Circumcision policy a hot issue as American Academy of Pediatrics convention comes to New Orleans
As pediatricians gather Saturday at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, they'll be greeted by protesters urging the medical group to rethink its position on an issue that makes most people squirm: the circumcision of newborn boys.
Opponents, who call themselves "intactivists," go beyond mere opposition to the circumcision of healthy infants.
"We say that it's a human-rights violation to tie down a baby and cut off part of his penis," said Georganne Chapin, the founding executive director of Intact America, which will hold a press conference and rally at the convention center at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Moreover, she said, "There are absolutely no data suggesting that areas with high circumcision rates have healthier boys or areas with low circumcision rates have less healthy boys."
Between 1988 and 2000, the percentage of in-hospital circumcisions rose from 48.3 percent to 61.1 percent, according to a study that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released last year. But during the next decade, the percentage of circumcisions on newborns dropped, researchers found. They consulted three databases that showed rates of decline ranging from 6.3 percent to 11.3 percent.
Anthony Losquadro of Brooklyn, N.Y., who is scheduled to speak at Saturday's rally at the convention center, said it represents a shift in public opinion.
"Like any change in culture, it takes time," he said, "but I think people realize that babies are born intact and you don't need to correct a perfectly functional body part with surgery."