AHRQ Statistical Briefs: Circumcisions Performed in U.S. Community Hospitals, 2009

Link here. Excerpt:

'Circumcision is the most commonly performed surgical procedure in newborns.1 Although circumcisions may be performed for cultural or religious reasons, there has been debate over the ethics and medical necessity of this procedure.1,2 As recently reported by the CDC, the percent of male newborn circumcisions declined over the past decade.3

In 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a policy position stating that the evidence of medical benefits from circumcisions was not compelling enough to warrant routine newborn circumcision.4 In recent years however, evidence has been accumulating on the potential health benefits associated with circumcisions, including reductions in infant urinary tract infections and rates of penile cancer.5 In heterosexual men, circumcision has been linked to decreased acquisition and transmission of sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and herpes simplex virus type 2. Since 2005, three randomized controlled studies have been published indicating benefits from circumcision in reducing HIV acquisition in heterosexual males in Africa.6,7,8 These findings have renewed the debate over AAP's current position that there is insufficient evidence to issue recommendations for routine neonatal circumcisions.4'