25 Reasons Not to Circumcise


  • Newborn circumcision is not medically necessary and not recommended by any national medical organization in the world.
  • Circumcision removes the most sensitive and erogenous parts of the penis (the foreskin, ridged band, and frenulum).
  • Newborn circumcision has immediate direct risks including botched circumcision, excessive & dangerous bleeding, damage to or loss of the glans, and damage to or loss of the entire penis.
  • Newborn circumcision has indirect risks including infection, urinary blockage, meatal stenosis, adhesions, and even death.
  • Newborn circumcision has delayed risks including tight circumcision causing painful erections, hidden penis, curved penis, hairy shaft, and sexual dysfunction.
  • Claimed or supposed medical benefits of newborn circumcision do not outweigh the known immediate risks.
  • Newborn circumcision is a waste of financial and medical resources because it doesn't provide a net medical benefit.
  • Newborn circumcision is extremely painful both during and after the procedure.
  • The pain and trauma of newborn circumcision interrupts breastfeeding and can even cause the start of breastfeeding to fail.
  • The post-operative pain of newborn circumcision can make a baby very fussy for at least a week at a time when the baby and parents already have a high level of stress.
  • Newborn circumcision disrupts the normal mother-infant bonding process and hurts the baby's ability to develop trust.
  • Newborn circumcision extends the hospital stay for both mother and child.
  • Caring for the circumcision wound is an extra burden on new parents who are already too busy taking care of a newborn without having to change bandages and check for bleeding and infection.
  • Newborn circumcision places a fresh wound in a dirty diaper; urine and feces come in contact with the circumcision wound increasing the risk of infection.
  • The pain and trauma of the circumcision procedure can cause lasting psychological damage & emotional distress including a sense of violation, helplessness, regret, anger, & PTSD.
  • The pain and trauma of the circumcision procedure can create unhealthy associations between pain and sex.
  • Newborn circumcision is sexually damaging because it removes healthy tissue with sensory, protective, and sexual functions.
  • For women, sex with a circumcised penis lacks the lubricating gliding action that the foreskin provides. This can cause vaginal dryness, lack of orgasm through intercourse, and vaginal pain (these conditions are often misdiagnosed as being problems with *her* sexual response).
  • Because circumcision decreases sensation for men, circumcised men may be less willing to use a condom.
  • Because a circumcised penis lacks the lubricating gliding action that the foreskin provides, circumcision creates or increases the need for artificial lubrication for intercourse and masturbation.
  • Living without a foreskin can be uncomfortable because the glans is exposed to cold and rubs against clothing.
  • Over time, a glans exposed by circumcision can become thickened and keratinized, further decreasing sexual sensation (this is particularly problematic in older men and can lead to ED).
  • Newborn circumcision violates a person's right to bodily integrity and freedom of choice about his body.
  • Newborn circumcision violates a person's freedom of religious choice about circumcision.
  • Removing healthy tissue without absolute medical necessity from a person who cannot give consent is unethical.