US Medical Term · maternity
Circumcision
Circuncisión
What it means
Circumcision is a surgical procedure to remove the foreskin from the penis. The foreskin is the loose skin that covers the tip of the penis. In the United States, circumcision is often done before a new baby leaves the hospital, and it is often performed in healthy boys for cultural or religious reasons. MedlinePlus tells parents that it is their decision whether to have their baby circumcised, and that they can discuss the medical benefits and risks with the baby's health care provider before deciding. The provider will most often numb the penis with local anesthesia before the procedure starts. For newborns, healing time is about 1 week. In older and adolescent boys, circumcision is most often done under general anesthesia.
Circumcision in Spanish
- Spanish term
- Circuncisión
- Gender and article
- feminine: la circuncisión
- Pronunciation
- seer-koon-see-SYOHN
| Other Spanish terms | Where it is used | Note |
|---|---|---|
| extirpación del prepucio | General | Listed among the alternative names in the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia article, which defines circumcision as "la extirpación quirúrgica del prepucio del pene". |
| remoción del prepucio | General | Listed among the alternative names in the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia article. |
Circuncisión is the term MedlinePlus en español uses in both its health topic and its encyclopedia article, and it is feminine: la circuncisión. The verb is circuncidar, as in circuncidar a su bebé (to circumcise your baby). The participle appears as circuncidado and circuncidados. For "uncircumcised" the encyclopedia uses incircuncisos (los varones incircuncisos), while the health topic says no es circuncidado.
Prepucio (foreskin) is masculine, el prepucio; MedlinePlus en español describes it as the skin that covers the head of the penis, la cabeza del pene. Fimosis (phimosis) is described there as a condition in which the foreskin cannot be retracted. Words that come up around the procedure are anestesia local (local anesthesia), recién nacidos (newborns), cambios de pañal (diaper changes) and cicatrización (healing). The encyclopedia calls the surgical site el sitio de la cirugía.
Phrases for an appointment
What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:
| Who | English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Patient | We have not decided about circumcision yet. Can you explain the benefits and risks? | Todavía no hemos decidido sobre la circuncisión. ¿Puede explicarnos los beneficios y los riesgos? |
| Clinician | It is your decision as parents. You can take into account your religious, cultural, and personal preferences. | Es su decisión como padres. Pueden tomar en cuenta sus preferencias religiosas, culturales y personales. |
| Patient | Will the baby feel pain during the procedure? | ¿El bebé va a sentir dolor durante el procedimiento? |
| Clinician | We numb the area with local anesthesia before we start. | Insensibilizamos la zona con anestesia local antes de empezar. |
| Patient | How long does it take to heal? | ¿Cuánto tarda en sanar? |
| Clinician | Some swelling and a yellow crust around the site are normal. | Es normal que haya algo de hinchazón y una costra amarilla alrededor del sitio. |
| Clinician | Call us if there is new bleeding or pus coming from the area. | Llámenos si hay un nuevo sangrado o si sale pus de la zona. |
| Patient | If we do not circumcise the baby, how do we keep the penis clean? | Si no circuncidamos al bebé, ¿cómo mantenemos limpio el pene? |
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Circumcision |
| Spanish (Español) | Circuncisión |
| Chinese (中文) | 包皮環切術 |
| Korean (한국어) | 포경수술 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Phẫu thuật cắt bao quy đầu |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Tuli (circumcision) |
| Portuguese (Português) | Circuncisão |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | การขลิบหนังหุ้มปลายอวัยวะเพศชาย |
| Japanese (日本語) | 包皮切除術 |
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Your right to an interpreter in the United States
If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.
You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»
More terms: Reproductive health and pregnancy
All terms in this area: Reproductive health and pregnancy — Salud reproductiva y embarazo
Sources
- Circumcision — MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine
- Circuncisión — MedlinePlus en español, Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina
- Circumcision (Medical Encyclopedia) — MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine
- Circuncisión (Enciclopedia médica) — MedlinePlus en español, Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina
- Limited English Proficiency (LEP): Your Right to Language Assistance Services — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.
Last reviewed: October 7, 2026