CDC's Male Circumcision Recommendations Represent a Key Public Health Measure

Frisch and Earp, opponents of male circumcision, have criticized draft recommendations from the CDC that advocate counseling men and parents of newborn boys in the United States about the benefits and risks of male circumcision. We provide a rebuttal to Frisch and Earp's criticisms and contend that the recommendations are entirely appropriate and merit consideration for policy development. Frisch and Earp, opponents of male circumcision, have criticized draft recommendations from the CDC that advocate counseling men and parents of newborn boys in the United States about the benefits and risks of male circumcision. We provide a rebuttal to Frisch and Earp's criticisms and contend that the recommendations are entirely appropriate and merit consideration for policy development.

• Publication year

  2017

• Venue

  Global Health: Science and Practice Journal

• Publication date

  2017-03-24

• Fields of study

  Medicine

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.9745/GHSP-D-16-00390PMID 28351877PMCID 5478224
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• Circumcision is a primary preventive against HIV infection: Critique of a contrary meta-regression analysis by Van Howe

  2018cited by this paper
• Circumcision of male infants and children as a public health measure in developed countries: A critical assessment of recent evidence

  2018cited by this paper
• Early infant male circumcision: Systematic review, risk-benefit analysis, and progress in policy

  2017cited by this paper
• Penile Inflammatory Skin Disorders and the Preventive Role of Circumcision

  2017cited by this paper
• Lifetime risk of a diagnosis of HIV infection in the United States.

  2017cited by this paper
• Male circumcision to prevent syphilis in 1855 and HIV in 1986 is supported by the accumulated scientific evidence to 2015: Response to Darby

  2017cited by this paper
• The Ethical Course Is To Recommend Infant Male Circumcision — Arguments Disparaging American Academy of Pediatrics Affirmative Policy Do Not Withstand Scrutiny

  2017cited by this paper
• Letter from Morris and Krieger Re: Examining Penile Sensitivity in Neonatally Circumcised and Intact Men Using Quantitative Sensory Testing: J. A. Bossio, C. F. Pukall and S. S. Steele J Urol 2016;195:1848-1853.

  2016cited by this paper
• Male circumcision does not result in inferior perceived male sexual function - a systematic review.

  2016cited by this paper
• Cultural background, non-therapeutic circumcision and the risk of meatal stenosis and other urethral stricture disease: Two nationwide register-based cohort studies in Denmark 1977-2013.

  2016cited by this paper
• Newborn Male Circumcision with Parental Consent, as Stated in the AAP Circumcision Policy Statement, Is Both Legal and Ethical

  2016cited by this paper
• Examining Penile Sensitivity in Neonatally Circumcised and Intact Men Using Quantitative Sensory Testing.

  2016cited by this paper
• Critical evaluation of unscientific arguments disparaging affirmative infant male circumcision policy.

  2016cited by this paper
• Foreskin Morbidity in Uncircumcised Males

  2016cited by this paper
• Global prevalence of antibiotic resistance in paediatric urinary tract infections caused by Escherichia coli and association with routine use of antibiotics in primary care: systematic review and meta-analysis

  2016cited by this paper
• Critical Evaluation of Adler’s Challenge to the cdc’s Male Circumcision Recommendations

  2016cited by this paper
• Canadian Pediatrics Society position statement on newborn circumcision: a risk-benefit analysis revisited.

  2016cited by this paper
• Readmission characteristics of elective pediatric circumcisions using large-scale administrative data.

  2016cited by this paper
• Debating male circumcision for HIV prevention: A one-sided argument does not represent a legitimate ‘controversy’ analysis – Reply to de Camargo et al.

  2015cited by this paper
• Male circumcision for protection against HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa: The evidence in favour justifies the implementation now in progress

  2015cited by this paper
• Impact of Male Circumcision among heterosexual HIV cases: comparisons between three low HIV prevalence countries

  2015cited by this paper
• ‘Circumcision pain’ unlikely to cause autism

  2015cited by this paper
• Countries with high circumcision prevalence have lower prostate cancer mortality

  2015cited by this paper
• Examining the association between male circumcision and sexual function: evidence from a British probability survey

  2015cited by this paper
• Ritual circumcision and risk of autism spectrum disorder in 0- to 9-year-old boys: national cohort study in Denmark

  2015cited by this paper
• Ciprofloxacin resistance in community- and hospital-acquired Escherichia coli urinary tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

  2015cited by this paper
• Histological Correlates of Penile Sexual Sensation: Does Circumcision Make a Difference?

  2015cited by this paper
• Commentary: Do the Benefits of Male Circumcision Outweigh the Risks? A Critique of the Proposed CDC Guidelines

  2015cited by this paper
• Newborn male circumcision.

  2015cited by this paper
• Male Circumcision and STI Acquisition in Britain: Evidence from a National Probability Sample Survey

  2015cited by this paper
• Unmyelinated tactile cutaneous nerves signal erotic sensations.

  2015cited by this paper
• Association of male circumcision with risk of prostate cancer: a meta-analysis

  2015cited by this paper
• Ciprofloxacin resistance

  2015cited by this paper
• In reply--Bias and male circumcision.

  2014cited by this paper
• Does Male Circumcision Protect against Sexually Transmitted Infections? Arguments and Meta-Analyses to the Contrary Fail to Withstand Scrutiny

  2014cited by this paper
• Newborn circumcision outcomes: Are parents satisfied with the results?

  2014cited by this paper
• Rates of adverse events associated with male circumcision in U.S. medical settings, 2001 to 2010.

  2014influential reference
• Bias and male circumcision.

  2014cited by this paper
• Circumcision and prostate cancer: a population-based case-control study in Montréal, Canada

  2014cited by this paper
• Circumcision rates in the United States: rising or falling? What effect might the new affirmative pediatric policy statement have?

  2014cited by this paper
• Does male circumcision affect sexual function, sensitivity, or satisfaction?--a systematic review.

  2013influential reference
• Cultural Bias and Circumcision: The AAP Task Force on Circumcision Responds

  2013cited by this paper
• Cultural Bias and Circumcision: The AAP Task Force on Circumcision Responds

  2013cited by this paper
• The ethics of circumcision of male infants.

  2013cited by this paper
• Allocation of Healthcare Dollars: Analysis of Nonneonatal Circumcisions in Florida

  2013influential reference
• Recommendation by a law body to ban infant male circumcision has serious worldwide implications for pediatric practice and human rights

  2013cited by this paper
• Veracity and rhetoric in paediatric medicine: a critique of Svoboda and Van Howe's response to the AAP policy on infant male circumcision

  2013cited by this paper
• Gram‐negative resistance: can we combat the coming of a new “Red Plague”?

  2013cited by this paper
• Prevalence of Circumcision Among Men and Boys Aged 14 to 59 Years in the United States, National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 2005–2010

  2013cited by this paper
• Effects of circumcision on male sexual functions: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

  2013cited by this paper
• Circumcision Policy Statement

  2012cited by this paper
• Biological basis for the protective effect conferred by male circumcision against HIV infection

  2012cited by this paper
• Criticisms of African trials fail to withstand scrutiny: male circumcision does prevent HIV infection.

  2012cited by this paper
• A 'snip' in time: what is the best age to circumcise?

  2012cited by this paper
• Should male circumcision be advocated for genital cancer prevention?

  2012cited by this paper
• Costs and effectiveness of neonatal male circumcision.

  2012influential reference
• Male Circumcision

  2012cited by this paper
• Male circumcision is associated with a lower prevalence of human papillomavirus‐associated penile lesions among Kenyan men

  2012cited by this paper
• Prevalence, Incidence, and Risk Factors for Human Papillomavirus 16 Seropositivity in Australian Homosexual Men

  2012cited by this paper
• Circumcision and the risk of prostate cancer

  2012cited by this paper
• Does sexual function survey in Denmark offer any support for male circumcision having an adverse effect?

  2012cited by this paper
• BOYLE AND HILL'S CIRCUMCISION ‘PHALLUSIES’

  2012cited by this paper
• Infant Male Circumcision: An Evidence-Based Policy Statement

  2012cited by this paper
• XIII Services of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

  2012cited by this paper
• Neonatal circumcision reduces the incidence of asymptomatic urinary tract infection: a large prospective study with long-term follow up using Plastibell.

  2012cited by this paper
• The Effect of Medical Male Circumcision on Urogenital Mycoplasma genitalium Among Men in Kisumu, Kenya

  2012cited by this paper
• Exposé of misleading claims that male circumcision will increase HIV infections in Africa

  2011cited by this paper
• Male circumcision for prevention of homosexual acquisition of HIV in men.

  2011cited by this paper
• ‘How to contain generalized HIV epidemics’ article misconstrues the evidence

  2011cited by this paper
• Higher incidence of clear cell adenocarcinoma of the cervix and vagina among women born between 1947 and 1971 in the United States

  2011cited by this paper
• The Strong Protective Effect of Circumcision against Cancer of the Penis

  2011cited by this paper
• Male Circumcision for the Prevention of HSV-2 and HPV Infections and Syphilis

  2011cited by this paper
• Male circumcision for HIV prevention: current evidence and implementation in sub-Saharan Africa

  2011cited by this paper
• The Role of Circumcision in Preventing STIs

  2011cited by this paper
• The medical benefits of male circumcision.

  2011cited by this paper
• Male circumcision and human papillomavirus infection in men: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

  2011cited by this paper
• Male circumcision and penile cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

  2011cited by this paper
• Circumcision denialism unfounded and unscientific.

  2011cited by this paper
• Male circumcision and sexual function in men and women: a survey-based, cross-sectional study in Denmark.

  2011cited by this paper
• Male circumcision and HIV prevention insufficient evidence and neglected external validity.

  2010cited by this paper
• Will circumcision provide even more protection from HIV to women and men? New estimates of the population impact of circumcision interventions

  2010cited by this paper
• Complications of circumcision in male neonates, infants and children: a systematic review

  2010cited by this paper
• Complicated urinary tract infections: practical solutions for the treatment of multiresistant Gram-negative bacteria.

  2010cited by this paper
• Cost-Effectiveness of Newborn Circumcision in Reducing Lifetime HIV Risk among U.S. Males

  2010cited by this paper
• Male circumcision to reduce the risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infections among men who have sex with men

  2010cited by this paper
• Late complications of newborn circumcision: a common and avoidable problem

  2010influential reference
• Male circumcision and risk of HIV infection among heterosexual African American men attending Baltimore sexually transmitted disease clinics.

  2009cited by this paper
• The role of male circumcision in the prevention of human papillomavirus and HIV infection.

  2009cited by this paper
• Effect of male circumcision on the prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus in young men: results of a randomized controlled trial conducted in Orange Farm, South Africa.

  2009cited by this paper
• Male circumcision for the prevention of HSV-2 and HPV infections and syphilis.

  2009cited by this paper
• Circumcision and risk of sexually transmissible infections in a community-based cohort of HIV-negative homosexual men in Sydney, Australia.

  2009cited by this paper
• Infectious disease: Male circumcision for preventing HPV infection

  2009cited by this paper
• Optimal time for neonatal circumcision: an observation-based study.

  2009cited by this paper
• Foreskin surface area and HIV acquisition in Rakai, Uganda (size matters)

  2009cited by this paper
• Male circumcision for the prevention of HSV-2 and HPV infections.

  2009cited by this paper
• Circumcision's place in the vicious cycle involving herpes simplex virus type 2 and HIV.

  2009cited by this paper
• Circumcision and risk of HIV infection in Australian homosexual men

  2009cited by this paper
• Male circumcision, human papillomavirus and cervical cancer: from evidence to intervention

  2009cited by this paper
• Herpes simplex virus type 2 and syphilis infections with HIV: an evolving synergy in transmission and prevention

  2009cited by this paper
• Male circumcision is an efficacious, lasting and cost-effective strategy for combating HIV in high-prevalence AIDS epidemics: time to move beyond debating the science

  2008cited by this paper

• Male infant circumcision and associated factors in Konso Zone Southern Ethiopia: community based survey

  2025cites this paper
• Advancing public health through coordinated mass circumcision: A case study from UIN Malang medical campus

  2025cites this paper
• Clinical outcomes of circumcisions and prevalence of complications of male circumcisions: A five-year retrospective analysis at a teaching hospital in Ghana

  2025cites this paper
• Neonatal Male Circumcision: Clearly Beneficial for Public Health or an Ethical Dilemma? A Systematic Review

  2024cites this paper
• Penile Cancer at the Urology Department of Koutiala Reference Health Center. About Three Cases and Literature Review

  2024cites this paper
• The Febrile Infant with Urinary Tract Infection: An Evidence-Based Review from Emergency Diagnosis to the Prevention of Renal Scarring

  2024cites this paper
• Assessment of the Knowledge and Attitudes of Muslim Religious Officials Regarding Male Circumcision: The Case of Turkey

  2024cites this paper
• Hauterscheinungen des männlichen Genitals

  2023cites this paper
• Prevention of STI Transmission among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Indonesia through Circumcision Behavior

  2023cites this paper
• Comments by opponents on the British Medical Association’s guidance on non-therapeutic male circumcision of children seem one-sided and may undermine public health

  2023cites this paper
• Commentary on "Circumcision"

  2023cites this paper
• Factors influencing satisfaction with male circumcision in Taiwan

  2023cites this paper
• Impact of Florida Medicaid guidelines on frequency and cost of delayed circumcision at Nemours Children's hospital.

  2022cites this paper
• Evidence-based circumcision policy for Australia

  2022cites this paper
• Does using a laser improve outcomes of conventional circumcision in adult and children populations? Results from a systematic review and meta‐analysis

  2022cites this paper
• Care of the Well Newborn.

  2022cites this paper
• Examining Clinical Practice Guidelines for Male Circumcision:A Systematic Review and Critical Appraisal Using AGREE II.

  2022cites this paper
• Is tablet-based interactive distraction effective on pain and anxiety during circumcision in children? A randomized controlled trial

  2021cites this paper
• Perceived Risk and Severity of the Uptake of Safe Male Circumcision Services among Young Men Aged 15-24 Years in Rhino Camp Refugees Settlement, Arua District- Uganda

  2021cites this paper
• Recent Advances in the Management of Penile Cancer: A Contemporary Review of the Literature

  2021cites this paper
• Male circumcision and Sexually transmitted Infections – An update

  2021cites this paper
• Decision-Making Regarding Newborn Circumcision: A Qualitative Analysis

  2021cites this paper
• Systematic review of complications arising from male circumcision

  2021cites this paper
• Neonatal Circumcision: Public Health Necessity or Ethical Dilemma? – Systematic Review

  2021cites this paper
• Penile Glans Amputation following Circumcision: A Case Report of a Rare Complication

  2020cites this paper
• A Review of Female Genital Cutting (FGC) in the Dawoodi Bohra Community:

  2019cites this paper
• Critical Evaluation of a Survey Claiming “Long-Term Adverse Outcomes from Neonatal Circumcision”*

  2019cites this paper
• Factors associated with Tdap vaccination receipt during pregnancy: a cross-sectional study.

  2019cites this paper
• “Getting to Zero New HIV Infections in the Caribbean”: Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Male Circumcision Among Adolescent Males in The Bahamas

  2019cites this paper
• The Health Law Implications of Ritual Circumcisions

  2019cites this paper
• Critical evaluation of arguments opposing male circumcision: A systematic review

  2019cites this paper
• History of Cautery: The Impact of Ancient Cultures

  2018cites this paper
• Cutting-Edge Success in Preventing Heterosexual HIV Transmission in Africa: Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision Has Reached 15 Million Men.

  2018cites this paper
• Penile Inflammatory Skin Disorders and the Preventive Role of Circumcision

  2017cites this paper
• Expertise and Ideology in Statistical Evaluation of Circumcision for Protection against HIV Infection

  2017cites this paper
• Critical evaluation of unscientific arguments disparaging affirmative infant male circumcision policy.

  2016cites this paper