While some think of neonatal circumcision as a good preventive health measure, others think it is the epitome of child abuse, genital mutilation and a violation of human rights. The subject of circumcision evokes strong emotions. There are an estimated 120 million circumcised men in India and male circumcision is almost universal in the Middle East, Central Asia, Bangladesh, Pakistan.
In all these countries, male circumcision is undertaken primarily for religious and cultural reasons. WHO and CDC promote and recommend circumcision to reduce the risk of HIV infections and recent reports suggest that the health benefits of neonatal circumcision outweigh the risks. Considering this ongoing conflict, would you recommend neonatal circumcision to all babies?
