Routine Circumcision Reconsidered

play a critical role in caring for newborns, they need to be aware of the controversy regarding circumcision in order to counsel families more effectively about potential benefits and risks of this operation. gressively occurs, so that by age 16 to 17, phimosis occurs in only one percent of uncircumcised males(4). Selection of candidates for surgery is based primarily on the mother's wishes. Fathers generally take little interest in the circumcision decision(1,5). The reasons mothers give for deciding to have their sons circumcised suggest that the decision is often irrational. In