History of Male Circumcision - Circumcision in The 21st Century

Circumcision in The 21st Century

The AMA states that "virtually all current policy statements from specialty societies and medical organizations do not recommend routine neonatal circumcision, and support the provision of accurate and unbiased information to parents to inform their choice.". Specifically, major medical societies in the USA, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand do not recommend routine non-therapeutic infant circumcision. The AAP advises that "Physicians counseling families concerning this decision should assist the parents by explaining the potential benefits and risks and by ensuring that they understand that circumcision is an elective procedure."

Some have voiced ethical concerns about the procedure. See Bioethics of neonatal circumcision for more information.

Neonatal circumcision nonetheless still remains the most common pediatric operation carried out in the U.S. today.

The South African Children's Act (No. 38 of 2005) has made the circumcision of male children unlawful except for medical or religious reasons.

For current circumcision rates, please see prevalence of circumcision.

Studies indicate that male circumcision can reduce the chance of HIV infection in heterosexual men. A criticism of encouraging the adoption of adult male circumcision in areas or populations heavily affected by HIV is that even in the best of studies the measure is merely reductive, not preventative, and may embolden the recipient of the operation to willfully undermine the demonstrably safe methods of serial monogamy and condom usage with new partners; for a more thorough look at the scientific research visit Circumcision and HIV.

The AMA remarked that, in one study, physicians in "nearly half" of neonatal circumcisions "did not discuss the potential medical risks and benefits of elective circumcision prior to delivery of the infant son. Deferral of discussion until after birth, combined with the fact that many parents' decisions about circumcision are preconceived, contribute to the high rate of elective circumcision."

As of July 2011, eighteen American state Medicaid programs had discontinued payment for non-therapeutic circumcision.

On 7 May 2012 the Cologne, Germany Regional court (Köln Landgericht) ruled that parents could not grant consent for ritual (non-therapeutic) circumcision of children.