Are UTIs really more common in uncirced boys?

1034 Views 12 Replies 10 Participants Last post by isleta, Oct 20, 2003

Lisa P.

Discussion Starter · Oct 17, 2003

I am curious - is it really true that intact boys are more prone to UTIs? It seems to me that because the foreskin is covering the area, that it would be harder for bacteria to get in and cause an infection. DS is 7 months and intact and we have never had a problem, but when DH and I were trying to decide whther or not to circ, this was something that came up and I have always wondered if there is any truth to it.

Thanks!

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LoveBugMama

· #2 · Oct 17, 2003

Hi!

I have NO scientific proof of anyhting to back me up on this one, but what the heck:

I am a Norwegian, living in Norway. No boys are circ`ed here. The only circumsisions here, are done of people from other countries doing it for religious reasons. I have never seen a circ`ed penis. Ever. Not even in a magazine. Thats how uncommon this is to me and my country.

So all males I know/have ever known are uncirc`ed. I have never ever heard any of these men talk about having a UTI.

This is just a looong way of saying that I don`t think its true that uncirc`ed men gets UTI`s easier.

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alissakae

· #3 · Oct 17, 2003

I don't know if there's been any valid research on this, but from the sample of my extended family I can't find any male who has ever had a UTI.

My 3 daughters have ALL had UTI's, none of my 4 intact sons have ever had one.

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Frankly Speaking

· #4 · Oct 17, 2003

There was the Wiswell study that showed a slightly higher rate but there were some MAJOR methodological flaws in the study and Wiswell has been roundly criticised for that study. All other studies showed a statistically insignificant difference and that was only for the first 6 months. After that all are equal.

Frank

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Lisa P.

Discussion Starter · #5 · Oct 17, 2003

Thank you for clearing that up, Frank! I suspect the UTI argument is another myth that the pro-circumcision camp uses to justify its position.

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Gitti

· #6 · Oct 17, 2003

http://www.cirp.org/library/disease/UTI/

And her is how the foreskin protects agsinst UTI...

http://www.nocirc.org/statements/bre...ement2002.html

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mamaroni

· #7 · Oct 17, 2003

My intact boy had a UTI at 19 days of age! It was a horrible experience, long long story, BUT, not one doctor, nurse, or other practitioner said anything about his intact state causing the UTI. (what did my MIL say about it? now that's another story!!) In the end, we'll never know why he got it, just a fluke thing I guess. He's not had another one since (he's going on 17 months).

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Frankly Speaking

· #8 · Oct 17, 2003

Quote:

Originally posted by Lisa P.
Thank you for clearing that up, Frank! I suspect the UTI argument is another myth that the pro-circumcision camp uses to justify its position.

Oh, yes! they glom onto any rumor, myth, lie or misrepresentation they can find. Some of the things are so illogical, irrational and plain dumb that you wonder how they could be walking around on the street and not institutionalized. Here's a fun site that illustrates how plain stupid the reasons are for some boys to be circumcised:

http://www.circumstitions.com/Stitions&refs.html#nice

When you finish reading that, please close your mouth!

Frank

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alissakae

· #9 · Oct 17, 2003

I DID have to pick my jaw up off the floor!

I think these are my "favorites":

Because his mother had an episiotomy ("I was cut, why shouldn't he be?")

Because his mother suffered much greater pain during childbirth / Because the father "just didn't want to argue with her after she'd been through all that suffering."

Heaven help us!

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NotAMama

· #10 · Oct 17, 2003

My intact 7 year old nephew just had his very first UTI a few months ago. And even though his dad (who was never sure about keeping his boys intact, but agreed to do so anyway, thank goodness) tried to blame it on his intact state, the doctor actually said it was because my nephew had been retracting and wiping his glans with TP each time he went to the bathroom. The doctor himself actually told my nephew's dad that it WASN'T the foreskin at all that caused the infection.

My intact brother (who is only intact because my mother happened to be breastfeeding when the doctor came around for him, and they never did come back! <this was 26 years ago when circumcision was the absolute norm and there was no real research to be done . . . my mother is so entirely grateful now that my brother was spared from that!!>) had a few UTIs growing up, but never any as an infant and the ones he had were probably because he was raised in the time where common knowledge was to retract them from birth.

I had way more UTIs than him growing up, and I still have them as an adult whereas he does not. No one ever said anything about cutting something off of me to stop them! :LOL

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somemama

· #11 · Oct 18, 2003

"Because they have a device to do it, so it must be okay"

(quoting a woman off the site Frank linked.)

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Nemmer

· #12 · Oct 18, 2003

And another quote from that site:

Quote:

To make him look different from his twin brother

So if you can't tell them apart, ask them to drop their pants...?

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isleta

· #13 · Oct 20, 2003

My ds has had 2 uti's one at 2.5 yrs and one at 3.5 yrs. He is uncir'd. However, he had aquired phimosis. I have overcome the guilt, but, his ped. forcibly retracted his penis for awhile and told me to do it also

I quit becaue he was in pain. She told me that was because it was too tight

I was not read up on this, so I did not stop it in time I assume. I mean only once can leave scars

We have had a new ped.

Now if they do a study, I would have to put 2 down, but you see the other situation that caused them? Not him being uncirc'd! I am sad though. My friend had a little boy and told me because of my ds problems they are def. going to circ. him-and they did

I hate that! I even explained to her but to no avail! I guess this is just a story to remember when they give you statistics on this subject!

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