A slowly percolating body of evidence suggests that circumcision could have real—if not always drastic—health benefits in men. New research out of Australia suggests that uncircumcised men are 50 times more likely than circumcised men to develop penile cancer. In South Africa, adult male circumcision has been linked to huge drops in HIV transmission in the region. One CDC study of men in Baltimore found that among straight black men who had been exposed to HIV, those who contracted the virus were twice as likely to be uncircumcised. The CDC has considered recommending routine circumcision in an effort to fight HIV.
