Circumcision pluses outweigh risks: Pediatricians

It has been discussed many times before, but new stance of nation’s most influential pediatricians group is that circumcisions outweighs any risks and insurance companies should pay for it.

The nation’s most influential pediatricians group says the health benefits of circumcision in newborn boys outweigh any risks and insurance companies should pay for it.

In its latest policy statement on circumcision, a procedure that has been declining nationwide, the American Academy of Pediatrics moves closer to an endorsement but says the decision should be up to parents.

‘‘It’s not a verdict from on high,’’ said policy co-author Dr. Andrew Freedman. ‘‘There’s not a one-size-fits-all-answer.’’ But from a medical standpoint, circumcision’s benefits in reducing risk of disease outweigh its small risks, said Freedman, a pediatric urologist in Los Angeles.

Recent research bolstering evidence that circumcision reduces chances of infection with HIV and other sexually spread diseases, urinary tract infections and penis cancer influenced the academy to update their 13-year-old policy.

As always, there is large anti-movement mostly based on religious and moral beliefs, but without any question, parents willing to have their kids circumcised, should have been given option to do so.


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Originally posted by SuperFrog
It has been discussed many times before, but new stance of nation’s most influential pediatricians group is that circumcisions outweighs any risks

That must be a great source of comfort to small boys who lose their penises in botched circumcisions.

And you know many of them?

I know some folks having real issue for not being circumcised.

Mutilating a child right after they are born is wrong plain and simple. If a person wants to get circumcised it shouldn't be done until they are old enough to make the decision on their own.

Originally posted by SuperFrog
And you know many of them?

Kids dying or losing their penis is all worth it if a shepherd on a hill 3,000 years ago said it was necessary? Right?

Circumcision Deaths

from the Facebook Group: "Circumcision Kills"

December 14 2010 at 06:37pm
IOL news
Reuters

The circumcision season death toll in the Eastern Cape has risen to nine, the provincial health department said on Tuesday.

www.iol.co.za...

North America/the Americas

October 03, 2009

Baby's death a "mystery"
Boy gets circumcised two days before, and suddenly nobody knows why he dies. Suspicious that the boy went in "to correct his urine flow and a circumcision." A urine flow "correction," maybe. But then, a circumcision too? What was the medical indication for that?
Remember: "There are no risks" involved in circumcision, especially when it's performed in a hospital setting. Your child might die, but it's "well worth it."
abclocal.go.com.../local&id=7046153

VERY RECENT:
South Dakota, September 18, 2009
Parents Sue; Their baby died last year in June.
www.argusleader.com...

New York, New York, February 2005
3 babies contract herpes, one of whom dies, from a rabbi that implements a bizarre procedure called "metzitzah b'peh," in which he basically sucks the wounded infant's genitals.
www.cirp.org...
www.cirp.org...

Cleveland, Ohio, October 20th, 1998
A boy DIES undergoing surgery to correct a PROBLEM caused by his initial circumcision (remember, there are no risks involved).
www.noharmm.org...

I ran out of page characters. The actual number of kids who have died from circumcision is enormous. Check out the page.

Link

But hey, a shepherd who has been dead for 3,000 years can't be wrong?

Take your religious mumbo jumbo and stick it somewhere.

I don't see circumcision as a religious issue, but a health issue. I am circumcised, and I don't mind, it wasn't a religious circumcision. I don't think it should be outlawed based on religious hatred or something silly like that.

There is strong evidence that circumcision reduces the risk of HIV infection in heterosexual men in populations that are at high risk.

This is about the only conclusive thought on circumcision and health issues, however the Wikipedia article here explains more about the different studies that have been done on circumcision and health affects.

Circumcision has been suggested as an effective method of maintaining penile hygiene since the time of the Egyptian dynasties.

The origins of circumcision might be Egyptian, not Jewish.

Infant circumcision was taken up in the United States, Australia and the English-speaking parts of Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and to a lesser extent in the United Kingdom. There are several hypotheses to explain why infant circumcision was accepted in the United States about the year 1900. The germ theory of disease elicited an image of the human body as a conveyance for many dangerous germs, making the public "germ phobic" and suspicious of dirt and bodily secretions. The penis became "dirty" by association with its function, and from this premise circumcision was seen as preventative medicine to be practised universally.

As I was saying before, the origins of circumcision in the United States are not religious but secular. So I just think that people should know this before going on a crusade against circumcision thinking it is some kind of outdated religious practice.

This morning I was listening about this on NPR radio on the way to work. Change of stance toward circumcision was based on 7 year research and it has been proven to help not just adults, but even babies in first year of their life, that is why pediatricians are recommending it to be done just after childbirth.

Link to NPR news.

As for safety of medical circumcision, according to pediatrician it is very safe procedure.

reply to post by buster2010


As parent you have to select what is best for you child.

It was easy for my wife and me to decide for our boy, just the same as we had to decide to have his adenoids removed because they were large, prevented him from breathing trough nose and were reason of his recent ear infections.

Are you trying to tell me that I should wait until he is adult (and probably def) before helping my child?

If you are unable to comprehend news, it is proven to HELP kids in FIRST YEAR OF their life. You can ask them 20 years later, and wonder if they had complications what would they tell you...

Biggest concern for everyone was that there were no pluses for circumcisions, now that we know there are, what would be new reason not to get circumcised except for religious issues??

Originally posted by SuperFrog
And you know many of them?

I know some folks having real issue for not being circumcised.

Cant possibly imagine what those would be. Mind filling us in?

I know of 3 very close family members that had to be done at 4-5yrs due to medical reasons. Horribly painful & long recovery for them. I was always adamant my boys would be done early, but when it came to the crunch I wimped out due to not wanting to cause them pain. luckily they have no probs as yet although my boys are 5 & 3 I hope we don't have issues.

It's such a controversial topic. I still do wish we had got them done, YES for my selfish thoughts of " vanity and their fathers circumcised" where do these shallow thoughts even come from?? And also for hygiene reasons for now and future. Sorry I tend to drift between for and against, I guess that's why my boys are not done. Reasons were not immediate or compelling enough at the time to subject my boys to pain.

Would be interested to hear opinions from an adult man/men who have chosen for personal/medical reasons to be circumcised as an adult, does it make any real difference?

Here is an article that says otherwise:

onlinelibrary.wiley.com...

Compared with uncircumcised men, circumcised men have accumulated larger numbers of STI in their lifetime, have higher rates of previous diagnosis of warts, and were more likely to have HIV infection.

This was just published August 15 2012

Edited to add: I find it hilarious that one reason to do it as an infant is because it's more painful as an older child/adult. LOL! Just because you remember it does NOT mean it's more painful! And if you think that pain doesn't affect a baby as much, if not MORE than an older person who can rationalize the pain then you are sorely mistaken.

These poor children, first experience with the world is being traumatized.

Originally posted by natters
Edited to add: I find it hilarious that one reason to do it as an infant is because it's more painful as an older child/adult. LOL! Just because you remember it does NOT mean it's more painful! And if you think that pain doesn't affect a baby as much, if not MORE than an older person who can rationalize the pain then you are sorely mistaken.

I agree with this completely. Ive never understood why people assume it doesnt hurt the baby, or somehow hurts less. Where does this bizarre thinking come from?

Reminds me of vegans who eat fish, claiming fish dont feel pain.

reply to post by natters



One biased article versus 7 year research of many pediatrician, please tell me you are kidding.

As for those scared about babies health, it is simple operation, very fast and takes baby 2 or 3 days to recover completely. I believe all of you are also against piercing of children, which is perfectly fine, even if all those kids scream for no health benefit as in circumcision's case.

And speaking of money, that is where this mostly going to end up, with circumcision according to experts we can save money later...

The cost of treating sexually transmitted infections in both males and females that could be prevented with circumcision accounts for most of this total. Circumcision removes the foreskin at the end of the penis, which would otherwise potentially serve as a haven for bacteria and viruses that can cause diseases including HIV, herpes, genital warts, bacterial infections and urinary tract infections. Research has also suggested that circumcision can cut risk of penile and prostate cancers in men, as well as cervical cancer risk in their female partners.

*

Wonder why....

Not really, it is more then clear that this is biggest religious problem for most...

* abcnews.go.com...

Then maybe money should be invested in teaching Americans how to wash their "dirty bits". Seriously? The article I posted is from a peer reviewed journal. Most of the world doesn't circumcise their baby boys and they aren't overrun with debts from rotten penises. Wonder what the issue might be, hmmm? I find it funny that when a boy gets a UTI they chop off a chunk of his body, while a little girl gets prescribed an antibiotic. durrrr

I have a son who is a teen now, and to this day I still remember when he got circumcised because of his screaming. He was all the way down the hall, a tiny baby, screaming so loud because the doctor was cutting his penis; it was horrible. It was bloody when I changed his diaper and his tiny hands instinctively tried to shield it, even though a newborn can't even control their hands. I felt terrible, and if I could do it over again I would never consent to that. They can't even use any painkillers because they are newborns. It is cruel, and it is stupid to think those babies aren't feeling as much pain as they would when they got older just because they can't talk. We evolved to be in these bodies, and there is no reason to mutilate them upon birth. Just teach hygiene, and your sons will be fine just the way that nature made them.

it's a mark of slavery from the day's of egypt a slavery and idolatry mark in ancient times

Honestly, how does some of this hog wash come about, uncircumcised men are at more risk for HIV? .. wtf, who comes up with this nonsense, im not circumcised and my friend was, and last i recall he caught quite a few things with his promiscuous ways while I’ve been clean my whole life.... you don’t just up and get an std, if two people one cut and one not, sticks their genital inside someone that’s infected, i can assure they’ll both pay for it. only reason someone should be cut is if they have complications with their penis, such as foreskin being too tight, not just take em out the womb and cut for no damn reason at all, a baby can contract HIV/STD'S many different ways, and i am quite sure its not gonna be with their undeveloped penis.

This is the 16th century anymore people, teach your damn kids, teach your boys how to pull back their foreskin and clean themselves, my mother showed me once and i been fine ever since, there will be people that have complications and have to get a snip, or just a incision, but it shouldn’t be the norm just because.

reply to post by SuperFrog


The ignorance that this thread is perpetuating is ridiculous. The WHO estimates for men being circumcised is about 30% of the male population largely because of Muslims. Tell me when do you hear of pandemics coming from huge populations like India or China for having uncut males? How about 1st world countries like Spain and Denmark which are less than 2%? Mutilation of children without pain killers is barbaric; if there were evolutionary pressures we would already have some mutations that would have taken care of it.

I have known people that got their sons circumcised and had complications. Most of these people regretted what they had done. This medieval practice from the abrahamic religions have no place in science. Studies are skewed everyday for the medical industry and this might not be any different.

en.wikipedia.org...

My little cousin was circumcised not long ago and he was playing outside just few hours later, but he was circumcised with modern lasers, kids almost don't feel any pain during and after operation.
Btw, friend's doctor said to him that she would circumcised all men if she can

reply to post by SuperFrog


What about sexual effects. I've read that circumscision is a leading cause of both premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunctions.

I don't have sources off hand, could probably find them, if anyone is intrested.

On general cleanliness and health, I tend to agree; but, boys (men) can be taught to keep themselves clean and healthy.

Personally, I think it's barbaric but do think that insurance should cover it for those who choose it for their sons.