Circumcision Protects Female Partner
"It is not very likely that parents are going to change their traditions and have their newborn sons circumcised in order to lower the risk that a future sexual partner will develop cervical cancer decades later," he tells WebMD. "On a global scale it is far more feasible to make sure that young women and their doctors know about the disease and its symptoms. This is a highly curable disease if caught early, and patient education is a low-tech intervention that can work on a global level."
So what are the implications in the U.S., where circumcision is common but many new parents agonize over the decision? Circumcision rates have fallen in the U.S. in recent years, from a high of about 80% to about 65% today. But with the exception of Jewish and Muslim cultures, where boys are circumcised for religious reasons, circumcision rates are still much higher in the U.S. than in most other parts of the world.
In March of 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics revised its policy on the practice, stating that the medical benefits are "not sufficient to recommend routine [newborn] circumcision." It was the fourth policy revision on the subject in three decades.
Circumcision Protects Female Partner
"It is not very likely that parents are going to change their traditions and have their newborn sons circumcised in order to lower the risk that a future sexual partner will develop cervical cancer decades later," he tells WebMD. "On a global scale it is far more feasible to make sure that young women and their doctors know about the disease and its symptoms. This is a highly curable disease if caught early, and patient education is a low-tech intervention that can work on a global level."
So what are the implications in the U.S., where circumcision is common but many new parents agonize over the decision? Circumcision rates have fallen in the U.S. in recent years, from a high of about 80% to about 65% today. But with the exception of Jewish and Muslim cultures, where boys are circumcised for religious reasons, circumcision rates are still much higher in the U.S. than in most other parts of the world.
In March of 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics revised its policy on the practice, stating that the medical benefits are "not sufficient to recommend routine [newborn] circumcision." It was the fourth policy revision on the subject in three decades.
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