Knowledge, Awareness and Attitude amongst Parents about Circumcision in Male Infants Indications Different Techniques and Complications in Almadinah Almunawarah

Background: Male circumcision is a widely performed surgical procedure globally, involves the removal of all or a portion of the foreskin (prepuce) from the penis. While it is performed for religious or cultural traditions in various nations, its popularity is increasing in some regions due to its health advantages. Objectives: This study aimed to explore parents’ knowledge, awareness and attitudes towards circumcision and understand the indications, different techniques and complications in Almadinah Almunawarah. Materials and Methods: This study is a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between April 2024 and July 2024. During this 4-month period, a total of 407 participants were collected using a structured, validated self-administered questionnaire in Madina, Saudi Arabia. Results: The study included 407 participants, predominantly women (69.6%), with most being above 40 years old (44.9%) and holding university degrees (71.3%). The majority (88.5%) had undergone circumcision at varying ages, although only 1.5% was circumcised at birth. While 42.4% reported sufficient knowledge of circumcision, awareness of techniques (40.9%) and complications (41.4%) were lower. Religious beliefs (88.0%), health (57.8%) and hygiene (60.5%) were the primary motivators for circumcision, while fear of complications (66.1%) and pain (47.5%) were key deterrents. Most participants associated circumcision with health benefits, including reduced urinary tract infections (68.9%) and STIs (56.4%), although fewer linked it to lower penile cancer risk (46.8%). Hospital-based circumcision was overwhelmingly preferred (91.9%), with 69.1% favouring it immediately after birth. Conclusion: Less than half had previous knowledge about circumcision, the majority preferred the procedure for religious reasons, while others knew the benefits of circumcision, and all of them prefer circumcision immediately after birth, which point to the importance of educating the population about the medical benefits of male circumcision. Further studies are needed with a broader geographical involvement to evaluate parents’ knowledge and perspective towards circumcision.