I was reading CNN today and came across an article that really caught my attention. A man has sued his ex wife because she wants to have him circumcised for what she calls "medical reasons". The boy, who is eight years old, allegedly has frequent infections that cause him a great deal of pain. The boy's father claims his son is perfectly healthy and his mother wants to have him circumcised because she has just been remarried to a Jewish man.

Circumcision involves removing the foreskin of the penis. It used to be done on American male infants almost as a matter of course. In 1970, 90 percent of male babies in the United States were circumcised; today, about 60 percent of male newborns have the procedure done. In the Jewish faith, male circumcision, called a bris, is done as a religious ritual.

In March 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a statement that male circumcision may offer potential health benefits by preventing urinary tract infections. However, the Academy added that the existing data do not support routinely circumcising newborns. It will be interesting to see how this case turns out.

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