Published online July 3, 2006
PEDIATRICS Vol. 118 No. 1 July 2006, pp. 385-387 (doi:10.1542/peds.2005-2881)
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Web of Science (10)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Schoen, E. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Schoen, E. J.
Related Collections
Right arrow Premature & Newborn
Right arrowRelated AAP Red Book topics:
Human Immunodeficiency Virus...
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Facebook   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

COMMENTARY

Ignoring Evidence of Circumcision Benefits

Edgar J. Schoen, MD

Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Oakland, California

Abbreviations: AAP, American Academy of Pediatrics • UTI, urinary tract infection

The first 20% of the full text of this article appears below.

The American public remains resolute in its support of newborn circumcision despite negative recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).1 The great majority of males in the United States are circumcised: prevalence of circumcision is 80% to 85%2 as measured by published values from Georgia, Texas, California, Colorado, Alaska, Wisconsin, and Missouri.3–9 Circumcision prevalence not only is high but seems to be increasing.10 Between 1988 and 2000, the US newborn circumcision rate increased by 12.8%, an increase that has been attributed to "an increased recognition of the potential medical benefits of circumcision" by the general public.10(p978) The increase in circumcisions is most apparent in mid-America states with the fewest immigrants,6,10,11 because most immigrants, particularly Hispanics, are not circumcised. The 80% to 85% US circumcision rate observed in practice contrasts with the 55% to 65% rate reported in statistics collected from birth centers across the nation.6,10 The explanation for this difference is that the published results of national statistical surveys represent only coded diagnoses obtained from birth centers; the reported figures do not include males who are circumcised at a later date for religious, medical, or personal reasons or who received newborn circumcision that was not coded.5,7

The original position of the AAP was established with an erroneous statement . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Address correspondence to Edgar J. Schoen, MD, Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, 280 W MacArthur Blvd, Oakland, CA 94611. E-mail: edgar.schoen@kp.org


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Facebook Facebook   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 cfpHome page
E. J. Schoen
Rebuttal: Should newborns be circumcised?: YES
Can Fam Physician, January 1, 2008; 54(1): 22 - 22.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 cfpHome page
E. J. Schoen
Should newborns be circumcised?: YES
Can Fam Physician, December 1, 2007; 53(12): 2096 - 2098.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 cfpHome page
E. J. Schoen
Faut-il circoncire les nouveau-nes?: OUI
Can Fam Physician, December 1, 2007; 53(12): 2100 - 2102.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 PediatricsHome page
J. D. Dickerman
Circumcision in the Time of HIV: When Is There Enough Evidence to Revise the American Academy of Pediatrics' Policy on Circumcision?
Pediatrics, May 1, 2007; 119(5): 1006 - 1007.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 PediatricsHome page
P. Flynn, P. Havens, M. Brady, P. Emmanuel, J. Read, L. Hoyt, L. Henry-Reid, R. Van Dyke, and L. Mofenson
Male Circumcision for Prevention of HIV and Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Pediatrics, April 1, 2007; 119(4): 821 - 822.
[Full Text] [PDF]