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Neonatal male circumcision is associated with altered adult socio-affective processing

Alessandro Miani1,2, Gian Antonio Di Bernardo3, Astrid Ditte Højgaard4

  • 1Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.

Heliyon
|December 10, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Neonatal male circumcision may impact adult socio-affective traits. Early circumcision was linked to lower emotional stability and attachment security, but higher stress and sexual drive in adult men.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Neonatal male circumcision is a painful procedure with potential long-term effects on stress responses and behavior.
  • The developing nociceptive system's plasticity suggests neonatal pain may influence adult psychological outcomes.
  • This study investigates the association between infant male circumcision and adult socio-affective processing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine long-term psychological effects of early male circumcision on adult socio-affective processing.
  • To assess differences in attachment security, emotional stability, empathy, and trust between circumcised and non-circumcised men.
  • To explore associations between early circumcision and adult stress, sexual drive, and sensation seeking.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study design.
  • Recruitment of 408 men circumcised in infancy and 211 non-circumcised men.
  • Measurement of socio-affective behaviors and stress using validated psychometric scales.

Main Results:

  • Early-circumcised men reported lower attachment security and emotional stability.
  • No significant differences in empathy or trust were found between groups.
  • Early circumcision was associated with increased sexual drive, less restricted socio-sexuality, higher perceived stress, and greater sensation seeking.

Conclusions:

  • Findings suggest a link between early circumcision, neonatal stress, and altered emotional processing in adult men.
  • Early circumcision may influence adult socio-affective traits and behaviors, consistent with infant attachment literature.
  • The study highlights potential long-term psychological consequences of neonatal pain.
Abstract

Keywords:
Attachment styleClinical researchEmpathyNeonatal painPersonalityPsychologySociosexualityStress

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