The truth is far less dramatic. According to a review of 40 years of data published last week by the American Academy of Pediatrics , circumcision does provide some potential medical benefits, but they are not so overwhelming that parents should feel compelled to have it done. If you want to circumcise your son for religious, personal or cultural reasons, fine. If you don't, that's fine too. The pediatricians' group is adamant, however, in saying no boy should be circumcised without adequate pain relief.
Circumcision is, of course, nothing new.
Egyptian priests practiced it as a purification rite more than 4,500 years ago. To this day, it is an important religious ritual in Islamic and Jewish communities worldwide. Circumcision became popular in the U.S. in the early 1900s, in the belief that it promoted good hygiene and discouraged masturbation. World War II v eterans swore by its health benefits in unsanitary tropical conditions. Currently, more than two-thirds of U.S. infant boys are circumcised.