Preventive newborn male circumcision: what is the child's best interest?

AutorMaria Luisa Di Pietro - Adele A. Teleman - Andrea Poscia - Fermín J. González-Melado - Nicola Panocchia
CargoInstitute of Public Health, School of Medicine 'A. Gemelli', Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome (Italy) - Institute of Public Health, School of Medicine 'A. Gemelli', Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome (Italy) - Institute of Public Health, School of Medicine 'A. Gemelli', Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome (Italy) - High ...
Páginas13-26
Cuadernos de BioétiCa XXViii 2017/3ª
303
Palabras clave:
Circuncisión
masculina, recién
nacido, prevención,
estándar del mejor
interés
Keywords:
Male circumcision,
newborn,
prevention, best
interest standard
Recibido: 31/07/2016
Aceptado: 04/08/2017
PREVENTIVE NEWBORN MALE CIRCUMCISION:
WHAT IS THE CHILD’S BEST INTEREST?
CIRCUNCISIÓN MASCULINA PREVENTIVA DEL RECIÉN NACIDO:
¿CUÁL ES EL MEJOR INTERÉS DEL NIÑO?
MARIA LUISA DI PIETRO1,*, ADELE A. TELEMAN1, ANDREA POSCIA1,
FERMÍN J. GONZÁLEZ-MELADO2, NICOLA PANOCCHIA3
1. Institute of Public Health, School of Medicine “A. Gemelli”, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome (Italy)
2. High Center for Theological Studies - Badajoz (Spain)
3. Hemodialysis Service, Department of Surgery, Fondazione Policlinico “A. Gemelli”, Catholic University of
Sacred Heart, Rome (Italy)
ABSTRACT:
Preventive newborn male circumcision has been at the center of scientif‌ic debate for many years. The
reason for promoting preventive newborn male circumcision, is the reduction of the incidence of UTIs (in
the f‌irst six months of life), penile cancer, transmission of STDs/HIV infection/AIDS. However preventive
interventions in the newborn involving violations of bodily integrity elicit several ethical questions. In this
article, we reviewed the literature regarding circumcision, the prevention of UTIs, penile cancer, transmission
of STDs/HIV infection/AIDS and complications of this practice in the neonatal period. The very limited
reduction of incidence of UTIs and the uncertain preventive role of newborn male circumcision towards
penile cancer, STDs/HIV infection and AIDS, makes it diff‌icult to justify male circumcision in newborns.
Moreover, the challenge in obtaining a unanimous opinion on newborn male circumcision derives from the
fact that, as a preventive intervention, it requires evaluation criteria that are not comparable to those of
therapeutic treatments. Since preventive male circumcision determines permanent alteration of the body,
some authors believe that it can be used only in subjects that are capable of giving their valid consent. In
the case of a newborn, the “child’s best interest” should be used as a standard, but preventive newborn
male circumcision does not satisfy it.
RESUMEN:
La circuncisión masculina como tratamiento preventivo en recién nacidos ha estado en el centro del
debate científ‌ico durante muchos años. Las razones para promover la circuncisión masculina preventiva en
niños han sido la reducción de la incidencia de infecciones del tracto urinario (en los primeros seis meses
de vida, UTIs), el cáncer de pene, la transmisión de VIH/SIDA y de otras enfermedades de transmisión
sexual. Sin embargo, las intervenciones preventivas neonatales, que implican una violación de la
integridad corporal del niño, presentan varias cuestiones éticas. En este artículo, revisamos la literatura
con respecto a la circuncisión, la prevención de las UTIs, el cáncer de pene, la transmisión de VIH/SIDA y
otras enfermedades de transmisión sexual y las complicaciones de esta práctica en el período neonatal. La
Cuadernos de Bioética XXVIII 2017/3ª
Copyright Cuadernos de Bioética
* Corresponding: Maria Luisa Di Pietro, Institute of Public Health, School of Medicine “A. Gemelli”, Catholic University of Sacred Heart,
Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome (Italy), [marialuisa.dipietro@gmail.com], +39 06 35001521, +39 3338229662.

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