U.S. Paediatricians Back Circumcision.
{U.S. mutilators continue their usual, continuing vile rhetoric}
Circumcision of newborn boys, the procedure that has polarised
Western medical opinion, has been given the tick by the influential American
Academy of Paediatrics.
The surgical removal of the foreskin, now not routinely performed
in most Australian public hospitals, offers more health benefits than risks, an
evaluation of 10 years of evidence by the academy has found.
In a statement released yesterday, the academy said the benefits of
newborn male circumcision justify access to this procedure "for families
who choose it".
It said benefits from male circumcision included the prevention of
urinary tract infections, acquisition of HIV, transmission of some sexually
transmitted infections, and penile cancer.
It said the procedure "does not appear to adversely affect
penile sexual function/sensitivity or sexual satisfaction".
{Brian Morris: One of the most hated men in Australia. His policy is
every male should be circumcised. A petition is mounting for him to be sacked
from his position at the University of Sydney.}
Professor Morris, who has led Australian efforts to assemble
medical evidence in support of circumcision, said the American academy had
stated for the first time that benefits exceeded risks, and that education and
financial and other facilitators must be put in place to allow infant
circumcision.
"The new policy represents a major turnaround for the
better," Professor Morris said.
{Australian experts not rushing into decision without more study.}
But the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, which in a 2010
statement declared the medical benefits did not warrant "routine"
circumcision, was less excited by the American announcement.
David Forbes, spokesman for the college's division of paediatrics
and child health, said the college noted that the American academy did not
recommend routine circumcision of all boys.
"Parents play an important role in making decisions about the
health of their children.
It is crucial that parents have the necessary information and
advice to weigh the benefits and risks for circumcision, as they do for other
health treatments," Professor Forbes said.
The college's position was evidence based and balanced, drawing on
international and local research to conclude that the frequency of diseases
modifiable by circumcision, the level of protection offered by circumcision and
the complication rates of circumcision did not not warrant routine
circumcision of healthy infant boys in Australia and New Zealand.
Professor Forbes told the National Times that while the academy did
have an influential place, the circumcision issue would need to be
thoroughly debated in Australia before any significant change in policy.
He said there were several other matters in infant health of more
concern than circumcision, such as breast feeding, immunisation, support of
parents of infants and mental health issues.
The American academy said male circumcision was "one of the
most common procedures in the world".
[With only 15% of all males mutilated, there must be a hell of a lot
of mutilations to make it one of the 'most common'. All this throw-away
rhetoric!]
The American findings will be considered as part of an Australian
review into Medicare coverage of paediatric surgery including circumcision, a
Department of Health spokeswoman said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.
No comments:
Post a Comment