Circumcision is not necessary, not beneficial

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 56 percent of infant boys are circumcised within the first few days of life. Yet there are no compelling reasons that fragile infant boys should be routinely subjected to this painful and risky procedure.

Many will point to alleged benefits of circumcision, yet all the issues circumcision is said to resolve or prevent are all either rare or easily treated with less invasive means. Hygiene for example.

There is nothing 'cleaner” about cutting parts off a person, or leaving raw post-surgical wounds inside a dirty diaper. Prevention of STDs including HIV is another reported benefit, yet even after circumcision, safe-sex practices with condoms are necessary for disease prevention.

Circumcision is said to prevent urinary tract infection, but UTIs are rare in boys and easily treated with antibiotics.

Circumcision is not necessary, not beneficial. It should be each man's decision to make for his own body at the age of consent.

He's the one who will be left dealing with the lifelong consequences of the surgery, not his parents or doctor.

Larissa Black

Ames