Circumcision Helps Prevent STDs and HIV For Teens, Science Says

While the issue of circumcision is an oft-debated one, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are recommending it for teenage boys. According to The New York Times, the CDC is proposing new recommendations for new parents and uncircumcised teenagers, which would include circumcision counseling that outlines the benefits of the procedure. The agency's studies show that circumcision helps prevent HIV and STD contraction in sexually active men, which led to these proposed recommendation guidelines.

The practice of circumcision has come under fire despite these supposed benefits, with many opposers describing infant circumcision as genital mutilation. Likewise, the legitimacy of the CDC studies has been called into question. "Critics who oppose circumcision pointed out that the randomized clinical trials on which the CDC is basing its recommendations were done in sub-Saharan Africa, where heterosexual transmission of HIV is far more common than in the United States," reports The New York Times. The issue is also passionately debated on web forums like Reddit, where many "cut" and "uncut" men grapple with pros and cons of the procedure.

While there is no easy answer to the nitty-gritty aspects of the circumcision debate, one thing is sure: the CDC thinks that the surgery would benefit teenage boys and isn't afraid to talk about why. Do you think that uncircumcised teens will opt in to the procedure for the sake of sexual health, or is the practice too intimidating?