--- title: New autism dispute: is circumcision a factor? description: A Danish scientist suggests infant pain is at the heart of the disorder. Others disagree. canonical: https://time.com/4314388/new-autism-dispute-is-circumcision-a-factor/ author: Sarah Kovac article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-05-18T12:30:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:45:08.656Z og:title: New autism dispute: is circumcision a factor? og:description: A danish scientist suggests infant pain is at the heart of the disorder. og:url: https://time.com/4314388/new-autism-dispute-is-circumcision-a-factor/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc8ac272a40011f65/69889167a988ca73a26b7aac/gettyimages-149324477.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3537 og:image:height: 1990 og:image:alt: 149324477 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: New autism dispute: is circumcision a factor? twitter:description: A danish scientist suggests infant pain is at the heart of the disorder. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc8ac272a40011f65/69889167a988ca73a26b7aac/gettyimages-149324477.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # New Autism Dispute: Is Circumcision a Factor? > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=21b22913-e88a-47e4-bf80-083b4712993f&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: 'Sesame Street' Adds Julia, Its First Character With Autism [Watch (HLS stream): 'Sesame Street' Adds Julia, Its First Character With Autism](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/zS2j7RAe.m3u8) (1:24)  _Published 2015-10-22. Julia is a part of the "Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children" campaign aimed at changing stigmas about autism._  by [Sarah Kovac](https://time.com/author/sarah-kovac/)  ## Sarah Kovac May 18, 2016 12:30 PM UTC  Circumcision of Jesus, detail from Tree of Life, circa 1310, by Pacino di Buonaguida (active 1303-1338), tempera on wood, 248x150 cm Circumcision of Jesus, detail from Tree of Life, circa 1310, by Pacino di Buonaguida (active 1303-1338), tempera on wood, 248x150 cm DEA / A. DAGLI ORTI—Getty Images/DeAgostini  by [Sarah Kovac](https://time.com/author/sarah-kovac/)  ## Sarah Kovac May 18, 2016 12:30 PM UTC In the U.S., slightly more than half of boys are circumcised at birth, a much higher percentage than in other industrialized nations. Proponents of circumcision cite lessened risks of sexual disease transmission and penile cancer as well as easier hygiene as the benefits of the practice. But the number of anti-circumcision activists (or “intactivists,” as they’re known) is growing, and their reasons for leaving baby boys uncircumcised range from human rights to sexual pleasure to another hotly-debated topic: autism. Autism diagnoses have increased exponentially in the last few decades, which has left researchers searching everywhere and anywhere for answers. One answer for the explosion of diagnoses is a simple matter of categorization; many children known to have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) today would have been diagnosed with “intellectual disability” years ago. Our awareness of autism has increased, and the number of diagnoses have followed. It’s quite possible that actual cases of autism [haven’t actually increased](http://science.psu.edu/news-and-events/2015-news/Girirajan7-2015) by much, if at all. The more concerning statistic is that boys are five times more likely to receive an autism diagnosis than girls. Why? Is there something inherent in the male brain that predisposes it to developmental disorders, or could it be something environmental? Dr. Morten Frisch is a Danish epidemiologist who led a study examining the link between circumcision and ASD. [The study](http://jrs.sagepub.com/content/108/7/266.full), published in the _Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine_, found that boys who undergo circumcision are more likely to be diagnosed with autism by age 9\. “Considering the widespread practice of non-therapeutic circumcision in infancy and childhood around the world,” the study states, “confirmatory studies should be given priority.” And indeed, some studies do suggest that any pain early in life can have [lasting effects](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1595204/) on brain development. Nevertheless the AAP released [a statement](https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/AAP-Newborns-Especially-Preemies-Experience-Too-Much-Pain-During-Routine-Procedures.aspx) in January recommending “…every health facility caring for newborns should use strategies to minimize the number of painful procedures performed.” But Frisch’s study is not without its critics, one of the most vocal being Professor Emeritus Brian Morris of the University of Sydney. “The problem with Frisch’s fundamental premise is that circumcision causes pain in infants and boys… Sometimes observers believe that crying during a circumcision is because of pain when in fact it is more likely because of the baby having to be restrained.” Morris also points out that, in many circumcisions, the baby doesn’t even cry during the procedure, and may even fall asleep. His argument is supported by statistics out of Australia, [where circumcision rates have been dropping since the 1960s](http://www.circinfo.org/statistics.html), but [ASD diagnoses have been rising](http://www.a4.org.au/prevalence2015). Frisch counters that the procedure always involves some pain. “Before the circumcision can even take place in a newborn boy, the foreskin has to be forcefully torn from the glans,” he says. “Circumcision is always associated with some level of pain and discomfort, starting at the time of injection of the anesthetic before the procedure (if at all provided), in some boys during the surgery (particularly those not receiving any anesthetic and those for whom the anesthetic doesn’t work), shortly after the surgery (when the anesthetic wears off) and for several days to weeks after during wound healing (when the open wound is constantly exposed to urine and feces in the diaper).” “Current evidence doesn’t suggest there is a time after birth when a baby cannot experience pain,” says Professor Rebeccah Slater, Associate Professor of Paediatric Neuroimaging. Slater was the lead scientist in a [recent study](http://elifesciences.org/content/4/e06356v1) that examined the fMRI images of newborns experiencing pain. Still, while the pain-autism connection is worth further exploration, there is no irrefutable proof that the removal of a boy’s foreskin increases the risk of autism. “Nobody knows what underlying neurophysiological mechanisms are responsible for the observed link between circumcision and ASD risk,” Frisch says. And since the practice is encouraged among the faithful of at least two major religions, until it is proved to be harmful it is unlikely to disappear any time soon. ## Transcript [00:00] That's what makes us wonderful. We're different as [00:03] can be. But in some real important ways we're still the [00:08] same you see. For 45 seasons and counting sesame [00:11] street has been an integral part of teaching little Little [00:14] kids about the world around them, and that's [00:16] continuing with the addition of Sesame Workshop's [00:19] newest member, Julia, the first character with autism. [00:23] Julia was part of the Sesame Street and Autism See [00:26] Amazing in All Children rollout. The campaign aims to [00:30] break the stigma of autism and help kids find common [00:32] ground despite the potential barriers in [00:35] communication. Jeanette Betancourt, Senior Vice [00:37] President of Community and Family Engagement at [00:40] Sesame Workshop told People children with autism are [00:43] five times more likely to get bullied. And with one in 68 [00:47] children having autism, that's a lot of bullying. Our goal [00:50] is to bring forth what all children share in common, not [00:54] their differences. Autism Spectrum Disorder affects [00:58] brain development in children, mostly causing [01:00] difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication [01:03] throughout their lives. Boys are up to five times more [01:06] likely than girls to be diagnosed with autism. Sesame [01:09] Street has used its furry friends to tackle tough issues [01:12] before. In 2002, the show added Kami, who was HIV [01:16] positive. Give me a hug. 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