New CDC Guidelines: Circumcision Benefits Men of All Ages

Setting the stage for intense debate over the next one month, Center for Disease Control has drafted guidelines proposing recommending circumcision to men of all ages including newborns.

The draft guidelines which appeared in the Federal Register on Tuesday propose counselling for sexually active straight men, teenagers and parents of newborns, explaining to them benefits of circumcision including protection against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, reported LA Times. Studies conducted in Africa in the past have shown a 60 percent reduction in risk of acquiring HIV from an infected female partner for circumcised men.

"Health benefits and risks of elective neonatal, adolescent or adult medically performed male circumcision should be considered in consultation with medical providers while taking into account factors associated with decision making around male circumcision including religion, societal norms and social customs, hygiene, aesthetic preference, and ethical considerations," reads CDC's first recommendation. CDC maintained that the benefits outweigh risks but the procedure is voluntary.

According to CDC estimates, nearly 58 percent of newborns males in US are circumcised.

The draft guidance also admits that nature of America's HIV spread can restrict the benefits of circumcision in high risk groups. HIV in US is largely driven by men who have sex with men, with only 1 in 10 new infections attributed to infection from a female partner.

"In the United States, the prevalence and risk of HIV infections are generally much lower than Sub-Saharan Africa. Also, most new HIV infections in US are attributed to male-male to sex, a population for whom male circumcision has not been proven to reduce risk," the draft guidelines reads.

Anti-circumcision activists have already begun their protests to the draft on the internet and are gearing up to mobilize public opinion against the proposed guidelines. The matter is open to public for comment for 45 days, NPR reported.