Circumcision and buried penis

Abstract

Historically, several reasons have been cited to justify circumcision; at various times circumcision has been reported to cure or prevent over 100 diseases. The majority of newborn boys in countries where there are no religious reasons given for circumcision, retain their prepuce. However, with a validation based to a large degree in folklore, the majority of boys in the United States have been circumcised during the 20th century. Recent data suggests that circumcision may be benefi cial in certain high risk populations as a part of a comprehensive effort to limit the transmission of HIV. The term Buried Penis encompasses a spectrum of conditions in which the penis does not appear to adequately extend from the abdominal wall as an organ distinct from the scrotum. Since the term Buried Penis comprises such a wide spectrum of conditions with widely varying severity no specifi c incidence can be stated. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.