Changes

Misinformation abounds regarding the hygiene of the intact penis. In the United States, especially, doctors tend to be ignorant, misinformed, or simply uninformed concerning the hygenic care of intact men and children, and this happens for a variety of reasons. As of yet, America is primarily country where circumcision is prevalent, and thus intact male genitals are unfamiliar. Many American medical doctors, are ignorant of the subject because they are themselves circumcised, wives to circumcised men, and/or mothers to circumcised children. Additionally, care of the intact male genitals is rarely mentioned in medical school. The foreskin and the proper care for intact genitals tends to be absent in pediatric literature.<ref>Osborn LM, Metcalf TJ, Mariani EM. [http://www.cirp.org/library/hygiene/osborn1/ Hygienic care in uncircumcised infants]. ''Pediatrics'' 1981;67:365-7.</ref>

One of the most common alibis cited for non-theraputic circumcision is that it is supposed to facilitate hygiene. However, according the "Circumcision Policy Statement" produced by the "Task Force on Circumcision" appointed by the [[American Academy of Pediatrics]], which was published in ''Pediatrics'' in 1999 and reaffirmed on September 1, 2005, "there is little evidence to affirm the association between circumcision status and optimal penile hygiene".<ref>American Academy of Pediatrics: [http://www.cirp.org/library/statements/aap1999/ Circumcision Policy Statement]; Task Force on Circumcision" ''Pediatrics'' Vol 103 No.3 March 1999, pp.686-693. (Statement Reaffirmed Sept. 1, 2005).</ref>