How long before male circumcision will go the way of female circumcision?

Question

Female circumcision is illegal in most of the industrialized world, and now in Egypt. But male circumcision is still very popular, even in the US.

It's funny that women think that their genitals are cleaner than an uncircumcised male's. They're not.

Answer 1

Your idea of popularity is not entirely true.
While 56% of Americans do cut up their children's genitals, 83% of the world does not.
Europe, for example, does not cut up it's children's genitals.

I hope it does stop.

You may be interested in this site: http://www.mgmbill.org/
Click on the picture where it says "Massachusetts Update".



Anyway,
I feel one should not be allowed to cut parts off of someone's body without their informed consent, be it the mother or the father irrelevant of their intentions. It is an irreversible process. How will the child view your decision when he grows up? See this video: http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=137650&fr=ybr_sbc
By forcing the procedure onto him, you are denying him his human rights of bodily integrity.


It's perpetuated by culture, just as FGM in other areas and the majority of people who force it on their children do not know the true facts.

It should be the choice of the victim as to whether or not they want to undergo the procedure. There are many men who try to undo the damage done to them every year: http://www.norm.org/
It is wrong to force an irreversible process onto them that they may not undergo as a adult if they still had the choice.


No medical institution in the world actually recommends the practice.
Let's have a look at medical associations in the developed world. The British Medical Association, Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Canadian Paediatric Society, American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, Australian College of Paediatrics and Australasian Association of Paediatric Surgeons. Every one of them recommends AGAINST performing the procedure. Their positions on the procedure can be found here: http://www.circumcision.org/position.htm


Here is a video of the operation. Watch it if you want to learn more. Please do watch it.
http://youtube.com/watch?search=&mode=related&v=XmX6RdRNoqk
Or this video:
http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=352478&fr=ybr_sbc
It is not just a little snip here and there. Watch the above video of a circumcision in progress.


The foreskin keeps the glans soft and moist and protects it from trauma and injury. Without this protection, the glans becomes dry, calloused, and desensitized from exposure and chafing.
Specialized nerve endings in the foreskin enhance sexual pleasure.
The foreskin may have functions not yet recognized or understood.
[ http://www.nocirc.org/publish/pamphlet7.html ]

"The glans of the circumcised penis is less sensitive to fine touch than the glans of the uncircumcised penis. The transitional region from the external to the internal prepuce is the most sensitive region of the uncircumcised penis and more sensitive than the most sensitive region of the circumcised penis. Circumcision ablates the most sensitiveparts of the penis." Circumcision cuts off the five most sensitive points from the penis [Touch test sensitivity experiment, British Journal of Urology 2007, copy of report: http://www.nocirc.org/touch-test/bju_6685.pdf ].

The foreskin reduces the force required by the penis to enter the vagina while circumcision contributes to vaginal dryness. [ http://www.circumcision.org/studies.htm , http://www.cirp.org/library/sex_function/ ]
The foreskin also increases the sexual enjoyment of the female partner. [ http://www.cirp.org/library/anatomy/ohara/ ]

Performing circumcision on a child can and does result in the deaths of children due to blood loss and/or failure of the immune system.
http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=512542
Approximately 230 American males die every year because of circumcision. [ http://www.sexuallymutilatedchild.org/deathsdo.htm , http://www.cirp.org/library/death/ ] This is a meaningless and very sad loss of life.

It can and does result in very significant scaring.
It can and does result in sexual problems later in life.

Circumcised males have a much higher rate of sexual dysfunction and premature ejaculation. [ http://www.cirp.org/library/sex_function/ ]

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) "there is little evidence to affirm the association between circumcision status and optimal penile hygiene." [ http://www.circumcision.org/aap.htm ]

Hygiene and prevention of disease are among the commonest reasons cited for performing male circumcision. This directory contains references that examine the validity of these claims in detail: http://www.cirp.org/library/disease/

Answer 2

In Australia it's pretty close, seeing as it's already banned in most public hospitals and almost all doctors are against the procedure, certainly all reputable ones are. So the calls to ban it are coming from both politicians and doctors, not activitst groups or anything. In the USA it will take longer and will be a good idea to just change the social ideas first before banning it which will leave people defensive. Unfortunately I think there will be a lot of trouble banning it completely because of the two religions that circumcise and how they believe it's their right. I would think it would be pretty straightforward to legislate against this, seeing as it's not their body it's that of a child and an individual who has not chosen their own religion yet (after all female circumcision is banned) but I don't think many people will be brave enough to stand up to those guys. It's extremely rare in the UK, for example, but a recent petition to the Prime Minister asking to ban it on children was refused on the ridiculous grounds that it was a part of some religions and banning it would just drive the practices underground (funny though female circumcision is part of some religions or people believe it is, and that is banned, and it happens underground too).

Answer 3

The first was commanded by God to his people Israel and later kept for health reasons. However circumcision of males was made a mute point in the New Testament we are called to have a circumcision of the heart.

Female circumcision is a euphemism for mutilation. It was never called for in either Jewish or Christian traditions.

I was circumcised as was my son. It is not a covenant with God, but for health. Since it was done at an early age I do not miss it or worry about it. Not to be graphic, but my wife has never complained either. In fact she is a Nurse and says it is a real hassle to keep patients clean.

Leviticus 19:28
" 'Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.
Deuteronomy 14:1
[ Clean and Unclean Food ] You are the children of the LORD your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead,

Galatians 2 speaks of circumcision being a Jewish custom that does not have to be followed by Gentiles.


Galatiatians 2:

Answer 4

Soon, I hope. The numbers, compared to the 1960's and 70's - are plummeting. It used to be 98% of newborn males. Now it's approaching 50-50%

Answer 5

bensbabe, maybe if young men learned to wash a fully sheathed and functional penis as young boys they would learn to enjoy it's sensual pleasures and better pass that wonderful attitude on to you. It is a phallusy (pun intended again) that this is a health issue. It is another effort at sexual repression and gladly it is fading fast.

Answer 6

female circumcision is alas far from extinct and still common in countries in Africa.
Fight it.

Answer 7

One is cruel and the other is not so it wont happen. Many countries don't bother (with male circumcision) like the UK (unless you are Jewish or have any other religous committment).

Answer 8

circumcision is a very good thing:
graphic descriptions of why:
phimosis and paraphimosis you cannot contract these intensely painful problems if you are circumscribed:
click link if you are mature enough for graphic medical images
http://www.netterimages.com/images/vpv/000/000/001/1468-0550x0350.jpg
there is good evidence that there is an increase in HPV carriage rates in uncircumcised men. HPV causes cervical cancer.

there are other difficulties as well:
in young children the foreskin cannot be retracted for cleaning leading to fungal balanitis. As well as adults lacking in hygeine contracting this issue. How does an adult know whether their kid will grow up to be responsible enough to clean themselves??

people think this is a religious or asthetic issue. It clearly has benefits.

Answer 9

all i know is my bf isn't circumcised, neither are his sons, and neither will my son be if i have one. men can choose to have the operation done if they want to. this shouldn't be up to the parents.

Answer 10

Let's hope for cleanliness sake male circumcision sticks around...

female type was not for cleanliness...