TY  - CHAP
T1  - Male circumcision protects against urinary tract infections
T2  - Urogenital Infections and Inflammations
AU  - Morris, Brian
AU  - Krieger, John N.
ED  - Naber, Kurt G.
AD  - Professor Emeritus Brian Morris, University of Sydney, School of Medical Sciences, Building F13, 2006, Sydney, Australia, Phone: +61-2-9351-3688, E-mail: brian.morris@sydney.edu.au
N2  - Urinary tract infections (UTI) are common, debilitating and can have serious health consequences. UTI can present with severe local and systemic symptoms. Measures to reduce UTI occurrence deserve serious attention. We conducted a systematic review of the literature to evaluate data on the association between male circumcision (MC) and UTI. An extensive meta-analysis found that the lifetime risk of UTI in uncircumcised males is 32%, compared with 8.8% in circumcised males (relative risk reduction 3.7-fold). A number of studies suggest that phimosis may also be a risk factor for UTI. Thus, the number needed to treat (circumcise) is 4.3 and the single risk factor of lack of circumcision confers a 23% lifetime probability of UTI. Relative to circumcised males, UTI risk in uncircumcised males in the first year of life is 9.9, from age 1–16 years the relative risk is 6.6, and beyond age 16 years the relative risk is 3.4. The prevalence of UTI greatly exceeds the incidence of adverse events associated with the circumcision procedure (0.4% in infancy and 1.5% or more in older males). Most adverse events are minor. Because of the potential seriousness of UTI, high lifetime UTI incidence among uncircumcised males, and the strong protection afforded by circumcision, this simple, safe procedure (best performed early in infancy) should be more widely adopted. Circumcision confers an extensive array of other benefits, and has no adverse effect on sexual function or pleasure. Current evidence suggests that male circumcision should be regarded as a highly beneficial public health intervention similar to childhood vaccination.
PY  - 2018
DA  - 2018/02/16
DO  - 10.5680/lhuii000015
LA  - en
L1  - https://books.publisso.de/en/system/getFile/29
UR  - https://dx.doi.org/10.5680/lhuii000015
L2  - https://dx.doi.org/10.5680/lhuii000015
KW  - circumcision
KW  - foreskin
KW  - urinary tract infections
KW  - male, infancy
KW  - childhood
KW  - adult
KW  - meta-analysis
KW  - bacteria
PB  - German Medical Science GMS Publishing House
CY  - Duesseldorf
ER  -