PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Hanoch Ben-Yami TI - Circumcision: What should be done? AID - 10.1136/medethics-2012-101274 DP - 2013 Jul 01 TA - Journal of Medical Ethics PG - 459--462 VI - 39 IP - 7 4099 - http://jme.bmj.com/content/39/7/459.short 4100 - http://jme.bmj.com/content/39/7/459.full SO - J Med Ethics2013 Jul 01; 39 AB - I explain why I think that considerations regarding the opposing rights involved in the practice of circumcision—rights of the individual to bodily integrity and rights of the community to practice its religion—would not help us decide on the desirable policy towards this controversial practice. I then suggest a few measures that are not in conflict with either religious or community rights but that can both reduce the harm that circumcision as currently practiced involves and bring about a change in attitude towards the practice, thus further reducing its frequency. These measures are the compulsory administration of anaesthetics; the banning of the metzitzah b'peh; and having an upper age limit of a few months on non-therapeutic circumcision of minors. I conclude with general considerations on why the steps taken towards the reform of circumcision should be moderate.