Health encyclopaedia

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Risks of Circumcision

As with all types of surgical operation, circumcision has some risks. The rate of complications for circumcision carried out for medical reasons in this country is low, but problems with religious or cultural circumcisions may not always be reported.

The most common problem is bleeding and infection in the area that has been circumcised. Other complications include:

• decrease in sensation (feeling) in the penis – particularly during sex;
• damage to the urethra (urine tube in the penis) causing the urine tube to become narrow and making it hard to pass urine;
• accidental amputation of the glans (head of the penis) – (this is very rare); and
• blood infection or blood poisoning (septicaemia).

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