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Do men report regret or trauma related to childhood circumcision?
Executive summary
Research and reporting show that some men and parents do report regret or psychological harm after childhood circumcision, but estimates and interpretations differ across studies and advocacy sources. Clinical surveys and Decision Regret Scale work find parental regret in measurable minorities (for example 18/120 parents in one post‑neonatal series) [1], while psychological literature and advocacy groups document cases and surveys linking circumcision with negative emotions and even PTSD in some individuals [2] [3]. Other peer‑reviewed studies find no consistent long‑term trauma signal on biochemical or broad psychological measures [4].
1. What the peer‑reviewed clinical studies say about regret and parental feelings
Several clinical studies use validated tools like the Decision Regret Scale and report that a minority of parents express regret after consenting to a son’s circumcision; in one tertiary‑center study 18 of 120 parents reported regret (15 mild, 3 moderate‑to‑strong) following elective post‑neonatal circumcision [1]. A separate clinic survey found about one in five parents expressed moderate‑to‑strong regret about the neonatal circumcision decision, and counselors or physicians who provided information were associated with lower regret scores [5]. Studies of revision procedures after circumcision also recorded parental regret — for example, about 27.5% reported regret in a cohort needing revision for excess foreskin [6].
2. Men’s self‑reports, advocacy groups and qualitative accounts
Intactivist organizations and specialized websites collect and publish many personal testimonies of adult men who say they regret childhood circumcision, describing loss of sensation, sexual dissatisfaction, and psychological distress; Intactiwiki and Intact America host such accounts and analyses [7] [8]. National Secular Society and similar advocacy outlets cite “many men” reporting deep regret that an erogenous, functional part was removed before they could decide for themselves [9] [10]. These sources emphasize first‑person narratives and campaign aims, but they are advocacy‑driven and not representative population surveys [8] [9].
3. Academic literature on trauma, PTSD and longer‑term effects — mixed findings
Some academic reviews and studies link involuntary childhood circumcision to negative emotions and, in selected reports, symptoms consistent with PTSD and other long‑term psychosexual sequelae [2] [11]. The Circumcision Resource Center and related summaries argue there is “strong evidence” that circumcision is painful and can be traumatic for infants and later cause psychological effects in some men [3]. Conversely, other peer‑reviewed work finds little evidence that circumcision reliably causes long‑term trauma across populations; for example, a study measuring glucocorticoid accumulation and psychological measures concluded circumcision status was not associated with trauma‑related disorders in their sample [4]. Thus academic evidence is heterogeneous and often depends on study design, sampling and outcome measures [2] [4].
4. How methodology shapes conclusions — why findings diverge
Differences in sampling (clinic populations, advocacy‑recruited surveys, population cohorts), timing (neonatal vs post‑neonatal), measurement (self‑report, Decision Regret Scale, biochemical stress markers), and geography/culture alter outcomes. Clinic‑based DRS studies report measurable parental regret [1] [5] [6]. Advocacy groups and some qualitative studies highlight strong individual distress and case reports [7] [3]. Population‑level biochemical or longitudinal studies may find no consistent trauma signal [4]. Many sources warn about selection bias in online surveys that claim high prevalence of harm, while reviewers note case reports and small studies that suggest harms in subgroups [12].
5. Safety, complications and their role in later regret
Complication rates and the context of the procedure influence regret: hospital‑performed infant circumcision studies report low revision/complication rates (around 0.3–0.4% requiring revision in U.S. samples) and emphasize safety when done by trained clinicians [13] [14]. However, catastrophic or higher complication rates are reported in non‑medical or traditional settings, and such adverse outcomes can drive later trauma and regret [15]. Clinical regret appears higher when complications, revision surgery, or insufficient pre‑decision counseling occur [5] [6].
6. What’s missing or uncertain in current reporting
Available sources do not provide a single, representative national prevalence estimate of adult male regret specifically attributable to childhood circumcision across diverse populations; population‑representative, longitudinal studies measuring standardized psychological outcomes are limited (not found in current reporting). Available studies differ in scope and cannot be straightforwardly combined to yield a single rate of regret or PTSD attributable to circumcision [1] [4] [2].
7. Bottom line for readers and policymakers
Multiple lines of evidence show that some parents and some men report regret and psychological harm after childhood circumcision; clinic‑based regret is measurable and some individuals report severe distress [1] [5] [7]. At the same time, larger biomedical studies do not uniformly find population‑level long‑term trauma effects [4], and surgical complication rates vary widely depending on setting [13] [15]. Policymakers and clinicians should weigh documented minority burdens of regret, the influence of counseling and consent, and variable complication risks when shaping guidance and parental counseling [5] [13].