It seemed like circumcision was rightly about to lose its place in American culture.
The American Medical Association spoke out about the US-centric procedure in 1999, saying:
“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.”
Vastly less common in Europe and of dubious medical benefit, the controversial procedure has steadily been losing ground among people who might have opted for it for non-religious reasons. But that trend may begin reversing again, thanks to a new recommendation from the CDC.
Dr. Peter Kilmarx, chief of epidemiology for the division of HIV/AIDS prevention at the CDC, looks to be starting a new campaign to throw the baby’s foreskin out with the bathwater, stating:
“We have a significant HIV epidemic in this country, and we really need to look carefully at any potential intervention tthat could be another tool in the toolbox we use to address the epidemic,” Kilmarx told the newspaper. “What we’ve heard from our consultants is that there would be a benefit for infants from infant circumcision and that the benefits outweigh the risks.”
Strangely, other Western countries have neglected to routinely circumcise babies and don’t seem to be suffering rates of HIV significantly higher than those of the US. It’s also fairly clear at this point that the odds of contracting HIV from standard man/woman banging are pretty low. What do you think- barbaric practice, or necessary protection for the locker room?
