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Uncategorized Monday, August 27th 2012 at 2:30 pm

Report: Circumcising Baby Boys is Medically Beneficial

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In a reversal of their 1999 stance, the American Academy of Pediatrics has announced that they’ve concluded that the health benefits of circumcision outweigh any risks associated with the procedure and its aftermath. 13 years ago, the group — representative of around 60,000 pediatricians in the United States — had taken the position that there was no substantial evidence for or against the practice. So, now we return to slicing bits off of newborns’ penises with their stamp of approval.

Susan Blank, leader of the task force assigned to formulating the new policy, says the benefits for newborns come into play almost immediately. “The health benefits of male circumcision include a drop in the risk of urinary tract infection in the first year of life by up to 90 percent,” she notes, according to NPR.

That’s just in the first year, though. Surely if they’re recommending cutting off a piece of the penis, there must be some significant gains to be had. There are; the benefits continue on past that point. The report goes on to state that circumcision can decrease the risk of heterosexual HIV transference by 60%, and it also decreases the chances of contracting other sexually transmitted diseases, like herpes.

Critics of the policy aren’t so quick to agree. The data on the HIV decrease, for example, comes from Africa where it’s much more likely for heterosexuals to spread the HIV virus. A policy for American people should probably gather data from, you know, American people. Not all situations are the same, this one included, and can drastically effect the spread of the data.

The policy does, however, note that circumcision remains the decision of the family responsible for the child. Nobody here is demanding genital mutilation. They’re just saying it’s really the best option.

(Circumcision Policy Statement via NPR, image credit via Russ Robinson)

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  • Dr Coene

    The critics who equate male circumcision with female circumcision drive me insane. Removing foreskin is absolutely nothing like removing a clitoris. The two are as incomparable as getting your ear pierced is to getting your eye pierced. In addition to apparently lowering the chances of serious STDs and urinary tract infections, it is simply far cleaner and easier to maintain than having the foreskin. More importantly, it is far more LIKELY to be maintained well, statistically speaking, than an uncircumcised penis. I am incredibly happy that I was circumcised before I was old enough to have suffered the experience. You can hardly get a grown man to get a prostate exam, let alone get part of his willie chopped off.

  • http://www.facebook.com/privatewojtek Bear Philippe

     You were too young to remember the suffering, but you suffered. It’s not as though babies don’t feel pain, and evidence suggests that the process could permanently negatively affect the way our brains are wired to experience pain. Amputation is not an appropriate response to a cleanliness issue.

  • Kljh

    Well THAT escalated quickly…

  • Toby Mole

    “While not recommending genital mutilation, it is better to cut bits off your genitals”   … ?? Is that not just a bit of an oxymoron? For those that wish to do it, good luck to you. But isnt a bunch of health professionals recommending cutting bits of yourself off not a really good reason that they should no longer be health professionals?

  • Guest

    Agree with you about male and female circumcision being very different. It’s not the same, even if taken to an anatomical discussion on male and female counterpart reproductive organs. Male circumcision takes off the foreskin or the prepuce, while female circumcision takes off the clitoris. If you were to do female circumcision on a man, you would be taking off the entire glans penis (tip).

  • Guest

    Yea, I can personally attest to the fact that it is detrimental to be circumsized.  In the military back in the 80s I was told that due to hygene I should do it, unfortunately I believed them.  I lost so much sensitivity that its not even funny, anyone that has shaven a beard can tell you that when a skin is covered it gets sensitive to the touch when not.  But that doesn’t last long, it soon begins to loose the sensitivity and in the case of circumcision it never returns.

  • Guest

    I’m not circumcised, and I have never had any problem with uncleanliness, STDs, sexual function or anything of that sort. It’s never been an issue or something I’ve even thought about, really. If you just take care of yourself (maintain hygiene, use protection, etc. etc.), there shouldn’t be cause for concern anyway.

  • Guest

    If you are going to quote, then at least get the quote right.  They are only saying that you may or may not choose to have the procedure done for your child.  If you don’t agree then get the procedure down for your child.

  • guess

    don’t*

  • Anonymous

    Stop hacking off bits of baby dick. I made the cut *snicker* and while I have no issues with my manly bits, I don’t see why it was necessary. If should ever the world enter an age where soap has been banned and we all are doomed to a life of filth, then you have my blessing to start hacking off bits of each other.

  • Sslide458

    I’m 24 un
    circumcised, and I intent to keep it that way.
    Who are you to choose to remove a part of my body without my consent? 

  • Jack Bond

    Personally the risks are worth it. Foreskin looks and feels way better.

  • Dr Coene

    You apparently have a reading comprehension problem if you think that “cleanliness” is the only issue circumcision has a positive effect on. Try reading the article. Also, to act like a person is traumatized or “wired” wrong from having circumcision is the absolute height of pretension. My clean, uninfected, happy penis would like to inform you that you have no idea what you are talking about, so please, give it a rest.

  • ScreamFace

    It’s simply wrong to be mutilating babies.

    In any case these findings are wrong. Remove peoples breasts at birth. Less breast cancer. Remove peoples arms, less arm problems. And so forth.

    The same way woman when older decide to get mastectomies to reduce chances of breast cancer. Let adult men decide if they want their foreskin removed.

  • Triple Steak Guy

    Once again, we find that the only thing nerds love more than video games is penis.

  • Toby Mole

    Well and good. But you just know there are literally millions of morons out there that think along the lines of “well f the experts say it , my young jimmy’ll be getting it done” without even thinking about it either way.

  • Frawg

    I’m a 42 year old adult male. My circumcision healed back upon itself, requiring a second surgery. As an adult who has suffered from serious nerve damage my entire adult life, I have serious problems with circumcising infants who have no say so in the matter.

    It’s not as if you can decide to undo this surgery. My parts are broken forever.

  • Nick

    The Jewish philosopher Maimonides (1135–1204) insisted that faith should be the only reason for circumcision. He recognised that it was “a very hard thing” to have done to oneself but that it was done to “quell all the impulses of matter” and “perfect what is defective morally.” Sages at the time had recognised that the foreskin heightened sexual pleasure. Maimonides reasoned that the bleeding and loss of protective covering rendered the penis weakened and in so doing had the effect of reducing a man’s lustful thoughts and making sex less pleasurable. He also warned that it is “hard for a woman with whom an uncircumcised man has had sexual intercourse to separate from him.”

    Its unethical and barbaric to cut another person’s genitals regardless of their sex…its as simple as that…

  • Mark

    Chopping off the entire penis would reduce the risk of STDs even more. Would you recommend that too?

    Removing body parts is not the solution to preventing STDs.

  • Anonymous

    Each person should decide whether or not to opt for this procedure.
    Keep your fucking hands off of newborns penises!