Evidence map›Paper›PMID 22373281›Full record

ReviewBMC pediatrics2012

A 'snip' in time: what is the best age to circumcise?

Brian J Morris, Jake H Waskett, Joya Banerjee, Richard G Wamai, Aaron A R Tobian, Ronald H Gray, Stefan A Bailis, Robert C Bailey, Jeffrey D Klausner, Robin J Willcourt and 3 more

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in BMC pediatrics, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 52 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
52citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
10.9field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

52 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 119 citations in OpenAlex.

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  19. Circumcision in childhood and male sexual function: a blessing or a curse?International journal of impotence research · 2021
    Review
  20. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 9 institutions in 3 countries.

Brian J MorrisSchool of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. brian.morris@sydney.edu.au
Jake H Waskett
Joya Banerjee
Richard G Wamai
Aaron A R Tobian
Ronald H Gray
Stefan A Bailis
Robert C Bailey
Jeffrey D Klausner
Robin J Willcourt
Daniel T Halperin
Thomas E Wiswell
Adrian Mindel
University of Sydney · AUBoston University · USJohns Hopkins Medicine · USJohns Hopkins University · USQueen Elizabeth Hospital · AUSouth African Business Coalition · ZAUniversity of California, San Francisco · USUniversity of Illinois Chicago · USUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCircumcision is a common procedure, but regional and societal attitudes differ on whether there is a need for a male to be circumcised and, if so, at what age. This is an important issue for many parents, but also pediatricians, other doctors, policy makers, public health authorities, medical bodies, and males themselves. DISCUSSION: We show here that infancy is an optimal time for clinical circumcision because an infant's low mobility facilitates the use of local anesthesia, sutures are not required, healing is quick, cosmetic outcome is usually excellent, costs are minimal, and complications are uncommon. The benefits of infant circumcision include prevention of urinary tract infections (a cause of renal scarring), reduction in risk of inflammatory foreskin conditions such as balanoposthitis, foreskin injuries, phimosis and paraphimosis. When the boy later becomes sexually active he has substantial protection against risk of HIV and other viral sexually transmitted infections such as genital herpes and oncogenic human papillomavirus, as well as penile cancer. The risk of cervical cancer in his female partner(s) is also reduced. Circumcision in adolescence or adulthood may evoke a fear of pain, penile damage or reduced sexual pleasure, even though unfounded. Time off work or school will be needed, cost is much greater, as are risks of complications, healing is slower, and stitches or tissue glue must be used. SUMMARY: Infant circumcision is safe, simple, convenient and cost-effective. The available evidence strongly supports infancy as the optimal time for circumcision.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAge FactorsCircumcision, MaleCultureHumansInfantMalePenile DiseasesRisk AssessmentSexually Transmitted DiseasesUrinary Tract Infections

Identifiers

PMID22373281
PMCPMC3359221
OpenAlexW2071930340

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.