Routine circumcision for boys advisable, U.S. study says

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The Canadian Paediatric Society says it will soon clarify its own position on whether Canadian boys are better off circumcised after its American counterpart came out in favour of the procedure Monday.

The American Academy of Pediatrics’ new guidelines — based on a review of more than 1,000 scientific articles and published in the journal Pediatrics— fall short of universally recommending the procedure for all infants, recommending that parents should make the final call.

The change was prompted by scientific evidence that suggests circumcision can reduce the risk of urinary tract infections in infants and cut the risk of penile cancer and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV and the human papillomavirus or HPV, which causes cervical and other cancers.

The Canadian society, which does not recommend routine circumcision for newborns, is reviewing the medical literature on the controversial subject and will publish a study “written by Canadians for Canadians to help parents make that decision” within the next year.

“At the end of the day, will we make the decision easier for parents? Probably not, but what we hope to do is make sure it’s a better-informed decision,” said CPS president Dr. Richard Stanwick. “It might influence those people that are basically uncertain as to what to do.”

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Original piece is http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Routine+circumcision+boys+advisable+study+says/7152805/story.html

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Routine circumcision for boys advisable, U.S. study says