There was more discussion on next month's visit from Wayne Griffiths. He will be presenting material from a speech he gave at a symposium on circumcision last year in England, which promises to be interesting. We'll be inviting those in attendance to dinner afterward at a nearby restuarant, where we can all chat and visit with Wayne.
As the discussion turned to issues presently on our minds regarding circumcision and restoration, someone brought up a item that's been in the news of late. Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Center for Disease Control have stated that they are reviewing their polcies on circumcision, taking into consideration recent studies correlating circumcision and HIV infection rates in Africa. It came as no surprise that all of us disagreed with their motives. Men who are circumcised can still get the virus, as shown by those same studies and the fact that the rate of HIV infection in the US is higher than that of other developed countries where circumcision is extremely rare. An effective means of prevention of transmission is to use condoms.
Another question asked was why would either group even consider recommending infant circumcision. Babies obviously are at not at risk for HIV infection from sexual intercourse, so there could be no supposed preventive effect for children.
The activist orgainization Intact America has organized letter writing campaigns to both the AAP and CDC, as a part of a coordinated effort to make all of our voices better heard by the two groups and by the public in general.