-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP – the science-based one) has recently published the results of its task force on circumcision. The AAP evaluated the recent evidence and determined that “the health benefits of newborn male circumcision outweigh the risks and that the procedure’s benefits justify access to this procedure for families who choose it.” We have previously discussed the ruling of a German court that parents who circumcise their sons based on religious beliefs are committing child abuse.
The specifics benefits of circumcision include
- prevention of urinary tract infections,
- penile cancer, and
- transmission of some sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
However, the AAP notes that the health benefits are not great enough to warrant routine circumcision.
The AAP notes that the benefits warrant reimbursement via medical insurance policies. We await the Christian conservatives’ outrage, claiming that circumcision, and it accompanying reduction in sexually transmitted diseases, will increase male promiscuity.
The AAP Technical Report recommends that “circumcision should be performed by trained and competent practitioners, by using sterile techniques and effective pain management.” The Task Force notes the problems with finding competent providers.
Researchers from Johns Hopkins University have found that “twenty years of falling circumcision rates have cost the country $2 billion in preventable medical costs.” Eighteen states have dropped their Medicaid coverage of the procedure.
Those who claim that the uncircumcised penis is natural and hence, better, commit the naturalistic fallacy. The argument that circumcision violates a “right to bodily integrity” would also apply to any number of surgeries to correct birth defects like fused limbs and the removal of vestigial tails.
While circumcision for health benefits has a rational basis, circumcision to demonstrate a commitment to an imaginary being is not rational.
H/T: David Bernstein (VC), Monya Baker (Nature), The Virginian-Pilot.
As a Jew I would like to state that this procedure has been part of my religion for a minimum of 3,500 years.
As a male who has been sexually active all my life I have never found a problem with being circumcised and have never had any other circumcised male ever complain to me about the loss of their foreskin.
I have never had sex with any woman who complained to me about my having no foreskin and have had sex with women who have stated a preference for circumcised males.
As an aged male with prostate problems and the urinary frequency/urgency associated with it, I am quite grateful to be circumcised, since I do like to keep my penis clean.
To be a Jewish male is to be circumcised and I’ve probably attended 75 “bris” (bris milôh’s) in my life and have never seen one that was either barbaric looking, or anything but a quite temporary discomfit for the infant. Indeed on a few occasion I have actually held the child being circumcised in my arms.
Female circumcision (or Female Genital Mutilation) as it is now called is a practice whose purpose is:
“an essential part of raising a girl properly—girls are regarded as having been cleansed by the removal of “male” body parts. It ensures pre-marital virginity and inhibits extra-marital sex, because it reduces women’s libido. Women fear the pain of re-opening the vagina, and are afraid of being discovered if it is opened illicitly.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_genital_mutilation
The purpose of FGM is to prevent the woman from enjoying her sexuality and to ensure she remains a virgin. It is a cultural practice that dates back to ancient Egypt at least and it is not a tenet of either Judaism or Islam. Male circumcision’s purpose is not to limit sexual pleasure and so comparing the two is a false equivalency.
Finally, those who know me here know that I am loath to charge anyone with being anti-Jewish when it comes to the Israel debate. I don’t take charges of bigotry towards any person or group lightly. Therefore it pains me to say that this decision in Germany, given the history of the “Shoah” is a very unfortunate one and whether unintended, the result is anti-Jewish and anti-Islamic. For those who are members of either religion, even for someone
less than observant like myself, it is our duty to circumcise our male children. To some that may seem barbaric, but then to Jews and Muslims “drinking the blood and eating the body of Christ” seems pretty barbaric.
The end result of this German action, if it is not turned around will be the expulsion of Jews and Muslims from that country, simply because their religious freedom will have been compromised. you will forgive me for wondering if give Germany’s history, there is not something intentional in this ban.
Donull and the ladies reading,
Same as in the 60’s in Winnemucca, Nevada. Soap and water.
And never did I get an “ugh” from the girls when they found the surprise in my pants. I was clean, and it skins back on its own when erect. And when it is not, then it is not interesting to the ladies. Although some will try to help out.
Obsession? Not me. Gross, is in your mind. How do you know what is being put in when it is erect. Do you check it. I never got more than a glance. Even lil’ John, my buddy with 11 inches got no stares, shy glances maybe. But it was rid’em cowgirl then.
But the rest is censored.
Big deal over a detail nature provided and medicine screwed up with. In the early 1900’s a doctor in his bag, had (besides a pack of Camels) three effective remedies.
Codeine, laudanum and ethyl alcohol.
That was medicine then.
Our minds are still in that period. Copy cats all.
I will defend my foreskin until my death and then donate it to research at some American university.
Congratulations!
My comment disappeared before I could correct mothers not mother’s, and Only those with an intact foreskin can know what those without it are missing–in more ways than one….
This only in reply to the story, not comments.I read the report. It reccommended that parents should make whatever decision they feel they want to live with as their sons grow up. There is no reason to beleive all these benefits will obtain.
My comment is: Has no one ever heard that mother’s (mine, at least) saw to it that even as an infant I must pull back the foreskin and clean with soap and water. Just think of it, cleanliness! No surgical side effects! Even in the 60″s, Jewish doctors prescribed soap and water! Prostitutes in the 50’s were careful to use soap and water–before and after. What has happened to common sense? Maybe we should remove toenails, unneeded some say, to prevent infected ingrown toenails that might become infected and cause gangrene? If ever there could be a problem get rid of it (at great expense) seems to be the mantra.I am 82 and I say this issue is hysterical baloney that requires actual education, never a scalpel. Only those with a foreskin know the others are missing….
Gurl,
“my point is…. this is far more complex than just buying into the next study by the AAPA…..
we are OK with things, such as this, because they are social norms…. and we should just be careful not to buy into any study, just because it affirms our beliefs…..”
by gurl.
——————-
Now you are at the depth I like to reach when I can. Good on ya’.
It’s ag good thing, in a way, that it is done and over with for the boys. Contemplating it is horrendous for aborigine boys in their teens. They run away from it literally. So would most American men too, if they were 13 and facing circumcision. I’m just guessing. Don’t come near me with a knife you ass!, they would say.
I’ll borrow a card from the evangelists. If god did not want us to have a foreskin, he would have not given us one.
Now those who think otherwise can console themselves with this old old joke.
The guy who got cut with his moms sewing scissors now is called “frilly dilly”. We thought that was fun when we were in our teens.
Probably was fun for his girl friends. Built in French *******!
That was a GREAT video, Dick…
Malisha, my urologist asked me the same thing. There are some very educational youtube vids on this gruesome surgery. I just saw “Snip Snip” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KPmGS3sRok&feature=related What a horror Americans are inflicting on their baby boys.
~Dick-Scalper
Dick Scalper, that can’t be your real name, can it?
Tell me that’s not your real name, OK?
They brand men like a herd of cows. American men are such wimps to let their sons be subjected to this absurd surgery. If it were women tied down & cut, the Feminists would be howling all over the world. The male genitals are a cheap commodity. There is no argument too absurd for the circumcisers. They insult the appearance of the intact penis, claim that circumcision heals everything from body warts to HIV, and draw an illogical distinction between female & male genitals. Circumcision is the mark of a slave, not a free man.
Top Ten Tortures Less Painful Than Circumcision
10. Get knocked out by Mohammed Ali.
9. Pull out your fingernails.
8. Eat a pile of steaming bear phooey.
7. Skin yourself alive.
6. Fall into a vat of molten iron.
5. Get run over by a train.
4. Go through a sausage grinder.
3. Saw off your legs.
2. Poke out your eyes.
1. Go To Hell
~Dick-Scalper
One last thing.
The foreskin makes for ungritty intercourse on the beach.
The reply to that is too gross: Oh. she cleans if for you first. Lucky you. Resourceful women of the desert.
It appears some men have a fetish on this as there is a magazine called UNCUT. Or did I dream that. Whatever.
As long as it does not shrink or fall off or refuse to do its duty, then all it well. Don’t actually know what the hassle is about.
I kinda like mine, with the foreskin that goes click like a shutter on a camere. Now you see me, now you don’t. Peepeye!
Circumcised probably have other tricks.
Hope the humor got from to all.
@ justagurl, “NO…. BUt at the same time…. Just google… Men Mutilated by Circumcision….
There is web site after website on this subject….. MEN from the USA….
a lot of circumcised men feel very violated and disfigured by this….. ”
I did some quick looking but didn’t see anything non-anecdotal. Personally, I don’t find anecdotal accounts by guys persuasive, especially by guys outside the US where a lot of there anguish seems to come from the fact of being different from the norm. In fact, to the extent that you believe men feeling anguish over their penis looking different, then this seems to be an argument in favor of circumcision in the US. Anyways, it’s certainly contrary to my personal experience and I cannot think of a single guy I’ve known ever express even mild regret at being circumcised (admittedly, not a regular subject of conversation).
While I’m unpersuaded by anecdotal evidence, I freely admit that my personal experience might be misleading me. I wonder whether there is any reliable surveys out there on how adult circumcised men feel about having been circumcised as infants? My gut, at least for US men, is that the vast majority as glad it was done when they were infants or it’s unimportant to them. I’d be surprised if significant numbers feel “violated and disfigured” by it. But, I’m open to changing my opinion if presented with reliable surveys.
well…. That is just it…. most of it is going to be anecdotal…
It is not illegal to circumcise…. so there are not going to be the same types of web sites out there…
I will agree tho, OTHER than reading some stories of men on line…. MOST of the men I knew…. did not care or was it even relevant conversation….
and nor do men in Europe talk about it…. except to say…. they are glad they are not cut….
idealist707
1, September 1, 2012 at 2:33 pm
Why else do the jews produce so many Nobel prize winners.
Wize jewish mothers seems to be the answer.
Picking and choosing. Life’s multi-lemmas.
PS There are no wize fathers. Nature crapped out on that when he made males.
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hahahahaha…. again with the laughter….. 😀
Waldo….
I’m not sure parents care so much about this…. THO, I do suspect some fathers do… 😀
BUT, there are men in the USA that were not cut, as babies… and feel left out, so now want to have this done, so they can look like everybody else….
It is quite sad really….
Why else do the jews produce so many Nobel prize winners.
Wize jewish mothers seems to be the answer.
Picking and choosing. Life’s multi-lemmas.
PS There are no wize fathers. Nature crapped out on that when he made males.
@ Dredd “The thing is, this is about parental ego.
My kid will have a better penis if …
It is all about “the better penis.”
The trophy penis.”
I disagree that this is what actually motivates parents. Is there really anyone who equates a circumcised penis with a “trophy” penis?
But, so what if they did? I know I would like to have a trophy penis! I’d be pretty damned disappointed in mom and dad if they had the opportunity to give me a trophy penis and neglected to do so.
Malisha….
IN NO WAY did you take the easy way out…..
in my opinion, you did the opposite….
MOST people will just do, as most other people will do….
MOST babies in the USA are circumcised…. So, most people are going to follow that line of tradition….
Personally, I think you were reasonable….
Funny thing is…. I am not exactly anti circumcision…. I grew up in the USA…. MOST the men I have known in my life, we also “FROM THE USA”…
In moving here, this became a topic, that I was not used to in the USA… as men , here are NOT cut….
So, this being so, I wanted to learn more about what people thought of this…..
this is when I learned that many men felt victimized by being cut, and not left intact…..
In Europe…. I have heard men joke, they they would not trust a man, who did not have a foreskin…..
Of course I asked if that was a jewish jab….
and it was affirmed NOPE… it was a jab at men in the USA…. 🙂
my point is…. this is far more complex than just buying into the next study by the AAPA…..
we are OK with things, such as this, because they are social norms…. and we should just be careful not to buy into any study, just because it affirms our beliefs…..
PS The Romney campaign, the Republican methods, and the convention all confirm the same thing.
Those who scream the longest and the loudest always win the “what do I believe and remember” contest.
No truth needed. In fact the more extreme the lie the better the effect.
It must be a genetic defect, now too prevalent to be called abnormal anymore.
I will now stop my political detour.
OT OT OT
Am suffering political hunger pangs. You all are full after the convemtion but I abstained. So here is one after analysis of a progressive source.
“Politicians from both parties twist facts or spin policy, but Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign has had a particularly strained relationship with the truth, repeating false claims with impunity — even after fact checkers, mainstream media organizations, and blogs have all debunked their assertions.”
Their are several OP Eds at the NYTimes to the same effect.
Here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/01/opinion/collins-only-the-good-get-rich.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120901
and here:
http://mittlies.com/
from where the excerpt was taken. A link from ThinkProgress.
Now that itch is scratched.