The health benefits of newborn male circumcision outweigh the risks; so much so that they justify access to the procedure for families who choose it. This is part of the latest statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics on newborn male circumcision released today.

According to the newest policy statement, "Specific benefits identified included prevention of urinary tract infections, penile cancer, and transmission of some sexually transmitted infections, including HIV."

The statement does make clear, however, that this is not a recommendation for routine circumcision for all newborn males. Instead, it's a statement meant to make clear that all families should have access to the procedure; which means encouraging insurance or Medicaid coverage of male circumcision.

According to NPR's Shots blog, "a lot of state Medicaid programs have stopped covering circumcision."

This most recent statement appears to be a slight shift in support of male circumcision, from the most recent one back in 1999, where the academy also did not move to recommend routine circumcision. Instead it simply made clear that there may be some potential medical benefits and that the choice to circumcise a newborn boy should be left to the parents after a discussion with a pediatrician.

You can read the full statement here.