In my case, Leon was a foreign exchange student from the Ukraine who attended my high school during our junior year. The first time I saw his uncircumcised penis in the locker room showers, my jaw dropped. For three days, my friends and I assumed that all foreigners were born with funny-looking penises. In time, our coach, who also taught health education, explained that we all started out just like Leon uncircumcised. In fact, our Midwestern, circumcised units were actually the minority when compared to the rest of the world.
Circumcision is a fairly simple procedure, typically performed shortly after an infant s birth.
The foreskin of the penis is snipped and removed. In the 1800s, it was believed that circumcision helped prevent masturbation. Any circumcised man, however, will tell you this is not true. It is widely and falsely believed that uncircumcised men stand a greater risk of penile cancer. In fact, in 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics revised its circumcision policy statement and concluded that there is not sufficient data to support the supposed potential health benefits of circumcision.