New AAP Circumcision Policy: Task Force Member Shares Perspective
Dr. Douglas Diekema, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Task Force on Circumcision, talked with On the Pulse recently about the updated AAP policy released August 27. Dr. Diekema is the director of education in the Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics at Seattle Children’s Research Institute and was named to the task force to represent the AAP Committee on Bioethics.
Q. What has changed since the last time the AAP looked at the circumcision policy, and what are the key points in the new policy?
A. The task force concluded that there are significant health benefits of newborn circumcision and that those benefits outweigh the risks of the procedure. Because of the health benefits, the task force also recommends that Medicaid and other insurance cover the cost of circumcision. Those points are the key changes from previous policy statements. Read full post »