US doctors say circumcision is safe and helpful, but others disagree

The American Academy of Paediatrics has issued new guidelines saying the health benefits of infant circumcision outweigh the risks of the surgery, but the influential physician's group has fallen short of a universal recommendation of the procedure for all infants, saying that parents should make the final call.

The change was prompted by scientific evidence suggesting circumcision can reduce the risk of urinary tract infections in infants and cut the risk of penile cancer and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV and the human papillomavirus, which causes cervical cancer.

The statement, published yesterday in the journal , comes down in favour of the procedure, saying the health benefits of newborn male circumcision "justify access to this procedure for families who choose it".

"We're not saying you have to have it," said Dr Andrew Freedman, a paediatric urologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles who chaired the AAP's circumcision task force. "We're saying if a family thinks it is in the child's best interests, the benefits are enough to help them do that."

Based on a review of more than 1,000 scientific articles, the task force said male circumcision did not appear to adversely affect penile sexual function, sensitivity of the penis or sexual satisfaction.

Circumcision, the surgical removal of the foreskin of the penis, is a ritual obligation for infant Jewish boys, and is also a common rite among Muslims.