CDC rec to counsel all males about benefits of circumcision

[sistrmoon]

Wasn't sure the best place to put this, but here's the article:

CDC Considers Counseling Males Of All Ages On Circumcision : Shots - Health News : NPR

What do you think of this? Have you read the African studies and do you think they translate to our population? Do you think it's a good idea from a public health standpoint?

[Red Kryptonite]

Since females are protected by federal law, why shouldn't males be? Or do you think we should change the law so that both girls and boys can legally have their genitals cut when their parents want it?

[klone, MSN, RN]

It's completely appropriate for health care professionals to tell parents "No, I'm not going to perform an elective procedure on your newborn child that carries a high risk of hemorrhage and infection." RIC is no different. Parents' preferences should not trump science and risks vs. benefits.

[MunoRN, RN]

The rationale behind educating parents about circumcision is that the scientific consensus is that the benefits outweigh the risks, not because it's a parental preference unrelated to health.

Circumcision Policy Statement

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

It's completely appropriate for health care professionals to tell parents "No, I'm not going to perform an elective procedure on your newborn child that carries a high risk of hemorrhage and infection." RIC is no different. Parents' preferences should not trump science and risks vs. benefits.

By that logic, all parents should be forced to vax their kids and Jehovah's witnesses' should be forced to consent to blood transfusions for their underage child that could save their child's life.

[Red Kryptonite]

European doctors were quick to criticize the AAP for allowing cultural bias to influence their policy statement.

http://m.pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2013/03/12/peds.2012-2896

[BlackMagicGypsy]

By that logic, all parents should be forced to vax their kids and Jehovah's witnesses' should be forced to consent to blood transfusions for their underage child that could save their child's life.

*tiptoes in*

On that note about JW, could the parents be charged if they withheld a life saving blood transfusion from their child? Is that similar to the Parents that chose prayer over treatment and ended up letting the child die?

I've always wondered about the legality of that.

[suga_junkie, BSN, RN]

By that logic, all parents should be forced to vax their kids and Jehovah's witnesses' should be forced to consent to blood transfusions for their underage child that could save their child's life.

At the risk of being controversial, I think it should be like that. Vaccinations for the safety of the individual child and society at large, particularly immuno compromised people and children too you to be vaccinated yet, and blood transfusions for minor Jehovah's witnesses because parents do not have the right to let their child die based on their religious beliefs, particularly when the child is too young to have an educated opinion on the matter themselves.

[suga_junkie, BSN, RN]

*tiptoes in*

On that note about JW, could the parents be charged if they withheld a life saving blood transfusion from their child? Is that similar to the Parents that chose prayer over treatment and ended up letting the child die?

I've always wondered about the legality of that.

I think usually the hospital will get a court order to force the blood transfusion, though this doesn't help in a critical situation...

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

At the risk of being controversial, I think it should be like that. Vaccinations for the safety of the individual child and society at large, particularly immuno compromised people and children too you to be vaccinated yet, and blood transfusions for minor Jehovah's witnesses because parents do not have the right to let their child die based on their religious beliefs, particularly when the child is too young to have an educated opinion on the matter themselves.

It is definitely a slippery slope and one that I don't think is worth opening for a procedure a tiny little baby won't remember years from now. Lack of vaccinations population-wide could wipe all communities...eh...maybe that is or isn't a hill to die on.

And people seem to forget that some people practice circumcision for religious reasons. If a parent feels that strongly about it, who or what is to stop them from having an untrained pastor or rabbi do it? I shiver to think about back-alley circumcision the same way I cringe about back-alley abortions.

But that's another topic for another day.

[Red Kryptonite]

By that logic, all parents should be forced to vax their kids and Jehovah's witnesses' should be forced to consent to blood transfusions for their underage child that could save their child's life.

No, by that logic they'd have to find another provider willing to do what they want.

I'd like an answer to my question about the law. As it stands now, it's discriminatory because it treats equivalent people differently based on gender. So should we change it to protect both boys and girls from genital cutting as minors, or to allow parents to have their children of both genders genitally cut?

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

It's like removing an infant girl's breast buds to prevent breast cancer.

YES!! I actually make this comparison in my extended argument...(I typed that while holding my uncircumcised son in one arm lol, so kept it short) or when the penile cancer argument is made. Oh, should we give girls prophylactic mastectomies at birth? It will really reduce their risk of breast cancer!

[Red Kryptonite]

a procedure a tiny little baby won't remember years from now.

I seriously hate this argument. If a woman gets roofied, she won't remember being raped. Does that make it okay for someone to do that to her?