Newborn male circumcision is a minor surgical procedure that has generated significant controversy. Accumulating evidence supports significant health benefits, most notably reductions in urinary tract infections, acquisition of HIV and a number of other sexually transmitted infections, penile cancer, phimosis, paraphimosis, balanitis and lichen sclerosis. While circumcision, like any surgical procedure, has risks for complications, they occur in less than 1 in 500 infants circumcised and most are minor and require minimal intervention. The CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) believe that health benefits of circumcision outweigh the risks. For this reason, the AAP believes that parents should be allowed to make the decision concerning circumcision of their male infants after receiving non-biased information on health risks and health benefits.
The Journal of law, medicine & ethics : a journal of the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics. 2016 Jun [Epub]
Michael T Brady
Michael T. Brady, M.D., is a Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University. He is Associate Medical Director at Nationwide Children's Hospital. He was a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force on Circumcision.