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Warning: this wikipedia article on circumcision includes pictures of penises (as you’d expect). You need to scroll a while to find them, but they ARE lurking.

Warning: this wikipedia article on circumcision includes pictures of penises (as you’d expect). You need to scroll a while to find them, but they ARE lurking. Basically, it looks like there’s a consensus that for vaginal sex (and probably anal sex) it can reduce the risk of contracting HIV for the penetrative partner. It’s much less effective than condom use or something like PrEP, but it makes a lot of sense in some high risk populations. Right now it’s being actively encouraged in Africa. HIV has been exploding over there and, while condom use, tests, and PrEP are more effective, it’s hard to get a steady supply to the people who would benefit - and then hard to get them to use condoms/take PrEP/get tested consistently. It’s less effective, but it’s a one and done thing that will reduce the risk somewhat, so hopefully it’ll help put the brakes on. I don’t think male circumcision makes a lot of sense in developed countries in most cases, since we have easy access to a steady supply of condoms, PrEP, and testing - as well as medicine to clear up UTIs and such. The medical community is somewhat divided though, so IDK. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumcision#Prophylactic_usage_in_high-risk_populations https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumcision#Prophylactic_usag...

invalidname 3y ago
I understood there isn't consensus around that. If that were the case HIV would be far more widespread in Europe than the states. This is a much better resource: https://arstechnica.com/science/2015/02/the-troubled-history-of-the-foreskin/ https://arstechnica.com/science/2015/02/the-troubled-history...
Fire-Dragon-DoL 3y ago
So, the person being circumcised can tradeoff less sex pleasure for less chance of HIV. How about asking them before circumcising?
- water-data-dude 3y ago
  For what it’s worth, I agree. I’m circumcised and I turned out ok - but I probably wouldn’t have chosen it, I don’t like the idea of forcing it on people, and it doesn’t seem as though there’s a lot of benefit in a country like the US. In the case of using male circumcision as a prophylaxis against HIV in Africa, the benefits seem much clearer (there’s an HIV epidemic running out of control), and the WHO guidelines are careful to say “Aimed at adolescent boys and men” in the title: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/978-92-4-000854-0 https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/978-92-4-000854-0
  - Fire-Dragon-DoL 3y ago
    Makes sense. Still painful to read, we didn't cut fingers because hands could transmit and kill covid, but I understand this analogy is not in the same ballpark.

invalidname 3y ago

I understood there isn't consensus around that. If that were the case HIV would be far more widespread in Europe than the states. This is a much better resource: https://arstechnica.com/science/2015/02/the-troubled-history-of-the-foreskin/ https://arstechnica.com/science/2015/02/the-troubled-history...

Fire-Dragon-DoL 3y ago

So, the person being circumcised can tradeoff less sex pleasure for less chance of HIV. How about asking them before circumcising?

water-data-dude 3y ago
For what it’s worth, I agree. I’m circumcised and I turned out ok - but I probably wouldn’t have chosen it, I don’t like the idea of forcing it on people, and it doesn’t seem as though there’s a lot of benefit in a country like the US. In the case of using male circumcision as a prophylaxis against HIV in Africa, the benefits seem much clearer (there’s an HIV epidemic running out of control), and the WHO guidelines are careful to say “Aimed at adolescent boys and men” in the title: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/978-92-4-000854-0 https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/978-92-4-000854-0
- Fire-Dragon-DoL 3y ago
  Makes sense. Still painful to read, we didn't cut fingers because hands could transmit and kill covid, but I understand this analogy is not in the same ballpark.