US pediatrics unveil benefits of circumcision

The American Academy of Pediatrics' new policy has found that circumcision should be covered by insurance, and that the health benefits far outweigh any risk, Gilroy Patch reported.

Circumcision rates peaked at over 90 percent in 1964, according to Circumstitions.com. Since then the practice is said to have declined in regularity to nationwide estimates that range from 33 percent.

Despite circumcision's steep drop in popularity, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) changed its official stance on the procedure on Monday. According to Parenting.com, the AAP is now saying that "the preventative health benefits of infant circumcision clearly outweigh the risks."


In both 1999 and 2005, the AAP remained staunch that circumcision was "not essential to the child's current well-being."
After several years of study, Michael Brady, MD, chairman of the department of pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH, said "it’s now obvious there’s a preventative effect" associated with circumcision.


Namely, circumcision has been shown to be positively correlated with lower HIV rates in heterosexual males in Africa, low HPV rates and smaller risk of contracting syphilis and genital herpes. In addition, studies have shown that circumcised babies are less prone to urinary tract infections, and that the procedure can reduce the risk of penile and prostate cancer later in life.