Multiland
11-12-2005, 21:10
I have submitted a proposal regarding Male Genital Mutilation in the UN Forum. Here are some links to some of my research.
I actually conducted a semin-anonymous (people could write down their name if they wanted to) on my university campus, but I'm not sure people will believe me unless I link to the documents, which need to be changed slightly to hide names, so I'll try to put a few up when I've done that.
But on with the rest...
The National Organisation of Circumcision Information Resource Centers has carried out its own studies - view them at http://www.nocirc.org - showing the health problems associated with circumcision. And here's an important quote from a pamphlet listed on their website (http://nocirc.org/publish/10pam.pdf):
Circumcision amputates approximately 50
percent of the heavily innervated skin and
mucosa of the penis,5,10 tissue that is a specific
erogenous zone.11 Excision of the foreskin renders
the remaining skin taut and immovable,
eliminates its protective, sensory, and sexual
functions, and destroys the gliding action of the
foreskin, changing the natural mechanics of
normal human reproduction.12
Circumcision puts the patient at risk of surgical
mishap, adhesions, meatitis, meatal ulceration,
infections, bleeding, and even death.5,13
Circumcision is an extremely painful procedure5,14,15
with long-lasting post-operative pain.15,16
Circumcision creates an abnormal physical
appearance with a disfiguring scar encircling
the shaft of the penis and the glans penis
permanently exposed to drying, abrasion,
and mechanical injury.
Here's a quote from another of the pamphlets available on their website, providing an explanation of why the foreskin is important
The foreskin comprises as much as half or more
of the penile skin system and has three known
functions: protective, sensory and sexual.
During infancy, the foreskin is attached to the
glans and protects it from urine, feces and
abrasion from diapers. Throughout life, the
foreskin keeps the glans soft and moist and
protects it from trauma and injury. Without
this protection, the glans becomes dry,
calloused and desensitized from exposure
and chafing.
Specialized nerve endings in the foreskin
enhance sexual pleasure.
The foreskin may have functions not yet
recognized or understood. (From http://nocirc.org/publish/3pam.pdf)
A recent report by the American Medical Association" concluded that circumcision offers no health benefits and the AMA also concluded that circumcision does NOT lead to lower rates of sexually tranmitted infections. http://www.ama-assn.org/
The [b]British Medical Association asserts that “The BMA does not believe that parental preference alone constitutes sufficient grounds for performing a surgical procedure on a child unable to express his own view. . . . Parental preference must be weighed in terms of the child's interests. . . . The BMA considers that the evidence concerning health benefit from non-therapeutic circumcision is insufficient for this alone to be a justification for doing it. . . . Some doctors may wish to not perform circumcisions for reasons of conscience. Doctors are under no obligation to comply with a request to circumcise a child.” http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/malecircumcision2003?OpenDocument&Highlight=2,circumcise
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians states that After extensive review of the literature the RACP reaffirms that there is no medical indication for routine male circumcision. The possibility that routine circumcision may contravene human rights has been raised because circumcision is performed on a minor and is without proven medical benefit http://www.racp.edu.au/public/index.htm
The Canadian Paediatric Society affirms that Circumcision of newborns should not be routinely performed
This website http://www.rollingdoughnut.com/mt-archives/000244.html lists supposed reasons for circumcision then (admittedly, whilst using colourful language) intelligently refutes them. From a circumcised male.
As you can see, I've taken a lot longer to post this than I wanted to, so I guess you'll have to wait until tomorrow or later for more. In the meantime, feel free to agree with or dispute it, as long as you provide something to back it up :)
Here's some quotes from people who have been circumcised. Granted, there are probably positive ones out there, but these are a heck of a lot of negative ones:
Many parents today realize that if they had
been given accurate information about
circumcision, they would never have let
anyone circumcise their baby. I am one of
those parents, and that is why I do the work
I do and why I have written this pamphlet.”
Marilyn Fayre Milos, R.N.
From http://www.sexuallymutilatedchild.org:
“I've wondered what it's like to have a foreskin all my life”
“I couldn't even make myself say "circumcised" until I was in my twenties”
“The fact that other boys were circumcised too never made me feel any better”
“I used to think there were two kinds of boys: circumcised boys like me and real boys”
“When I was a child I prayed I would get my foreskin back in heaven”
“I feel as if part of me had been murdered”
“What circumcision did to my body is bad enough, but what it did to my mind is worse”
“My first sado/masochistic experience was when I was a baby, when I was circumcised” [Computer Bulletin Board]
“The only reason I'm gay is that I was circumcised when I was a baby. I feel deprived. It's only with an uncircumcised man that I can have a foreskin.” [This man later died of AIDS.]
“When I think about what my parents let happen to me, I want to take a razor and slit their throats”
“I've never told my parents how I feel”
“Fear, pain, crippling, disfigurement, and humiliation are the classic ways to break the human spirit. Circumcision includes them all”
Circumcision is a brutal ritual rooted in
superstition and should be abandoned.... What
is called for is a well thought out approach to
the eradication of antiquated beliefs and
practices which cause so much needless
suffering, mutilation, tragedy, and death."
– Ashley Montagu
I actually conducted a semin-anonymous (people could write down their name if they wanted to) on my university campus, but I'm not sure people will believe me unless I link to the documents, which need to be changed slightly to hide names, so I'll try to put a few up when I've done that.
But on with the rest...
The National Organisation of Circumcision Information Resource Centers has carried out its own studies - view them at http://www.nocirc.org - showing the health problems associated with circumcision. And here's an important quote from a pamphlet listed on their website (http://nocirc.org/publish/10pam.pdf):
Circumcision amputates approximately 50
percent of the heavily innervated skin and
mucosa of the penis,5,10 tissue that is a specific
erogenous zone.11 Excision of the foreskin renders
the remaining skin taut and immovable,
eliminates its protective, sensory, and sexual
functions, and destroys the gliding action of the
foreskin, changing the natural mechanics of
normal human reproduction.12
Circumcision puts the patient at risk of surgical
mishap, adhesions, meatitis, meatal ulceration,
infections, bleeding, and even death.5,13
Circumcision is an extremely painful procedure5,14,15
with long-lasting post-operative pain.15,16
Circumcision creates an abnormal physical
appearance with a disfiguring scar encircling
the shaft of the penis and the glans penis
permanently exposed to drying, abrasion,
and mechanical injury.
Here's a quote from another of the pamphlets available on their website, providing an explanation of why the foreskin is important
The foreskin comprises as much as half or more
of the penile skin system and has three known
functions: protective, sensory and sexual.
During infancy, the foreskin is attached to the
glans and protects it from urine, feces and
abrasion from diapers. Throughout life, the
foreskin keeps the glans soft and moist and
protects it from trauma and injury. Without
this protection, the glans becomes dry,
calloused and desensitized from exposure
and chafing.
Specialized nerve endings in the foreskin
enhance sexual pleasure.
The foreskin may have functions not yet
recognized or understood. (From http://nocirc.org/publish/3pam.pdf)
A recent report by the American Medical Association" concluded that circumcision offers no health benefits and the AMA also concluded that circumcision does NOT lead to lower rates of sexually tranmitted infections. http://www.ama-assn.org/
The [b]British Medical Association asserts that “The BMA does not believe that parental preference alone constitutes sufficient grounds for performing a surgical procedure on a child unable to express his own view. . . . Parental preference must be weighed in terms of the child's interests. . . . The BMA considers that the evidence concerning health benefit from non-therapeutic circumcision is insufficient for this alone to be a justification for doing it. . . . Some doctors may wish to not perform circumcisions for reasons of conscience. Doctors are under no obligation to comply with a request to circumcise a child.” http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/malecircumcision2003?OpenDocument&Highlight=2,circumcise
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians states that After extensive review of the literature the RACP reaffirms that there is no medical indication for routine male circumcision. The possibility that routine circumcision may contravene human rights has been raised because circumcision is performed on a minor and is without proven medical benefit http://www.racp.edu.au/public/index.htm
The Canadian Paediatric Society affirms that Circumcision of newborns should not be routinely performed
This website http://www.rollingdoughnut.com/mt-archives/000244.html lists supposed reasons for circumcision then (admittedly, whilst using colourful language) intelligently refutes them. From a circumcised male.
As you can see, I've taken a lot longer to post this than I wanted to, so I guess you'll have to wait until tomorrow or later for more. In the meantime, feel free to agree with or dispute it, as long as you provide something to back it up :)
Here's some quotes from people who have been circumcised. Granted, there are probably positive ones out there, but these are a heck of a lot of negative ones:
Many parents today realize that if they had
been given accurate information about
circumcision, they would never have let
anyone circumcise their baby. I am one of
those parents, and that is why I do the work
I do and why I have written this pamphlet.”
Marilyn Fayre Milos, R.N.
From http://www.sexuallymutilatedchild.org:
“I've wondered what it's like to have a foreskin all my life”
“I couldn't even make myself say "circumcised" until I was in my twenties”
“The fact that other boys were circumcised too never made me feel any better”
“I used to think there were two kinds of boys: circumcised boys like me and real boys”
“When I was a child I prayed I would get my foreskin back in heaven”
“I feel as if part of me had been murdered”
“What circumcision did to my body is bad enough, but what it did to my mind is worse”
“My first sado/masochistic experience was when I was a baby, when I was circumcised” [Computer Bulletin Board]
“The only reason I'm gay is that I was circumcised when I was a baby. I feel deprived. It's only with an uncircumcised man that I can have a foreskin.” [This man later died of AIDS.]
“When I think about what my parents let happen to me, I want to take a razor and slit their throats”
“I've never told my parents how I feel”
“Fear, pain, crippling, disfigurement, and humiliation are the classic ways to break the human spirit. Circumcision includes them all”
Circumcision is a brutal ritual rooted in
superstition and should be abandoned.... What
is called for is a well thought out approach to
the eradication of antiquated beliefs and
practices which cause so much needless
suffering, mutilation, tragedy, and death."
– Ashley Montagu