Published online November 1, 2006
PEDIATRICS Vol. 118 No. 5 November 2006, pp. 1971-1977 (doi:10.1542/peds.2006-1175)
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow An erratum has been published
Right arrow View responses
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Web of Science (14)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Fergusson, D. M.
Right arrow Articles by Horwood, L. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Fergusson, D. M.
Right arrow Articles by Horwood, L. J.
Related Collections
Right arrow Genitourinary Tract
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Facebook   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

ARTICLE

Circumcision Status and Risk of Sexually Transmitted Infection in Young Adult Males: An Analysis of a Longitudinal Birth Cohort

David M. Fergusson, PhD, Joseph M. Boden, PhD and L. John Horwood, MSc

Christchurch Health and Development Study, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Christchurch, New Zealand

OBJECTIVES. Previous research suggests that male circumcision may be a protective factor against the acquisition of sexually transmitted infections; however, studies examining this question have produced mixed results. The aim of this study was to examine the association between circumcision status and sexually transmitted infection risk using a longitudinal birth cohort study.

METHODS. Data were gathered as part of the Christchurch Health and Development Study, a 25-year longitudinal study of a birth cohort of New Zealand children. Information was obtained on: (1) the circumcision status of males in the cohort before 15 years old, (2) measures of self-reported sexually transmitted infection from ages 18 to 25 years, and (3) childhood, family, and related covariate factors.

RESULTS. Being uncircumcised had a statistically significant bivariate association with self-reported sexually transmitted infection. Adjustment for potentially confounding factors, including number of sexual partners and unprotected sex, as well as background and family factors related to circumcision, did not reduce the association between circumcision status and reports of sexually transmitted infection. Estimates of the population-attributable risk suggested that universal neonatal circumcision would have reduced rates of sexually transmitted infection in this cohort by 48.2%.

CONCLUSIONS. These findings suggest that uncircumcised males are at greater risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infection than circumcised males. Male circumcision may reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infection acquisition and transmission by up to one half, suggesting substantial benefits accruing from routine neonatal circumcision.

Key Words: circumcision • sexually transmitted infection • males • longitudinal study

Abbreviations: STI—sexually transmitted infection • SES—socioeconomic status • OR—odds ratio • CI—confidence interval • PAR—population attributable risk

Accepted Jun 20, 2006.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Facebook Facebook   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 AAP Grand RoundsHome page
F. T. Serota
Male Circumcision Associated With Reduced Risk of HSV-2 and HPV
AAP Grand Rounds, July 1, 2009; 22(1): 9 - 9.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 AJPHHome page
A. A. Leibowitz, K. Desmond, and T. Belin
LEIBOWITZ ET AL. RESPOND
Am J Public Health, April 1, 2009; 99(4): 584 - 586.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Sex. Transm. Infect.Home page
J Sobngwi-Tambekou, D Taljaard, M Nieuwoudt, P Lissouba, A Puren, and B Auvert
Male circumcision and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis and Trichomonas vaginalis: observations after a randomised controlled trial for HIV prevention
Sex Transm Inf, April 1, 2009; 85(2): 116 - 120.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev.Home page
N. P. Dickson, J. Ryding, T. van Roode, C. Paul, P. Herbison, J. Dillner, and D. C.G. Skegg
Male Circumcision and Serologically Determined Human Papillomavirus Infection in a Birth Cohort
Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., January 1, 2009; 18(1): 177 - 183.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 AJPHHome page
A. A. Leibowitz, K. Desmond, and T. Belin
Determinants and Policy Implications of Male Circumcision in the United States
Am J Public Health, January 1, 2009; 99(1): 138 - 145.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 BMJHome page
K. Patrick
Is infant male circumcision an abuse of the rights of the child? No
BMJ, December 8, 2007; 335(7631): 1181 - 1181.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 AAP Grand RoundsHome page
M. Dubik
Circumcision and STDs
AAP Grand Rounds, April 1, 2007; 17(4): 41 - 41.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 PediatricsHome page
P. Flynn, P. Havens, M. Brady, P. Emmanuel, J. Read, L. Hoyt, L. Henry-Reid, R. Van Dyke, and L. Mofenson
Male Circumcision for Prevention of HIV and Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Pediatrics, April 1, 2007; 119(4): 821 - 822.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 JWatch GeneralHome page
Does Circumcision Prevent Sexually Transmitted Infections?
Journal Watch (General), December 7, 2006; 2006(1207): 2 - 2.
[Full Text]

Home page
 JWatch PediatricsHome page
Does Circumcision Prevent Sexually Transmitted Infections?
Journal Watch Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, December 6, 2006; 2006(1206): 4 - 4.
[Full Text]

eLetters:

Read all eLetters

A confounding factor in the Christchurch circumcision studies
Michael Glass
Pediatrics Online, 13 Nov 2006 [Full text]
Christchurch study is discordant with other studies.
Jonathan Sykes
Pediatrics Online, 15 Nov 2006 [Full text]
Christchurch result is anomalous
Hugh P Young
Pediatrics Online, 15 Nov 2006 [Full text]
Surrogate Consent is Inadequate for Non-Therapeutic Excision of Tissue
Robert M Blair
Pediatrics Online, 18 Nov 2006 [Full text]
Responses to Post-Publication Peer Reviews: Circumcision and Sexually Transmitted Infection
David M. Fergusson, et al.
Pediatrics Online, 21 Nov 2006 [Full text]
A failure of the peer-review system
Robert S. Van Howe
Pediatrics Online, 7 Jan 2007 [Full text]