Medical literature about child circumcision

This page collects and indexes medical literature about child circumcision.

Work in progress: The following information does not claim to be complete. More content will be added gradually.

Introduction

A number of articles about the practice of circumcision have been published. This page collects the more significant articles.

Articles

Twentieth century articles

• Brennermann J. The ulcerated meatus in the circumcised child. Am J Dis Child. 1921; 21: 38-47. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
• Gairdner DMT. The fate of the foreskin: a study of circumcision. British Medical Journal. 1949; 2(4642): 1433-7. PMID. PMC. DOI. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
• Morgan WKC. The rape of the phallus. JAMA. 19 July 1965; 193(3): 123-4. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
• Wright JE. Non-therapeutic circumcision. Med J Aust. 27 May 1967; 1(21): 1083-6. PMID. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
• Morgan WKC. Penile plunder. Med J Aust. 27 May 1967; 1(21): 102-3. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
• Øster J. Further Fate of the Foreskin: Incidence of Preputial Adhesions, Phimosis, and Smegma among Danish Schoolboys . Arch Dis Child. 1968; 43(228): 200-3. PMID. PMC. DOI. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
• Leitch IOW. Circumcision. A continuing enigma. Aust Paediatr J. June 1970; 6(2): 59-65. PMID. Retrieved June 2024.
• Preston EN. Whither the foreskin? A consideration of routine neonatal circumcision. JAMA. 14 September 1970; 213(11): 1853-8. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
• Falliers CJ. Circumcision. JAMA. 21 December 1970; 214(12): 2194. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
• Patel H. The problem of routine infant circumcision. Can Med Assoc J. 10 September 1966; 95(11): 576-81. PMID. PMC. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
• Grimes DA. Routine circumcision of the newborn infant: a reappraisal. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 15 January 1978; 130(2): 125-9. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
• Gellis SS. Circumcision. Am J Dis Child. 1978; 132(12): 1168-9. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
• Anonymous editorial. The case against neonatal circumcision . Br Med J. 5 May 1979; 1(6172): 1163-4. PMID. PMC. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
• Fleiss PM, Douglass J. The case against neonatal circumcision. Brit Med J. 1 September 1979; 2(6189): 554. PMID. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
• Oliver JE. Circumcision and cruelty to children. Br Med J. 13 October 1979; 2(6195): 933. PMID. PMC. DOI. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
• Baker RL. Newborn male circumcision: needless and dangerous. Sexual Medicine Today. November 1979; 3(11): 35-6. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
• McHugh M. Circumcision — is it ever necessary?. Ir Med J. February 1981; 74(2): 55-6. PMID. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
• Metcalf TJ, Osborn LM, Mariani EM. Circumcision: A study of current practices. Clin Pediatr (Phila). March 1983; 22(8): 575-9. PMID. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
• Hughes GK. Circumcision: another look. Ohio Medicine. February 1990; 86(2): 92. PMID. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
• Rickwood AMK. The unkindest cut of all?. J Ir Coll Physicians Surg. July 1992; 21(3): 179-81. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
• Denniston GC. Unnecessary Circumcision. The Female Patient. July 1992; 17: 13-4. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
• Gordon A, Collin J. Saving the normal foreskin. BMJ. 2 January 1993; 306: 1-2. PMID. PMC. DOI. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
• Williams N, Kapila L. Complications of circumcision. Br J Surg. October 1993; 80(10): 1231-6. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 22 June 2924.
  Quote: Although haemorrhage and sepsis are the main causes of morbidity, the variety of complications is enormous. The literature abounds with reports of morbidity and even death as a result of circumcision.
• Warren JP, Bigelow J. The case against circumcision. Br J Sex Med. September 1994; : 6-8.
• Milos MF, Macris MR (1994): Circumcision: male — effects upon human sexuality. Work: Human Sexuality: an Encyclopedia. Vern L. Bullough and Bonnie Bullough. (ed.). New York: Garland Publishers. Pp. 119-22. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
• Warren JP, Smith PD, Dalton JD, et al. Circumcision of children . BMJ. 10 February 1996; 312(7027): 377. PMID. PMC. DOI. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
• Dalton JD. Circumcision: Is the GMC wrong? . GP. 27 June 1997; : 44. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
• Konopka. Circumventing circumcision. Infectious Diseases in Children. July 1997; 10(7): 4. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
• Elder JS. Circumcision—are you with us or against us?. J Urol. 2006; 176(5): 1911. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
• Kim D, Pang M. The effect of male circumcision on sexuality. BJU Int. March 1997; 99(3): 619-22. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
• Laumann EO, Masi CM, Zuckerman EW. Circumcision in the United States. JAMA. 2 April 1997; 277(13): 1052-7. PMID. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
• Dalton JD. Guidelines on circumcision. Legal position is unclear . BMJ. 20 September 1997; 315(7110): 750. PMID. PMC. DOI. Retrieved 28 June 2024.

Twenty-first century articles

• Agawal A, Mohta A, Anand RK. Preputial retraction in children. Journal of Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons. 2005; 10(2): 89-91. DOI. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
• Dalton JD. Male circumcision – see the harm to get a balanced picture . J Mens Health Gend. September 2007; 4(3): 312-7. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
• Hill G. The case against circumcision . J Mens Health Gend. 2007; 4(3): 318-23. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
• Sorrells ML, Snyder JD. Fine-touch pressure thresholds in the adult penis. BJU Int. 22 October 2007; 99(4): 864–869. PMID. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
• Denniston GC, Hill G. Gairdner was wrong. Can Fam Physician. October 2010; 56(10): 986-7. PMID. PMC. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
• Frisch M, Lindholm M, Grønbæk M. Male circumcision and sexual function in men and women: a survey-based, cross-sectional study in Denmark. Int J Epidemiol. 14 June 2011; 40(5): 1367-81. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
• Narvaez DF. Myths about Circumcision You Likely Believe. Psychology Today. 11 September 2011; Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  Quote: In 1997, doctors in Canada (Lander 1997) did a study to see what type of anesthesia was most effective in relieving the pain of circumcision. As with any study, they needed a control group that received no anesthesia. The doctors quickly realized that the babies who were not anesthetized were in so much pain that it would be unethical to continue with the study.
• Frisch M, Aigrain Y, Barauskas, V, Bjarnason R, Boddy S, Czauderna, P, de Gier RPE, de Jong, TVM, Fasching G, et al. Cultural bias in the AAP's 2012 Technical Report and Policy Statement on male circumcision . Pediatrics. April 2013; 131(4): 796-800. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
• Moore, Peter (3 February 2015). Young Americans less supportive of circumcision at birth, YouGov. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
• Hammond T, Carmack A. Long-term adverse outcomes from neonatal circumcision reported in a survey of 1,008 men: An overview of health and human rights implications . Int J Human Rights. 17 February 2017; 21(2): 189–218. DOI. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
• Carmack A, Milos MF. Catheterization without foreskin retraction. Can Fam Physician. March 2017; 63(3): 218-20. PMID. PMC. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
• Jacobson DL, Balmert LC, Holl JL, Rosoklija I, Davis MM, Johnson EK. Nationwide Circumcision Trends: 2003 to 2016. J Urol. January 2021; 205(1): 257-63. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
• Fendereski K, Horns JJ, Driggs N, Lau G, Shaeffer AJ. Comparing Penile Problems in Circumcised vs. Uncircumcised Boys: Insights From a Large Commercial Claims Database With a Focus on Provider Type Performing Circumcision. J Pediatr Surg. November 2024; 59(11): [161614]. PMID. PMC. DOI. Retrieved 3 September 2025.

See also

• Circumcision
• Pain
• Psychological literature about male circumcision
• Trauma