13 May Male Circumcision: Rate of Adverse Events

MedicalResearch Interview with:
Charbel El Bcheraoui, PhD, MSc
Acting Assistant Professor, Global Health
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98121

MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study?

Dr. El Bcheraoui: We found a low rate of adverse events associated with male circumcision from U.S. hospital settings, especially if the procedure is performed within the first year of life. The rate of adverse events increased about 10 – 20 times if the procedure was performed later in life.

MedicalResearch: Were any of the findings unexpected?

Dr. El Bcheraoui: This is the first study to compare the rate of adverse events associated with male circumcision by age at circumcision from the same data. We observed that the rate increased significantly from infancy to childhood, and then to adulthood.

MedicalResearch: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. El Bcheraoui Clinicians can use this information when counseling interested adults, or parents who are interested in circumcising their child. We found that the risk of adverse events is low at any age, but is lowest if circumcision is performed during infancy.

MedicalResearch: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. El Bcheraoui It would be interesting to replicate our findings through actual medical records. This would be the gold standard to verify the findings, and would also allow a more complete information about the circumcised males. For instance, we would be able to understand whether the adverse events are also linked to another procedure or health problem.

Citation:

Rates of Adverse Events Associated With Male Circumcision in US Medical Settings, 2001 to 2010

Last Updated on May 13, 2014 by Marie Benz MD FAAD