| We can't advise you what to do. This is a very personal decision for parents to make. Circumcision today is most often performed for religious or cultural reasons or to make the boy's penis resemble his father's. For many years in the U.S., it was considered important for good sexual hygiene. Today, routine circumcision is considered elective surgery without medical benefits. Although recent studies in Africa have suggested that circumcision may offer protection against HIV, other studies need to be done to confirm those results.
Like all surgery, circumcision is not without risks. Although rare, complications include excessive bleeding, infection, scarring, and damage to the penis. Many parents and authorities are also concerned that the procedure is quite painful for the child. In any case, the rate of circumcision in the U.S. has dropped from 95 percent in the 1960s to 65 percent today.
Penises with foreskins require a little extra care. After a boy is three to five years old his foreskin will most likely become retractable, and he must be taught to pull back and wash under the foreskin. Until he can do this for himself, you can gently pull back the foreskin for him and wash under it during bathing. Never try to pull back the foreskin of an infant or boys for whom the foreskin remains to too tight to be pulled back. For some boys it takes much longer for the foreskin to become retractable. And for a few, circumcision may become necessary.
| 
