Should you circumcise your son? Parents weigh pros and cons
Park Chang-bum, professor of cardiology / Courtesy of Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong
For many parents of boys in Korea, the question of circumcision — often nicknamed "whale hunting" due to a Korean homonym — remains a common and difficult dilemma. While the procedure can lower the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs), its necessity for healthy children is being increasingly debated.
Historically, circumcision was uncommon in Korea until after liberation from Japanese rule and the Korean War, when American influence popularized the practice under the belief that it promoted hygiene. Since then, the practice has been widely adopted across the country.
Research has shown that circumcision may indeed reduce the risk of urinary tract infections. A U.S. study following boys under age 1 found that the UTI rate was 2.15 percent among uncircumcised infants, compared to just 0.22 percent for those who had undergone circumcision.
Similar studies show the long-term risk of UTIs was 32.1 percent for uncircumcised males, compared to 8.5 percent for circumcised ones. The younger the child, the greater the difference: circumcised boys under the age of 1 had a nearly 10 times lower risk than their uncircumcised peers.
A comprehensive review of medical literature concluded that circumcision reduced the risk of UTIs by up to 87 percent. However, the baseline risk for healthy boys is already quite low — less than 1 percent — making the benefit negligible for most.
While circumcision has clear benefits for infants prone to urinary infections, it's a stressful procedure and UTIs can often be treated easily with antibiotics. It is thus important to weigh the risks and benefits rather than apply a one-size-fits-all approach.
gettyimagesbank
Countries like Australia and New Zealand have concluded that routine circumcision for all newborns is unnecessary. In 2012, the American Academy of Pediatrics stated that while circumcision has health benefits, it should not be mandatory for all children.
The World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend considering circumcision only for individuals in high-risk areas for HIV or sexually transmitted infections, or for those with specific medical conditions. In such cases, consultation with a medical expert is advised.
Circumcision may not be necessary for all children. But for those with underlying conditions or who live in areas with a high risk of infections, it remains a procedure worth considering.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.