English: Global map of male circumcision prevalence at country level, as of December 2006. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I noticed there’s quite a lot of debate about circumcision going on at the moment. Germany has just ruled against non-medical circumcision. Some idiots scream religious freedom, although I fail to see what’s justifiable about mutilating your child’s genitals. Yes, it does have a negative effect on his sex life, by the way. Do some research, but I suppose that if you think sex is dirty that would only encourage you.
Male circumcision is currently being promoted by some as a prophylactic measure against HIV/AIDS. Obviously, nobody sane wants AIDS to spread. Equally obviously, there must be a sound medical reason for cutting part of your, or your son’s, penis off.
The difficult part is sifting through the evidence and evaluating it. Here’s one interesting take on the question (article from Feb 2012):
Circumcision promoters given open slather
An extraordinary feature of the United States today is the widening gulf between popular and professional medical attitudes towards routine circumcision, and the sharp divisions of opinion among medical and health professionals themselves. On one side we can see a flood of attacks on circumcision on blogs, websites, Youtube and in the mass media; more and more young parents deciding not to circumcise their boys; increasing numbers of circumcised men voicing their anger and resentment at having been circumcised, and taking up the onerous task of foreskin restoration; and if that was not a sufficient indication of the way the wind is blowing, it appears that a significant number of Jewish Americans are also abandoning circumcision in favour of peaceful naming ceremonies. Given the swelling flood of critical comment, it looks as though the “tipping point” predicted by Geoffrey Miller is rapidly approaching.
Read the rest at: Tobian and Gray on circumcision in JAMA | Circinfo.org
Related articles
- Bravo, Germany! (freethoughtblogs.com)
- German court rules circumcision goes against “fundamental right of the child … – CBS News (cbsnews.com)
- Which penis do you think is better? (freethoughtblogs.com)
- German court rules that male circumcision constitutes ‘bodily harm’ (humanism.org.uk)
- Circumcision symposium (intacthouston.wordpress.com)
Jay H
LGBT activist. I despise bigots, especially those who use their religion as an excuse for their hate-filled speech.Jay H has written 32 posts on this blog.