Circumcision does not decrease men’s pleasure, according to a publication that analyzed the scientific literature on the issue.
In matters of circumcision, opinions are divided and opposed. Studies support that it decreases sexual pleasure, others that it increases it and some that it has no effect. A team of researchers from the University of Sydney (Australia) and the University of Washington in Seattle (Washington, United States) sorted through the publications available to date. The results appeared in the November issue of Journal of Sexual Medicine.
Male circumcision can be performed for several reasons: health, aesthetics, tradition or religion. The effects of this practice are subject to debate: on the one hand those who militate for the respect of traditions, on the other those who condemn “mutilation” harmful to health and sexual pleasure. A circumcision program in South Africa confirms a large-scale reduction of 60% of HIV infection in circumcised men.
American and Australian scientists have conducted a systematic review of all the scientific literature on the links between circumcision and sexuality. Of the 2,675 publications analyzed, 36 were rated “high quality” by the team. They concern a total of 40,473 men, half of whom have been circumcised. These studies have focused on penile sensitivity, but also erectile and ejaculatory function, as well as sexual sensations. They concluded that circumcision – performed in a medical setting – has no negative effect on sexual function, sensitivity, sensation or satisfaction.
Among the publications reviewed, a study conducted in South Korea among men circumcised after 20 years. Half of them considered that their masturbatory pleasure was reduced once the foreskin was removed, 8% that it was increased. In Belgium, a study published this year claims that the operation increases sexual pleasure. An Iranian study, meanwhile, claims that circumcision before or after 18 has no effect.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), US health monitoring agencies, also conclude that circumcision has no effect on sexual pleasure and sensations. In France, the practice is medically supervised but – in theory – prohibited for reasons other than medical. In practice, it is estimated that of the 20% of young people circumcised, only 5% are circumcised for medical reasons.
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