CDC: Circumcision Benefits Outweigh Risk

U.S. health officials are now saying there are medical benefits for circumcision and health insurance should pay for it.

Officials released a draft of federal guidelines on the procedure Tuesday, the first of its kind.

"The scientific evidence is clear that the benefits outweigh the risks," said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, who oversees the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention programs on HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

The CDC will receive public comment for 45 days before finalizing the guidelines next year. They offer information but do not instruct parents to get their newborn sons circumcised.

Mermin said that's because the CDC recognizes that circumcision is a personal decision that may involve religious or cultural preferences.

CDC officials are recommending doctors tell parents of the benefits and risks of circumcision, though they didn't specify how.

The new guidelines come from seven years of research. It says the procedure can lower risk of sexually transmitted diseases, penile cancer, and urinary tract infections for men.

"The benefits of male circumcision have become more and more clear over the last 10 years," Dr. Aaron Tobian, with Johns Hopkins University, said.

Tobian also said the rates of newborn male circumcision have been dropping, possibly in part because of changing demographics. The Mexican-American population and other ethnic groups don't traditionally circumcise their sons.

Seattle physician Dr. Douglas Diekema predicts the guidelines will draw intense opposition from anti-circumcision advocacy groups.

"This is a passionate issue for them and they feel strongly that circumcision is wrong," Diekema said.