Why has male circumcision become commonly practiced in our society?
Dr. Morten Frisch of Statens Serum Institut and Aalborg University in Denmark is critical of the American Association of Pediatrics, which has dropped its neutral stance towards neonatal male circumcision after determining that the health benefits of the procedure outweigh the risks. “First and last,” says Frisch, “whether childhood circumcision is acceptable or not is an ethical question, not a medical one.”
Chuck Ross reports in The Good Men Project today on the origins of male circumcision—in the control of male sexuality—and asks whether we find any of the arguments for neonatal circumcision compelling.
Why Do We Still Circumcise Boys? By Chuck Ross
Photo of newborn baby courtesy of Shutterstock
Some people believe that there is a financial component to it. People and hospitals that perform circumcisions get paid so they push the procedure. Men and boys have also traditionally been considered not worthy of protecting. The social safety net generally does not catch men since it wasn’t intended for them. Circumcision in the U.S. has stopped for girls. There isn’t even support for type 4 FGC, the ceremonial nick, which is many times less traumatic than a successful male circumcision. I guess you can say that infant MGC is an ethical question, if you believe misandry is an ethical… Read more »
Neither. A simple matter of human rights.
+1 Like. Yes. THIS. In short, agreed. When it comes to something as major as altering a little boy’s body (and like John says below even a ceremonial nick is frowned upon on little girls so the “it’s not that major of a deal” argument to justfity circumcision is bull) the bar needs to be pretty damn high IMO on whether it should be done. And by high I mean like if it’s not done this his life will be horribly altered (like his penis will not be able to function properly if it’s not done). And no his bad… Read more »
If this was a medical choice then why not do similar medical choices to young boys and girls that would reduce the rish of death and diseases. Here are a couple of examples. In canada last year there were 22,000 cases of breast cancer reported, if we were to lop off one breast from every new born girl and remove all the breast tissue, we would reduce this number by approx half if we were to lop of both breasts then we would eliminate this disease in a generation. Conversely, testicular cancer kills as well, if we lop of one… Read more »