Quick snip an unkind cut

News  Dominion Post (Wellington, NZ), Page 1. Friday, 30 August 2002.

New Zealand Medical Groups Condemn Neonatal Circumcision

CIRCUMCISION is no quick snip and there is no good medical reason for babies to have the procedure, four expert health bodies in New Zealand have said in a landmark position statement.

They say circumcision is painful, risky and often medically unnecessary.

For the first time, the division of paediatrics and child health of the External link Royal Australasian College of Physicians, the Australasian Association of Paediatric Surgeons, New Zealand Society of Paediatric Surgeons and Urological Society of Australasia have combined their expert resources and formulated a joint position statement on circumcision.

Professor Spencer Beasley, chairman of the circumcision working party, said: Circumcision is quite a painful procedure with significant risks but often the general public think it's just a quick snip. The college has reviewed evidence in relation to risks and benefits and has concluded there is no evidence of benefit outweighing harm for circumcision as a routine procedure.

Professor Beasley said the fashion for circumcision began in World War II in North Africa where soldiers often went days without showers and inflammation of the foreskin from sand was the most common cause of absenteeismfrom the front line.

Citation:

Back to News 2002 Back to the News 2002 page.


The Circumcision Information and Resource Pages are a not-for-profit educational resource and library. IntactiWiki hosts this website but is not responsible for the content of this site. CIRP makes documents available without charge, for informational purposes only. The contents of this site are not intended to replace the professional medical or legal advice of a licensed practitioner.

Top  © CIRP.org 1996-2024 | Filetree | Please visit our sponsor and host: External link IntactiWiki.