Doctors Opposing Circumcision

Doctors Opposing Circumcision (DOC) is an American tax-exempt, non-profit, educational, non-governmental organization (NGO), which is registered under Section 501c3 of the Internal Revenue Code. DOC is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. DOC combines expertise in medicine with expertise in law. Contributions to DOC are tax-deductible charitable contributions. DOC is a member of Child Rights Information Network. DOC claims members on six continents.

DOC was founded by University of Washington Medical School Professor George C. Denniston, MD, MPH, in 1995 to support genital integrity for children and to discourage the surgical genital modification for cultural practices.

Doctors Opposing Circumcision is governed by a board of directors. Dr. Denniston serves as chairman of the board and president. John V. Geisheker, JD, LLM, serves as executive director. DOC defines its mission as advocacy of "genital integrity for the health and well-being of all children."

DOC's formation was announced in the NOCIRC Newsletter. DOC has been cited by Newsweek Magazine. The Seattle Times has recognized Doctors Opposing Circumcision in numerous articles. The Washington Post has published a letter from DOC.

DOC intervened in the Oregon case of Boldt v. Boldt, which technically was a child custody case, but actually about parental power to circumcise at will, by filing two amicus curiae educational briefs to help the court. As a result of DOC's intervention, the Oregon Supreme Court remanded the case to the trial court with instructions to determine the child's wishes regarding circumcision. DOC's intervention was cited by the court in its written opinion. The trial court determined that the child did not want to be circumcised and custody was changed from the father to the mother. This landmark case received critical comment in the medical ethics literature.

DOC has written a Genital Integrity Policy to support its position that genital integrity provides the highest state of health and well-being. DOC's staff has had many letters published in medical journals. DOC has voiced strong opposition to the pro-circumcision Circumcision Policy Statement published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in September 2012.

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