Benefits of Circumcision Are Said to Outweigh Risks
Benefits of Circumcision Are Said to Outweigh Risks chlamydia transmission The American Academy of Pediatrics has shifted its stance on infant male circumcision, announcing on Monday that new research, including studies in Africa suggesting that the procedure may protect heterosexual men against H.I.V., indicated that the health benefits outweighed the risks. But the academy stopped short of recommending routine circumcision for all baby boys, saying the decision remains a family matter. The academy had previously taken a neutral position on circumcision. The new policy statement, the first update of the academy's circumcision policy in over a decade, appears in the Aug. 27 issue of the journal Pediatrics. The group's guidelines greatly influence pediatric care and decisions about coverage by insurers; in the new statement, the academy also said that circumcision should be covered by insurance. The long-delayed policy update comes as sentiment against...