DEUTSCHE PRESS AGENCY.

5/13/97 Deutsche Presse-Agentur 07:45:00

                     Deutsche Presse-Agentur
                     Copyright (c) 1997, dpa

                      Tuesday, May 13, 1997

 Australian surgeon calls for a snip in funds for circumcision

  Sydney (dpa) - A Sydney surgeon Tuesday attacked the use of government
money to pay for circumcisions saying there was no medical need for the
proceedure.

  "I don't think people should be able to claim on medical benefits for
a non-medical operation in these times of soaring health costs - it makes
me sick," Barrie Milroy told the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
annual congress.

  "If you wanted to do such an experiment on an animal at eight days of
life it would never be passed by an ethics committee - and yet we
mutilate our children."

  He reported that circumcision was fast going out of fashion in
Australia, with the rate falling to around 10 per cent of boys from
about 80 per cent in the 1960s.

Copyright (c) 1997, dpa