Shine OnIs infant male circumcision the new vaccination debate?
American and Australian researchers are calling infant male circumcision the new vaccination debate after concluding that the benefits of the procedure vastly outweigh the risks.
The study review, published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, claims that increasing numbers of parents in the Western world are opting not to circumcise their infant boys due to health and religious reasons, despite the fact that there are no medical reasons for choosing not to circumcise.
In fact, the list of pros for the procedure are aplenty -- the authors say they outweigh the risks 100:1.
Circumcision results in a reduced risk of urinary tract infection, prostate cancer, sexually transmitted diseases and causing female partners to develop cervical cancer.
“Male circumcision is in principle equivalent to childhood vaccination,” Brian J. Morris, lead author and medical professor from the University of Sydney, tells the New York Times. “Just as there are opponents of vaccination, there are opponents of circumcision. But their arguments are emotional and unscientific, and should be disregarded.”
The Canadian medical community seems to take a much softer line on the issue. The Canadian Paediatric Society was supposed to update their recommendations regarding infant circumcision last year, reports Canada.com, but in the end, they did not update their stance.
Their original guidelines, developed in 1996, opposed the routine circumcision of newborns.
It was expected that the Paediatric Society's updated guidelines would side more favourably toward the procedure.
“There are very strong opinions on both sides of this issue,” said Richard Stanwick from the Vancouver Island Health Authority at the time. “We know that we’re wading into something that, no matter what we write, will not be strong enough for probably either side.”
Some of the health risks associated with the procedure include bleeding and hemorrhage, infection and inflammation.
Canada's current circumcision rate is about 32 per cent, according to the latest statistic noted in a February 2013 study published in the Canadian Family Physician.
