The Circumcision Debate: A Few Words in Favor

I’m another male waiting for the day in America when All parents of newborn boys will respect his right to keeping HIS normal, whole, intact penis, just like parents respect their daughters’ rights to keep their normal, intact genitalia. More and more little boys with scarred, denuded penises are growing up and speaking out as men about the anger and betrayal they feel about having been circumcised as infants and young children, something they never would have chose for themselves. Although there are not ANY medical associations on the Planet that recommend the routine circumcision of boys (or girls)..... the American medical establishment condones it by justifying minimal “potential” benefits and parents’ numerous social / cultural reasons. Such rationalizations will never satisfy the increasing number of men, who wish that their parents and doctor just left their penis alone, and not cut off the sensitive, nerve enriched prepuce (foreskin). I am optimistic that in my lifetime the 1996 U.S. Federal Female Genital Mutilation Act will be modified to include the protection of little boys’ prepuces too. It sickens me that in 2009 about half of all newborn boys in America are subjected to an elective surgery that amputates a normal, healthy part of their penis that if left intact, would provide protective, sensual and sexual functions.

More and more people in the circumcising American culture are speaking out and criticizing those parents and doctors who continue to justify the circumcision of little boys mostly for cultural and social reasons. Foreskins (I prefer the term “prepuce” since a foreskin is made up of much more than just “skin”) do feel REALLY good. HIS body, HIS Choice. It really is that simple folks! The following websites are very educational.

www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org - For all those who want to learn more about the male Prepuce go to this website. There’s an excellent 19 minute free educational video that you can view or download. It’s located under medical school curriculum, and the clip is entitled “The Prepuce.” It discusses and demonstrates the anatomy and physiology of the male prepuce and unequivocally supports evidence regarding the contraindications of circumcision.

www.nocirc.org - a non-profit educational organization founded by the infamous Marilyn Milos RN, a child’s rights, genital integrity advocate. On the Main page there is a new 20 minute Public Service Announcement and educational video about circumcision narrated by the well known radio talk show host and respected physician Dr. Dean Edell. Excellent is all I can say!

Dr. Ari Brown's appearance was intended to tell just one side of the circumcision decision. But perhaps the most compelling piece of information is that seldom do any of the "possibilities" she raises ever really happen. Comparing the 150 million males in the USA (80% circumcised) with the 410 million males in Europe (5% circumcised), it is immediately obvious that the health "scares" of being intact are nonsense. Europe has no real problems whatsoever with intact penises, yet the USA spends upwards of $250,000,000 a year dealing with the complications of infant circumcision (skin bridges, severe bleeding, skin tags, meatal stenosis, UTIs, retrograde micturition, severed glans, uneven scarring, and much more) on top of the half a billion dollars it costs in doctor, hospital and materials fees just to circumcise a million boys annually in the first place. On average, Europe also has lower rates of just about every sexually transmitted disease than the US, including HIV. So, we're wasting 3/4 of a billion dollars a year for no improvement in health. Circumcision of newborn American boys has never been definitively proven to prevent even a single infection or disease. It's time to stop this grand 100-year experiment and admit there's a better way for our sons.

And as for tradition... the overwhelming majority of American boys come from families that quite successfully did not circumcise for the first, oh, 50 thousand years of human existence, but maybe did in the last 1 or 2 generations. This is an American fad, a blip in the course of history, but not one we really should want to own. Out of every 10 boys worldwide circumcised under a year of age, 7 are in America. It's shameful, and time we joined the world community on this and also put our vital healthcare dollars to more legitimate use. Every child deserves a peaceful beginning and security of person.