Why are children referred for circumcision?

Most of the 30000 circumcisions performed in the United Kingdom each year are done on boys aged under 15.1 Controversy exists over whether all these procedures are necessary or justified.' 2 Gairdner reported that the foreskin develops entirely normally and free of problems in all but 1% of boys by the age of 15.2 Rickwood and Walker, however, suggest that up to 6% of boys in Mersey region are circumcised by the age of 15.1 This highlights a discrepancy in the expected and observed rates of circumcision. To address this we audited all referrals from general practitioners for penile problems to this unit.