Pediatric group says circumcision benefits far outweigh risks

The nation’s most influential pediatricians group says the health benefits of circumcision in newborn boys outweigh any risks and insurance companies should pay for it.

In its latest policy statement on circumcision, a procedure that has been declining nationwide, the American Academy of Pediatrics moves closer to an endorsement but says the decision should be up to parents.

“It’s not a verdict from on high,” said policy co-author Dr. Andrew Freedman. “There’s not a one-size-fits-all-answer.” But from a medical standpoint, circumcision’s benefits in reducing risk of disease outweigh its small risks, said Freedman, a pediatric urologist in Los Angeles.

“I wonder how unanimous this decision is because any of us who have been parents in the last 20 years have grappled with this,” wondered co-host Tom Tangney on Seattle’s Morning News.

“There’s so much strong evidence on both sides that it really makes it tough.”

“I think there’s an emotional factor here, so I wonder if the Academy of Pediatrics coming out saying there are some medical reasons for this and benefit this for it, I wonder if that will sway some people for it?” asked co-host Linda Thomas.

Recent research bolstering evidence that circumcision reduces chances of infection with HIV and other sexually spread diseases, urinary tract infections and penis cancer

The academy also says pain relief stronger than a sugar-coated pacifier is essential, usually an injection to numb the area.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated circumcision costs range from about $200 to $600 nationwide. Coverage varies among insurers, and

Meantime, a recent study projected that declining U.S. circumcision rates could add more than $4 billion in health care costs in coming years because of increased illness and infections.

Despite the U.S. decline, about half of baby boys nationwide still undergo circumcision, or roughly 1 million each year. The country’s overall rate is much higher than in other developed nations, but U.S. rates vary by region and are higher in areas where it is a cultural or religious tradition, including among Jews and Muslims.

Psychologist Ronald Goldman, director of an anti-circumcision group, the Circumcision Resource Center, said studies show circumcision causes loss of sexual satisfaction — a claim the academy said is not supported by the research it reviewed — and can be psychologically harming.

The Associated Press contributed to this report