Children's Rights Group calls for Genital Integrity Policy

Children's Rights Group calls for Genital Integrity Policy

Doctors Opposing Circumcision announces publication of its new Genital Integrity Policy for America's Children.

Our new statement provides conclusive evidence that genital integrity provides the highest level of health and well-being for America's children

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) May 31, 2008 -- Doctors Opposing Circumcision, a member of Child Rights Information Network, today announced publication of its new Genital Integrity Policy, said George C. Denniston, MD, MPH, president. "Our new statement provides conclusive evidence that genital integrity provides the highest level of health and well-being for America's children," Denniston explained.

"Our organization is the world's leading authority on genital integrity." Denniston said. "We have been developing this evidence-based policy for two years. We discuss the lack of any real preventive benefits of male circumcision, the risks, complications, and disadvantages that occur both immediately after circumcision and throughout life. Since we lack the conflict-of-interest that troubles other medical organizations, we can tell the whole truth."

"Moreover, this statement includes chapters on human rights, law, and medical ethics," John Geisheker, J.D., general counsel for DOC, added. "There are many reasons to believe that non-therapeutic circumcision of children may be unlawful and no reason to believe that it is lawful. Non-therapeutic circumcision fails every medical ethics test."

Denniston commented, "We call for all segments of society to protect the health, well-being, and human rights of America's children by supporting and defending their genital integrity."

"Non-therapeutic male circumcision was introduced as a medical practice in the nineteenth century," Denniston said. "It has no rationale in twenty-first century medical practice. The amputative operation is harmful both to normal sexual function and emotional well-being. Our twelve-chapter policy statement makes absolutely clear that genital integrity advances the health, well-being, and best interests of the child."

"International human rights law has profoundly changed medical ethics. Injurious non-therapeutic circumcision cannot comply with contemporary ethical standards and must yield in favor of protecting the genital and bodily integrity of children," George Hill, DOC's vice-president for bioethics and medical science, commented."

Hill said, "We are making our policy available both online in HTML and as a downloadable PDF file to facilitate maximum distribution. One may view the policy at:

http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/DOC