BENEFITS DURING OLD AGE: Invasive Penile Cancer Local Problems- Phimosis, Balanoposthitis, and Hygiene and Cleanliness

It has been known for over 100 years that circumcised men almost never get invasive penile cancer, a devastating disease which is more deadly than breast cancer (higher 5 year mortality rate). About 1400 U.S. men get this disease and over 200 die annually, almost all of them uncircumcised.

Local foreskin infections (balanoposthitis) can occur at any age in uncircumcised males, but is most common at age 2-5 years, an age when the foreskin has often not yet completely separated, and cannot be fully retracted, and genital cleanliness is more difficult to accomplish. In addition between 0.5% and 1% of boys will never be able to retract their foreskin due to a pinpoint opening at the end (phimosis) and will have to be circumcised at a later date when the procedure is more complex and difficult, and about 10 times as expensive. Phimosis becomes most troublesome beginning with puberty; painful erections occur since the foreskin can't retract over the glans. An incomplete form of phimosis, called paraphimosis, occurs when the foreskin is tight but can be retracted over the glans. The glans may then become trapped resulting in severe pain and swelling. Newborn circumcision leads to improved genital hygiene throughout life, but most importantly in infancy, early childhood and old age when personal hygiene may be inadequate. Uncircumcised males are more likely to develop a wide variety of skin disorders including psoriasis, lichen planus, and seborrheic eczema.