Comments by opponents on the British Medical Association’s guidance on non-therapeutic male circumcision of children seem one-sided and may undermine public health

Table 3 The advantages of non-therapeutic male circumcision in neonates compared with older boys and men

Neonatal non-therapeutic male circumcision	Non-therapeutic male circumcision of older boys and men
Is a simple surgical procedure for a well-trained competent medical practitioner	More complex
No psychological considerations	Possibility of adverse peer pressure, especially in societies such as the UK where MC is uncommon
Quick: Takes several minutes	Takes 30 min or more
Cost is lower	Much more expensive and often unaffordable
Low risk of adverse events (0.4%), and almost all are minor	Higher risk of adverse events (4%–8%)
Any bleeding is minimal and easily stopped	Bleeding is more common, requiring cautery or other interventions
Sutures not needed	Sutures or tissue glue are needed
Convenient since the baby sleeps most of the day	Inconvenient owing to need for time off school or work
Local anesthesia used if the infant is less than 2 mo of age	General anesthesia for age 2 mo to age 9 yr. For men local anesthesia may be used, although general anesthesia is sometimes preferred by the surgeon
Healing is fast (less than 2 weeks)	Healing takes 6 weeks or more
Cosmetic outcome usually good	If stitches are used, stitch marks may be visible permanently
No long-term memory of the procedure, or anxiety in anticipation	May be a source of fear in the boy or man of undergoing an operation
Does not disrupt breast-feeding or other activities	Abstinence from sexual intercourse required for the healing period of 6 or more weeks

MC: Male circumcision; UK: United Kingdom.