It is a common condition…. Some problems can arise in people with an uncircumcised penis. Read about these possible problems, the causes, and how to treat them.

Many people worry that their penis is not big enough, but that may not be the case. Here, see what research says about the average penis size.