China faces difficulty hiring male nurses

Besides the pain, what bothered Yang Zhihong the most during a circumcision were the female nurses lingering in the operation room.

"It couldn't be more embarrassing," said the 23-year-old senior student from Beijing Foreign Studies University, who underwent a foreskin operation at Peking University Third Hospital in March, for reasons of hygiene.

"I just felt uneasy with women around me and my pants off, even if they are there to help with my operation," he said.