Changes

The '''New England Journal of Medicine''' (NEJM) has shifted from a balanced approach, to a one-sided, pro-circumcision stance. They have a tendency to present the purported benefits of [[circumcision]], while failing to print any letters critical of these claims, and failing to confront the ethical problems and medical complications associated with [[circumcision]].

In 1997, the ''NEJM'' printed a strongly pro-circumcision editorial by circumcision promoter Dr. [[Thomas E. Wiswell|Thomas Wiswell]],<ref>{{REFjournal

In a previous article in the ''NEJM'', Royce et al. insinuated that the [[prepuce ]] may be a risk factor for [[HIV]] infections.<ref>{{REFjournal

Circumcision is losing popularity in the [[United States ]] and has been discredited by the [https://www.cps.ca/ Canadian Pediatric Society]<ref>{{REFjournal |last=[[Fetus ]] and Newborn Committee, Canadian Paediatric Society

}}</ref> in 1996 position papers. Taylor described the unique innervation of the preputial [[mucosa]] in 1996, and its loss to circumcision.<ref>{{TaylorJR LockwoodAP TaylorAJ 1996}}</ref> Taddio et al. showed that circumcision with and without local anesthesia ([[EMLA]]) resulted in negative behavioral changes in a child's response to [[pain]].<ref name=Taddio1997>{{REFjournal |last=Taddio |init=A |last2=Katz |init2=J |last3=Ilersich |init3=AL |last4=Koren |init4=G |title=Effect of neonatal circumcision on pain response during subsequent routine vaccination |url=http://www.cirp.org/library/pain/taddio2/ |journal=Lancet |date=TaddioA KatzJ IlersichAL KorenG 1997 |volume=349 |pages=599-603}}</ref> Laumann has shown that circumcision causes sexual behavior changes and an apparent increased risk of many venereal diseases in adult men.<ref name="Laumann1997"/> Price has questioned whether parents can ethically change their child's genitalia.<ref>Price (Bull. Medical Ethics).</ref>

The research on [[EMLA ]] and circumcision presented by [[Anna Taddio | Taddio]] et al. was proclaimed as a major advance.<ref>{{REFjournal

}}</ref> When the limitations of this form of local anesthesia was brought to the attention of the editors, they failed to print the criticism (see Abstracts & Analysis). They failed to point out that this form of local anesthesia ([[EMLA]]) did not prevent the long term negative behavioral response to [[pain]] previously reported in the ''Lancet''.<ref name=Taddio1997/> The lack of effects of [[EMLA ]] on long term negative behavioral changes caused by circumcision was printed in British medical journals.<ref name=Taddio1997/><ref>{{REFjournal