BACKGROUND:We wanted to provide a survey of the extent and practice of locally performed ritual circumcision of boys born to Muslim parents in Norway.MATERIAL AND METHODS:Newborn boys with Muslim parents in two counties in Norway (Rogaland and Troms) were registered. 56 ritual circumcisions were performed in outpatient departments in the local hospitals during the period under investigation, 11 on newborns, 33 on boys between one and ten, and 12 on boys above ten.RESULTS:The number of circumcised boys in 1999 was 24% of the total number of boys born to Muslim parents that year; in 2000, 48%. Circumcision of boys between one and ten is ten times more time-consuming than circumcision of newborns or boys above ten.INTERPRETATION:An estimated 672 boys are born to Muslim parents in Norway each year. Less than 50% of newborns with Muslim parents are circumcised in local outpatient departments. We recommend that ritual circumcision is restricted to newborns or to boys above ten, and that informed written consent is obtained from boys above ten.

Rectal operations for cancer are different with regard to radicality and nerve-sparing technique. A retrospective study was carried out to examine the incidence of urogenital dysfunctions after traditional radical surgery without particular emphasis on the nerve-sparing technique. A self-assessment questionnaire asking patients to compare postoperative with preoperative function was used. The response rate was 82%. Postoperatively 45% of the men and 43% of the women had reduced libido, while sexual activity was decreased in 59 and 43%, respectively. 41% experienced loss of erection and ejaculation. 20% of the women reported dyspareunia, but due to the small sample size interpretation must be careful. A higher response rate was obtained for urological function. Incontinence was experienced by 14% of the men and 27% of the women. Similar differences were shown for urinary bladder emptying. Our results indicate that urogenital function is severely impaired in many patients after traditional radical rectal surgery. Refinement of the surgical technique should be considered for rectal cancer, preferably as part of a prospective trial.