"Religious and social norms aside, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that male circumcision can reduce the risk of contracting HIV from an infected partner by up to 60%. Medical studies also show that male circumcision can reduce the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and penile cancer. There are other benefits such as the reduced risk of urinary tract infections, for starters. With that said, many in the medical profession believe this to be at a higher cost. There is a belief that we perform this procedure without much medical reasoning and more for appearance or societal norms. When doctors perform male circumcision within the first week after birth, there is generally little consequence to the infant; however, this outcome can change when male circumcisions are performed later in life. My stance on male circumcision is that every family should be well informed of the potential benefits, possible risks, and be very clear on why they are deciding on circumcision for the infant in the first place. Should the infants' parent or parents choose to move forward, this should be a private service."