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In males, '''circumcision''' is the surgical removal of the foreskin which covers the head of the penis. This operation is usually performed early in a child's life. Circumcision is a common practice not only in the [[United States]] and the [[Middle East]], but throughout the world and history. It is generally not practiced in most of Europe and largely unheard of in Eastern Asian countries. Ritual circumcision is common in the [[Jewish]] and [[Islam]]ic faiths, but uncommon altogether in [[Asia]], [[South America|South]] and [[Central America]], and most of [[Europe]].<ref>[http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/13585.html AMA report on Neonatal Circumcision]</ref> Circumcision was an outward sign of the covenent between God and the Jewish people as told in the [[Bible]] in the book of [[Genesis]].
In males, '''circumcision''' is the surgical removal of the foreskin which covers the head of the penis. This operation is usually performed early in a child's life. Circumcision is a common practice not only in the [[United States]] and the [[Middle East]], but throughout the world and history. It is generally not practiced in most of Europe and largely unheard of in Eastern Asian countries. Ritual circumcision is common in the [[Jewish]] and [[Islam]]ic faiths, but uncommon altogether in [[Asia]], [[South America|South]] and [[Central America]], and most of [[Europe]].<ref>[http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/13585.html AMA report on Neonatal Circumcision]</ref> Circumcision was an outward sign of the covenent between God and the Jewish people as told in the [[Bible]] in the book of [[Genesis]].
According to the American Cancer Society:
{{Cquote|Circumcision removes all (or part) of the foreskin. This procedure is most often done in infants, but it can be done later in life, too. Men who were circumcised as children may have a much lower chance of getting penile cancer than those who were not. In fact, some experts say that circumcision as an infant prevents this cancer. The same protective effect is not seen if circumcision is done as an adult.
The reason for the lower risk in circumcised men is not entirely clear, but it may be related to other known risk factors. For example, men who are circumcised can’t develop the condition called phimosis, and they don’t accumulate material known as smegma (see the next section). Men with smegma or phimosis have an increased risk of penile cancer. The later a man is circumcised, it's more likely that one of these conditions will occur first.
In weighing the risks and benefits of circumcision, doctors consider the fact that penile cancer is very uncommon in the United States, even in uncircumcised men. Although the American Academy of Pediatrics has stated that the health benefits of circumcision in newborn males outweigh the risks, it also states these benefits are not great enough to recommend that all newborns be routinely circumcised. In the end, decisions about circumcision are highly personal and often depend more on social and religious factors than on medical evidence.<ref>[https://www.cancer.org/cancer/penile-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html Risk Factors for Penile Cancer]</ref>}}
Circumcision rates in the US have been declining since 1965, due in part to statements from the American Academy of Pediatrics<ref>AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS - Task Force on Circumcision - Circumcision Policy Statement [http://www.cirp.org/library/statements/aap1999/]</ref><ref>[http://www.aap.org/advocacy/archives/marcircum.htm AAP Press Release - NEW AAP CIRCUMCISION POLICY RELEASED]</ref><ref>PEDIATRICS Vol. 103 No. 3 March 1999, pp. 686-693 - AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS: Circumcision Policy Statement [http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;103/3/686]"A statement of reaffirmation for this policy was published on September 1, 2005."</ref> and the [[American Medical Association]] <ref>[http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/13585.html AMA report on Neonatal Circumcision]</ref> discouraging the practice. While it varies regionally, in 2004 about 57% of newborn boys in the US were circumcised.<ref>[http://www.cirp.org/library/statistics/USA/ United States Circumcision Incidence]</ref>
Circumcision rates in the US have been declining since 1965, due in part to statements from the American Academy of Pediatrics<ref>AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS - Task Force on Circumcision - Circumcision Policy Statement [http://www.cirp.org/library/statements/aap1999/]</ref><ref>[http://www.aap.org/advocacy/archives/marcircum.htm AAP Press Release - NEW AAP CIRCUMCISION POLICY RELEASED]</ref><ref>PEDIATRICS Vol. 103 No. 3 March 1999, pp. 686-693 - AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS: Circumcision Policy Statement [http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;103/3/686]"A statement of reaffirmation for this policy was published on September 1, 2005."</ref> and the [[American Medical Association]] <ref>[http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/13585.html AMA report on Neonatal Circumcision]</ref> discouraging the practice. While it varies regionally, in 2004 about 57% of newborn boys in the US were circumcised.<ref>[http://www.cirp.org/library/statistics/USA/ United States Circumcision Incidence]</ref>