CANADA: CPS Diverges from AAP on Infant Circumcision

In 2012, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a controversial policy statement on circumcision.

While the statement did not culminate in a recommendation as circumcision advocates were hoping for, it was littered with the baseless mantra that "the benefits [of circumcision] outweighed the risks," and with calls for public medical programs to cover it.

The claim that "the benefits outweigh the risks" conflicts with statements that "the benefits [of male infant circumcision] aren't great enough to recommend" it, and that "the true incidence of complications after newborn circumcision are unknown," found within the same Policy Statement.

So out-of-line was the 2012 AAP report, that 38 pediatricians, urologists, epidemiologists, and professors, representing 20 medical organizations and 15 universities and hospitals in 17 countries formally rejected it.

Even so, circumcision advocates took the "benefits outweigh the risks" soundbite and ran with it.

Some go as far as actually saying the AAP has given a recommendation for circumcision, when it is clear to those who have actually read their 2012 statement that they stop short.

After the AAP released their statement, it didn't take very long for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to mirror them. Almost like clockwork, the CDC released a statement similar to that of the AAP, seemingly giving circumcision advocates yet more ammunition for promoting male infant circumcision. (As the AAP, the CDC shies away from a clear recommendation for male infant circumcision.)

With the Canadian Paediatric Society due for a release of their own policy statement on male infant circumcision, speculation arose as to whether or not they too would mirror the controversial AAP statement.

Circumcision advocates were hoping the CPS would get into lockstep with the AAP, and repeat the same "benefits outweigh the risk" slogan.

Much to their chagrin, however, the CPS not only failed to join the AAP and CDC in chorus, they outright reaffirmed their position against it.

Said Dr. Thierry Lacaze, chair of the CPS Fetus and Newborn Committee:

"While there may be a benefit for some boys in high risk populations and the procedure could be considered as a treatment or to reduce disease, in most cases, the benefits of circumcision do not outweigh the risks."

Thus the AAP and CPS can be witnessed going separate ways on the matter.

Is the CPS stepping out of line?

Or is it the AAP who is deviating?

The fact of the matter is that the trend of opinion on routine male circumcision is overwhelmingly negative in industrialized nations.


The AAP tried very hard to push the slogan that "the benefits [of circumcision] outweigh the risks" in their 2012 statement, but they were formally rejected by 38 pediatricians, urologists, epidemiologists, and professors, representing 20 medical organizations and 15 universities and hospitals in 17 countries.

And now, the Canadian Paediatric Society joins the number of respected medical organizations who diverge with the AAP.

Thus, it continues to be true:

No respected medical board in the world recommends male infant circumcision. All of them, including the AAP in their latest statement, state that there isn't sufficient evidence to warrant this endorsement.

To say otherwise would be to take an unfounded position against the most respected medical organizations in the West.

Good on the CPS for refusing to buy into the AAP's nonsense.

Relevant Posts:

CANADA: Canadian Paediatric Society - Monkey See, Monkey Do?

OUT OF LINE: AAP Circumcision Policy Statement Formally Rejected

USA: Centers for Disease Control to Mirror American Academy of Pediatrics

Relevant Links:

Canadian Paediatric Society re-affirms position against routine circumcision

USA: Centers for Disease Control to Mirror American Academy of Pediatrics

Just the other day, I had finished giving my predictions as to what the Canadian Paediatric Society may be planning to do on their next position statement on circumcision, and just today I read that a release of a statement from the Center for Disease Control, with "guidelines" on circumcision, is eminent.

I'm not going to say much on this post, as it's pretty much the same thing I think of the CPS.

It looks like the CDC is getting ready to do exactly what the AAP did, and that's go on forever about HIV and other "benefits." I predict that, as the AAP did in 2012, the CDC will short of a recommendation, because they know that this would be taking an unfounded position against modern medicine.

The fact is that the trend of opinion on routine male circumcision is overwhelmingly negative in industrialized nations. No respected medical organization recommends infant circumcision based on the current body of medical literature.

The reason the 2012 AAP statement didn't culminate in a recommendation is because they knew full well that doing so would result in a loss of respect and credibility. The CDC will more or less fall along those lines. Of course they will overblow the dubious HIV/circumcision claims, but like the AAP, will continue to say "the parents should decide."

Get ready for more of the same rehashed BS.

UPDATE: A Preview
The latest on the CDC webpage (note the highlights...):

Status of CDC Male Circumcision Recommendations

Some recent reports have speculated about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) upcoming public health recommendations on male circumcision for HIV prevention in the United States.

It is important to note that the recommendations are still in development and CDC has made no determination at this time about the final content. CDC is employing a deliberative, evidence-based process for developing the circumcision recommendations, which allows for both external and internal CDC experts to provide input. CDC will also publish draft recommendations for public comment before the content will be finalized.

With respect to infant circumcision, it is important to recognize that many options are still being considered in this process, including simply recommending that health-care providers educate parents about the potential benefits and risks to ensure that parents have the information they need to make an informed decision.

In developing its recommendations, CDC is also considering whether circumcision should be recommended for heterosexual adults at high risk for HIV infection in the United States, as well as whether there is sufficient scientific evidence to make any recommendations for men who have sex with men.

Whatever the content may include, CDC's final circumcision recommendations will be completely voluntary. While CDC has not yet determined if male circumcision should be recommended for any population, ultimately the decision will rest with individuals and parents. CDC's public health imperative is to provide the best possible information on the risks and benefits to help inform those decisions.

 "Voluntary..." (Chuckle...)


Related Posts:

CANADA: Canadian Paediatric Society - Monkey See, Monkey Do?

AAP: New Statement Over-Hyped by US Media?

AAP: Around the Bush and Closer to Nowhere

OUT OF LINE: AAP Circumcision Policy Statement Formally Rejected

External Links:

To Cut or Not to Cut: CDC Poised to Offer Circumcision Guidance

CDC recommendation will link male circumcisions to reduced HIV risk

CDC Webpage

CANADA: Canadian Paediatric Society - Monkey See, Monkey Do?

Hopefully not...

In 2012, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a conflicting, wishy-washy policy statement, claiming, of all things, that "the benefits of infant circumcision outweigh the risks."

Despite this sound-bite, which I can only assume its creators hoped would become a mantra instilled in the minds of those who heard or read it (...the AAP 2012 report was nothing more than a poor attempt at infant circumcision PR, really...), the policy statement did not culminate in the recommendation that circumcision proponents, such as one Australian professor Brian Morris (...who does not have a single medical credential to his name, mind you...) were hoping for.

For circumcision advocates, the "benefits outweigh the risks" bit was sufficient enough for satisfaction, but for introspective professionals who actually read it, the 2012 AAP policy statement left more questions than it did answers.

In fact, so out-of-whack was the latest AAP report, that 38 pediatricians, urologists, epidemiologists, and professors, representing 20 medical organizations and 15 universities and hospitals in 17 countries formally rejected it.

One can read the catchy "benefits outweigh the risks" line throughout the report, but this conflicts with the admission that "the true incidence of complications after newborn circumcision are unknown," found in the very same report, not to mention the fact that, after much ado, the authors of the policy statement fell short of a recommendation.

Even after admitting there is insufficient data to support the statement that "the benefits outweigh the risks," even after failing to issue a recommendation for infant circumcision based on the current body of medical literature, the AAP authors still have the audacity to say that parents should still consider the benefits (...which were not "great enough" for a recommendation, in their own words...), doctors were within reason to comply with a parent's wishes to circumcise a healthy newborn, and public coffers ought to pay for it.

*Note: Under any other circumstance, reaping profit from performing non-medical procedures on healthy, non-consenting individuals constitutes medical fraud.

In short, the 2012 AAP Policy Statement can be summarized as thus:

1. "The benefits outweigh the risks."
2. These same "benefits" are "not great enough" to issue a recommendation.
3. The risks are "unknown."
4. Based on the self-same insufficient data that couldn't move us to make a recommendation, parents ought to make the call.

5. Doctors can comply with a parent's "decision" to have their son circumcised without diagnosis of medical or clinical indication, guilt-free. And...
6. Public coffers should have to pay for this "decision."

 What will the Canadian Paediatric Society do?

I see one of two things happening:


1. The CPS will issue a true and honest statement based on genuine analysis of current medical literature. It may still take a hands-off, pass-the-buck approach in the end, but it will not be as ready to publish canned sound-bites to the effect that "the benefits outweigh the risks."

2. The CPS may have been hijacked by circumcision proponents who are in lockstep with pro-circumcision AAP members, and are getting ready to issue a carbon-copy of the 2012 AAP Policy Statement. As the AAP did, the CPS may overstate the so-called "benefits" of circumcision, minimize the risks, and may even admit that they don't know what these are, but will stop short of a recommendation, unless they wish to damage their credibility in Western medicine.

The fact is that the trend of opinion on routine male circumcision is overwhelmingly negative in industrialized nations. No respected medical board in the world, not even the AAP, recommends circumcision for infants. All of them, including the AAP in their latest statement, state that there isn't sufficient evidence to warrant this endorsement.

In the end, whatever route the CPS takes, the result will be the same; they will not issue any sort of recommendation for circumcision, disappointing many, and the statement that there is not a single respected medical organization that recommends male infant circumcision, will nonetheless continue to be true.

DISCLAIMER:
The views I express in this blog are my own individual opinion, and they do not necessarily reflect the views of all intactivists. I am but an individual with one opinion, and I do not pretend to speak for the intactivist movement as a whole, thank you.

Related Posts:

AAP: New Statement Over-Hyped by US Media?

AAP: Around the Bush and Closer to Nowhere

OUT OF LINE: AAP Circumcision Policy Statement Formally Rejected

External Link:
CPS Policy Media Fund