The summer is upon us and it is the perfect time to usher young boys into “manhood.”

For the Department of Health (DOH), summer is also the circumcision season, prompting the health officials to remind parents and guardians of boys to be circumcised to psychologically prepare their mind first.

Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, DOH spokesman, also warned parents on teasing their children about the pain that entails the procedure.

“So let us not scare them…instead, tell them that it is just a process that they have to undergo,” Lee Suy said in a recent interview with reporters.

Lee Suy added that to avoid developing fear about circumcision, family members of the boy who plans to be circumcised should explain that the process is normal.

While the DOH encourages young boys to undergo circumcision with well-trained doctor or health professionals, Lee Suy said they are not totally discouraging the “traditional way” or pukpok as long as tools to be used are clean and sterilized.

As far as the DOH is concerned, Lee Suy said, they have not recorded incidents wherein there were infections developed on the male genital of the patient after undergoing circumcision the old- fashioned way.

“We want them to be ready for this, regardless if it is with doctors or the traditional way,” Lee Suy added.

Circumcision is the process of removing the foreskin and exposing the end of the penis.

Traditional method is done in some remote areas in the country through a local village circumciser who performs the task of pukpok method.

It is believed that circumcised men will be at lower risk from acquiring sexually transmitted infections, as well as infection of the penis as the skin wherein some bacteria can accumulate are easily cleansed or removed.