Circumcision - just because it is practiced, doesn't mean it's right
In the English-speaking countries, where circumcision of infants was initially adopted to prevent masturbation, medical "reasons" were postulated to justify a practice most of the world has never considered. This resulted in a spectrum of medical recommendations for surgical removal of normal genital tissue in all male newborns to prevent diseases (foreskin inflammation, urinary tract infections, and sexually transmitted diseases) that could be effectively treated medically without the risks of surgery. Only by denying the existence of excruciating pain, perinatal encoding of the brain with violence, interruption of the maternal-infant bond, betrayal of infant trust, the risks and effects of permanently altering normal genitalia, the right of human beings to sexually intact and functional bodies, and the right to individual religious freedoms can human beings continue this practice.
Circumcision is accepted because it has been practiced for millennia, but when we look at the practice through the legal, ethical, and human rights lens of the 21st century, we see there is no place for this anachronistic blood ritual in civilized society.
Blog by Marilyn Fayre Milos, RN
Marilyn Fayre Milos, RN, is the founder and director of the National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers (NOCIRC) and coordinator of the International Symposia on Circumcision, Sexual Mutilations, and Genital Integrity. She is the co-editor of Sexual Mutilations: A Human Tragedy (Plenum 1997), proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium (Universi.... read more
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