Grill
LIF Adult
Member since 4/09 994 total posts
Name:
J
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Re: How was your DS's reaction to / recovery from circumcision?
GENITAL AUTONOMY....It's not your penis to cut off. Here's some more info.
Are You Fully Informed?
To make a fully informed decision. That is what should happen among parents who still have the legal choice to decide whether or not to circumcise their newborn baby. However, studies have shown that all too often parents are simply posed with this question and nothing more:
Would you like to circumcise your son?
Now, there are many inherent problems with this question as it is stated. One is that it would be much more appropriate to ask, "Would you like to keep your son intact?" as this is the natural, normal way human beings (and all mammals), be they male or female, enter the world. To alter or modify a baby's body at birth is not the 'norm' and the question should not be stated as though it is. There is simply nothing typical or natural about cutting off 1/3 to 3/4 (depending on the size of the prepuce organ) of a tiny baby's sensitive genitals immediately upon entrance into the world.
However, these same studies demonstrate that most of the medical personnel posing this question to parents know no more about the prepuce (the organ amputated in U.S. style circumcision) or the surgery of circumcision than the mothers and fathers who are making the decision.
Rarely is a fully informed choice made. And in the case of a newborn baby, this choice is never a fully informed consented choice.
In fact, I have yet to see a parent who is fully informed on the purposes of the prepuce and circumcision elect to cut their baby. It just doesn't happen. The more you know, the worse it is. Period.
I have, however, witnessed those who say they 'researched' the subject by going to Google and hitting up Brian Morris' sponsored sites, by reading MSN news media, Edgar Schoen quotes, or Yahoo reports... by opening headlines from The New York Times or Washington Post.
Sorry, folks, pop media or skewed info from the circumfetish cutting kings doesn't count as 'research' to being fully informed - especially not on this subject. Not when it directly deals with the health, development, bonding and well-being of YOUR BABY. Your child. Who will grow up to be an adult, with a body that was designed perfectly for him - or one that was modified without his consent.
In an effort to stamp out a fraction of the ignorance that resounds throughout pop culture on any given day in North America, there are a number of articles and informative pieces presented here at peaceful parenting. I spent the better portion of my graduate years studying this subject. But you don't have to take 8 years of your life, or hundreds of thousands of dollars, to complete your own quick course on the subject.
If you'd really like to be fully informed in this matter -- one that certainly becomes more urgent, more severe, more horrifying, the more you know -- please don't stop at this site. Dig deeper. Learn more. Open books. Pour over medical journals. Dive into discussions with scholars who are in-the-know; doctors who do study the prepuce and circumcision; historians who know the literature inside and out.
By simply reading the articles and links provided on this site alone, you will be more informed than the vast majority of the rest of the U.S. population on the prepuce organ and circumcision. Yet, I encourage you, if you feel so inclined, to keep going. Check it out for yourself. Don't just take my word for it. And if, while you are out there researching and writing and questioning and building your own mental library of data on this subject, you feel so inclined to come back and write for us here at peaceful parenting - we'd love to have your fresh voice of insight and experience in the matter.
The following is a listing of books, websites, and articles to start with. There are thousands of empirical, peer-reviewed, research journal articles out there on the subject -- those that have been written for the past 100 years on the prepuce and circumcision -- and unfortunately we cannot reasonably list them all here. But these sources will get you off to a great start at being FULLY INFORMED.
BOOKS
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Circumcision
Circumcision: What Every Parent Should Know
Marked in Your Flesh: Circumcision from Ancient Judea to Modern America
Circumcision: The Hidden Trauma
Circumcision: The Rest of the Story
Doctors Re-examine Circumcision
Circumcision: An American Health Fallacy
Circumcision: The Painful Dilemma
A Surgical Temptation: The Demonization of the Foreskin and the Rise of Circumcision in Britain
Circumcision: A History of the World's Most Controversial Surgery
Questioning Circumcision: A Jewish Perspective
Covenant of Blood: Circumcision and Gender in Rabbinic Judaism
Circumcision Exposed: Rethinking a Medical and Cultural Tradition
In the Name of Humanity: Speaking Out Against Circumcision
40 Compelling Reasons Why You Should Respect His Birthright and Keep Your Son Whole
Children's Genitals Under the Knife
As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised As A Girl [1 detailed example of the consequences of botched circumcision]
Sex as Nature Intended It
A Mind of Its Own: A Cultural History of the Penis
The Joy of Uncircumcising *also found as downloadable book here
Crystallized Pathology: The Clitoris, the Penis and Women's Sexual Health *currently limited and ordered by request [email protected]
Circumcision *Mothering reprint of articles
WEBSITES
In Alphabetical Order
As Nature Intended
www.asnatureintended.info
Attorneys for the Rights of the Child
www.arclaw.org
Beyond the Bris
www.beyondthebris.com
Circumcision Decision Maker
http://circumcisiondecisionmaker.com
Catholics Against Circumcision
www.catholicsagainstcircumcision.org
Circumcision Information and Resource Pages
www.cirp.org
Circumcision Information Australia
www.circinfo.org/
Circumcision Information Resource Center of Colorado
www.coloradonocirc.org
The Circumcision Lawyer
www.TheCircumcisionLawyer.com
Circumcision Resource Center
www.circumcision.org
Doctors Opposing Circumcision
www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org
DrMomma.org
www.drmomma.org
End Routine Infant Circumcision
www.4eric.org
Foregen
www.foregen.org
Genital Autonomy
www.genitalautonomy.eu
Historical Medical Quotes on Circumcision
http://circumcisionquotes.com
History of Circumcision
www.historyofcircumcision.net
In Memory of the Sexually Mutilated Child
www.sexuallymutilatedchild.org
Intact America
www.intactamerica.org
Intact Georgia
www.intactgeorgia.com
The Intact Network
www.intactnetwork.org
Intact News
http://intactnews.org
The Intactivism Pages
www.circumstitions.com
International Coalition for Genital Integrity
www.icgi.org
Jewish Circumcision Resource Center
www.jewishcircumcision.org
Jews Against Circumcision
www.jewsagainstcircumcision.org
Male Circumcision and HIV
www.circumcisionandhiv.com
The Male Circumcision Information Site
www.circinfosite.com
MGM Bill: A Bill to End Male Genital Mutilation in the United States
www.mgmbill.org
Mothering Magazine
www.mothering.com
Mothers Against Circumcision
www.mothersagainstcirc.org
National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers
www.nocirc.org
National Organization of Restoring Men
www.norm.org
National Organization to Halt the Abuse and Routine Mutilation of Males
www.noharmm.org
Not Just Skin
www.notjustskin.org
Nurses For the Rights of the Child
http://nurses.cirp.org
Peaceful Parenting
www.drmomma.org
Quran Circumcision [Islam]
www.quran.org/khatne.htm
Quranic Path [Islam]
www.quranicpath.com/misconceptions/circumcision.html
Restoring Tally
www.restoringtally.com
Ridged Band
www.theridgedband.info
Saving Our Sons
www.savingsons.org
Sex As Nature Intended It
www.sexasnatureintendedit.com
Stop The Cut
http://stopthecut.org
Stop Infant Circumcision Society
www.sicsociety.org
www.stopinfantcircumcision.org
Students for Genital Integrity
www.studentsforgenitalintegrity.org
TLC Tugger
www.tlctugger.com
Udonet - Circumcision
www.udonet.com/circumcision
Whole Baby Revolution
www.wholebabyrevolution.com
ARTICLES
The following are items cataloged at DrMomma.org
Additional news, blogs and printables located at The Intact Network
Functions of the Foreskin, Purposes of the Prepuce
The Phony Phimosis Diagnosis
Cut vs. Intact Outcome Statistics
Psychology Today Circumcision Series
Raising Intact Sons
Dr. Dean Edell Statement on Circumcision [+video]
2010 Meta-Analysis of 1200 studies concludes circumcision does much harm, no good
Birth As We Know It: Circumcision Clip
Circumcision Deserves Circumspection
Father/Son Matching Penises: Stop the Insanity! [Penn & Teller]
Plastibell Infant Circumcision
Restoration: The Uncircumcising of Men
The Day I Withdrew From Nursing School
How the Foreskin Protects Against UTIs
Death From Circumcision
You Made a Difference for That One
Circumcision: Already Illegal?
3rd Year Med Student Describes His 1st Circumcision Surgery
Circumcision: Take 3 (Jamie Brendon Stoud)
Babies DO Feel Circumcision Pain
Male Circumcision in the U.S.A. A Human Rights Primer
Dr. Aldeeb Encourages Action, Switzerland Moves Toward Universal Circumcision Ban
My Day [personal dialog]
2010 MGM Bill, March & Demonstration in Washington D.C.
MGM Bill Submitted to Congress
UK Fails to Halt Female Circumcision / US Fails to Halt Male Circumcision
History of Female Circumcision in the United States
The Cut: Documentary on Female Circumcision in Africa
Egypt Makes First Circumcision Arrest
Cleanse Your Children: A Parody
The Effects of Circumcision on Breastfeeding
My Story of Ritual Abuse
Jewish Father's Letter to Son
Heartfelt Gift: Apologizing to Our Sons
Circumcision: What I Wish I'd Known
Stealing Foreskins: The Science of Skin Grafting
4 Year Old Hospitalized after Circumcision Escape Attempt
Forced Retraction: Now What?
I Want My Foreskin for Giftmas
The Circumcision Secret
Forgive Me Love: Music Videos & Free Bumper Stickers
My Beautiful Boy, I am Sorry
Protect Your Intact Son
Jack Black [Year One] & Circumcision in Antiquity
Circumcision Increases Breastfeeding Complications
Religious Reasons for Circumcision Could Breach Human Rights
Circumcision & Breastfeeding
Babies Remember Circumcision Pain
Babies Voice Objections to Circumcision
Mothers Observe Sons Circumcision Surgeries
Dr. Dean Edell Discusses Africa, HIV and Circumcision
Doctors Reject Circumcision as HIV Prevention
HIV Increases in Africa Where Most Men Circumcised
Circumcision & AIDS [video]
Nuts & Bolts of HIV in the USA and why Circumcision Won't Protect Men
The Truth about Circumcision & HIV
African Circumcision Study Ends Early After HIV Increases Among Women
Hypospadias: Surgery and Circumcision
Brian Morris and his circumfetish push to cut the world (a parody)
Circumcision: How Much Does It Hurt?
Patti Ramos: Circumcision Photos
Intactivists: Those Uncommon Activists
Male Circumcision & Women's Health
The Case Against Circumcision
Infection Takes Over Body After Circumcision [Pediatric Urology]
Dr. Sears Statement on Circumcision
MRI Studies: Brain Permanently Altered from Circumcision
Effects of Male Circumcision on Female Arousal and Orgasm
How Male Circumcision Impacts Your Love Life
A Change in How Intercourse Works
Improve Marital Sex: Keep the Foreskins
Male Circumcision Hurts Women
The Foreskins in Oprah's Face Cream
Father Speaks on Oprah about Circumcision
Circumcision Study Ends Early Due to Infant Trauma
Class Action Suit: Circumcised Men Sue & Win
AAP Demonstation in D.C. Oct 2009
New York: Baby Dies from Circumcision
Babies Dies from Circumcision in South Dakota
Baby Dies from Circumcision During Jewish Bris
Circumcision & Christianity
Christianity & Circumcision Resources
Christians: Baptism, Not Circumcision
The Morality of Circumcision According to the Catholic Church
Judaism & Circumcision Resources
CUT: Slicing Through the Myths of Circumcision [video]
Jewish Mother on Circumcision [video]
Misdemeanor Child Abuse For Circumcising Sons
Tattoos and Circumcision of Children
A Dad's View of Circumcision
Infant Pain Increases Adult Sensitivity to Pain
The First Cut is the Deepest
Genital Cutting on those who cannot say NO
Stop Male Genital Mutilation
UTI/Medical Tests: DO NOT RETRACT!
Only Clean What is Seen: Reversing the Epidemic of Forced Retraction
Q&A: Forced Foreskin Retraction
Q&A: Circumcision Regret
Sex Ed: Penis 101
Circumcision: Will You Make the Cut?
New York Times Bloggingheads: Circumcision For All?
Intact: Let's Use Correct Terminology
The Circumcision Decision with Dr. Dean Edell
My Son: The Little Jew with a Foreskin
I'm a Doctor, A Jew, A Father & Grandfather: My Thoughts on Circumcision
Cutting Boys Cuts to the Core
What is Done to Children... they will do to society
Intact vs. Circumcised: Penis Sensitivity Studies
Letter from Georganne Chapin regarding CDC and New York Times Article on Circumcision
Here We Go Again - New York Times on HIV and Circumcision
The Appendix: Useful & Promising [much like the prepuce...]
Australians Argue for Circumcision Ban
Penn & Teller: BullSh*t Episode
Willy Nilly Circumcision Sparks Legal Fear For Doctors
Jury Convicts Mom of Mutilation
Mother of 2 Circumcised Sons Researches Before Baby Boy #3 & Keeps Him Intact [video]
Major Problems with African Based HIV 'Studies'
Circumcision & Human Behavior
Teen Sexual Health in U.S. & Europe: Why the Difference?
Penn Says: Put Down the Knife - Step Away From the Baby
The Sexual Effects of Circumcision
Dr. Christane Northrup ("Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom" author) on Circumcision
American Baby Magazine: Circumcision, Lies & CDC Misquotes
Circumcision: A Response to Skeptics
How to Care for an Intact Penis
Painful Urination
Basic Care of the Intact Child
Questions Regarding Normal Separation of Prepuce
Intact American CDC Petition
10 Reasons to Take Your Whole Baby Home
Information for Circumcised Fathers Making a Choice for their Sons
Avoiding the Cobra Pose: Circumcised Boys Move Bodies Differently
A Visitor is Shocked
Circumcised? Sue and Win
Thank you Daddy [Fathers who protected their sons are thanked]
Circumcision Info & Resource Links [all found on this page as well]
Circumcision Primer for Christians [authors unknown]
The Cruelest Cut: Fox News Report
Circumcision & Christianity [a soap box rant]
Perfectly Intact! Birth Certificate
Intact America Invites Your Stories
Never Too Old
As Nature Intended
MA MGM Bill Hearing
Georganne Chapin on Fox News
Fox News Report on MA MGM Bill
MA MGM Bill Public Testimonies
Until the Violence Stops!
McGill University Study on Male Body Image & Genital Self Esteem
Circumcision: The Uncut Version (Kate Holt's site)
Cervical Cancer: A Reason for Circumcision?
Male Circumcision & Cervical Cancer
Cervical Cancer & Circumcision
Sandra Bullock Cuts Newly Adopted Son
Article Asks, "Are Infant Foreskins the New Botox?"
My Son is Circumcised, and I Support the MGM Bill
Turtle Heads
Stepping Away From Friendship in the Name of Human Rights
American Baby Intactivist in Scotland
A Strategic Approach to End Infant Circumcision in Canada
MEDICAL STUDIES
The following is a sampling of peer reviewed medical studies pertaining to circumcision and the prepuce (foreskin) that has been published and is accessible in full or part online. List compiled in part by the Circumcision Resource Center at Circumcision.org. To add a study to this list, write to [email protected]
Circumcision Information and Resource Pages - CIRP.org - houses a significant amount of published literature and journal articles available for online viewing.
The International Symposia on Law, Genital Autonomy and Children's Rights (Symposia details here) publishes scholarly articles from the symposia. The first through the eleventh symposia curriculum are linked from the National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers here.
Publications include:
Genital Autonomy: Protecting Personal Choice (2010)
Circumcision and Human Rights (2009)
Bodily Integrity and the Politics of Circumcision: Culture, Controversy and Change (2006)
Flesh and Blood: Perspectives on the Problem of Circumcision in Contemporary Society (2003)
Understanding Circumcision: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to a Multi-Dimentional Problem (2001)
Male and Female Circumcision: Medical, Legal and Ethical Considerations in Pediatric Practice (1999)
Sexual Mutilations: A Human Tragedy (1997)
Journal Articles
Circumcision is Associated with Adult Difficulty in Identifying and Expressing Feelings
This preliminary study investigates what role early trauma might have in alexithymia (difficulty in identifying and expressing feelings) acquisition for adults by controlling for male circumcision. Three hundred self-selected men were administered the Toronto Twenty-Item Alexithymia Scale checklist and a personal history questionnaire. The circumcised men had age-adjusted alexithymia scores 19.9 percent higher than the intact men; were 1.57 times more likely to have high alexithymia scores; were 2.30 times less likely to have low alexithymia scores; had higher prevalence of two of the three alexithymia factors (difficulty identifying feelings and difficulty describing feelings); and were 4.53 times more likely to use an erectile dysfunction drug. Alexithymia in this population of adult men is statistically significant for having experienced circumcision trauma and for erectile dysfunction drug use. http://mensstudies.metapress.com/content/2772r13175400432/
Bollinger, D. and Van Howe, R. , "Alexithymia and Circumcision Trauma: A Preliminary Investigation," International Journal of Men's Health (2011);184-195.
Circumcision Associated with Sexual Difficulties in Men and Women
A new national survey in Denmark, where about 5% of men are circumcised, examined associations of circumcision with a range of sexual measures in both sexes. Circumcised men were more likely to report frequent orgasm difficulties, and women with circumcised spouses more often reported incomplete sexual needs fulfillment and frequent sexual function difficulties overall, notably orgasm difficulties, and painful sexual intercourse. Thorough examination of these matters in areas where male circumcision is more common is warranted. http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2011/06/13/ije.dyr104.short?rss=1
Frisch, M., Lindholm, M., and Grønbæk, M., "Male Circumcision and Sexual Function in Men and Women: A Survey-based, Cross-sectional Study in Denmark," International Journal of Epidemiology (2011);1–15.
Circumcision is Associated with Premature Ejaculation
Premature ejaculation (PE) is common. However, it has been under-reported and under-treated. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of PE and to investigate possible associated factors of PE. This cross-sectional study was conducted at a primary care clinic over a 3-month period in 2008. Men aged 18-70 years attending the clinic were recruited, and they completed self-administered questionnaires. A total of 207 men were recruited with a response rate of 93.2%. Their mean age was 46.0 years. The prevalence of PE was 40.6%. No significant association was found between age and PE. Multivariate analysis showed that erectile dysfunction, circumcision, and sexual intercourse =5 times in 4 weeks were predictors of PE. These associations need further confirmation. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2011.02280.x/full
Tang, W. and Khoo, E. "Prevalence and Correlates of Premature Ejaculation in a Primary Care Setting: A Preliminary Cross-Sectional Study," Journal of Sexual Medicine (2011) Apr 14.
Claim of Circumcision Benefit is Overstated and Premature
Further research is required to assess the feasibility, desirability and cost-effectiveness of circumcision to reduce the acquisition of HIV. This paper endorses the need for such research and suggests that, in its absence, it is premature to promote circumcision as a reliable strategy for combating HIV. Since articles in leading medical journals as well as the popular press continue to do so, scientific researchers should think carefully about how their conclusions may be translated both to policy makers and to a more general audience. The importance of addressing ethico-legal concerns that such trials may raise is highlighted. The understandable haste to find a solution to the HIV pandemic means that the promise offered by preliminary and specific research studies may be overstated. This may mean that ethical concerns are marginalized. Such haste may also obscure the need to be attentive to local cultural sensitivities, which vary from one African region to another, in formulating policy concerning circumcision. http://jme.bmj.com/content/36/12/798.abstract
Fox, M. and Thomson, M., "HIV/AIDS and Circumcision : Lost in Translation," Journal of Medical Ethics 36 (2010):798-801.
Circumcision/HIV Claims are Based on Insufficient Evidence
An article endorsed by thirty-two professionals questions the results of three highly publicized African circumcision studies. The studies claim that circumcision reduces HIV transmission, and they are being used to promote circumcisions. Substantial evidence in this article refutes the claim of the studies. Examples in the article include the following: Circumcision is associated with increased transmission of HIV to women. Conditions for the studies were unlike conditions found in real-world settings. Other studies show that male circumcision is not associated with reduced HIV transmission. The U.S. has a high rate of HIV infection and a high rate of circumcision. Other countries have low rates of circumcision and low rates of HIV infection. Condoms are 95 times more cost effective in preventing HIV transmission. Circumcision removes healthy, functioning, unique tissue, raising ethical considerations. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20965388
Green, L. et al., "Male Circumcision and HIV Prevention: Insufficient Evidence and Neglected External Validity," American Journal of Preventive Medicine 39 (2010): 479-82.
In National Survey Circumcision Had No Protective Effect
A survey of South African men showed that circumcision had no protective effect in the prevention of HIV transmission. This is a concern, and has implications for the possible adoption of mass male circumcision strategy both as a public health policy and an HIV prevention strategy. http://www.ajol.info/index.php/samj/article/view/14003
Connolly, C. et al., South African Medical Journal 98(2008): 789-794.
Circumcision is Not Cost Effective
The findings suggest that behavior change programs are more efficient and cost effective than circumcision. Providing free condoms is estimated to be significantly less costly, more effective in comparison to circumcising, and at least 95 times more cost effective at stopping the spread of HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, condom usage provides protection for women as well as men. This is significant in an area where almost 61% of adults living with AIDS are women. http://www.ajol.info/index.php/samj/article/viewFile/14003/2617
McAllister, R. et al., "The Cost to Circumcise Africa," American Journal of Men's Health 7(2008): 307-316.
Circumcision/HIV Have Incomplete Evaluation
The push to institute mass circumcision in Africa, following the three randomized clinical trials (RCTs) conducted in Africa, is based on an incomplete evaluation of real-world preventive effects over the long-term – effects that may be quite different outside the research setting and circumstances, with their access to resources, sanitary standards and intensive counseling. Moreover, proposals for mass circumcision lack a thorough and objective consideration of costs in relation to hoped-for benefits. No field-test has been performed to evaluate the effectiveness, complications, personnel requirements, costs and practicality of proposed approaches in real-life conditions. These are the classic distinctions between efficacy and effectiveness trials, and between internal validity and external validity.
Campaigns to promote safe-sex behaviors have been shown to accomplish a high rate of infection reduction, without the surgical risks and complications of circumcision, and at a much lower cost. For the health community to rush to recommend a program based on incomplete evidence is both premature and ill-advised. It misleads the public by promoting false hope from uncertain conclusions and might ultimately aggravate the problem by altering people’s behavioral patterns and exposing them and their partners to new or expanded risks. Given these problems, circumcision of adults, and especially of children, by coercion or by false hope, raises human rights concerns. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2801441/?tool=pmcentrez&render
Green, L. et al., "Male Circumcision is Not the HIV ‘Vaccine’ We Have Been Waiting For!" Future Medicine 2 (2008): 193-199, DOI 10.2217/17469600.2.3.193.
Circumcision Decreases Sexual Pleasure
A questionnaire was used to study the sexuality of men circumcised as adults compared to uncircumcised men, and to compare their sex lives before and after circumcision. The study included 373 sexually active men, of whom 255 were circumcised and 118 were not. Of the 255 circumcised men, 138 had been sexually active before circumcision, and all were circumcised at >20 years of age. Masturbatory pleasure decreased after circumcision in 48% of the respondents, while 8% reported increased pleasure. Masturbatory difficulty increased after circumcision in 63% of the respondents but was easier in 37%. About 6% answered that their sex lives improved, while 20% reported a worse sex life after circumcision. There was a decrease in masturbatory pleasure and sexual enjoyment after circumcision, indicating that adult circumcision adversely affects sexual function in many men, possibly because of complications of the surgery and a loss of nerve endings. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1464-410X.2006.06646.x/abstract
Kim, D. and Pang, M., "The Effect of Male Circumcision on Sexuality," BJU International 99 (2007): 619-22.
Circumcision Removes the Most Sensitive Parts of the Penis
A sensitivity study of the adult penis in circumcised and uncircumcised men shows that the uncircumcised penis is significantly more sensitive. The most sensitive location on the circumcised penis is the circumcision scar on the ventral surface. Five locations on the uncircumcised penis that are routinely removed at circumcision are significantly more sensitive than the most sensitive location on the circumcised penis.
In addition, the glans (head) of the circumcised penis is less sensitive to fine touch than the glans of the uncircumcised penis. The tip of the foreskin is the most sensitive region of the uncircumcised penis, and it is significantly more sensitive than the most sensitive area of the circumcised penis. Circumcision removes the most sensitive parts of the penis.
This study presents the first extensive testing of fine touch pressure thresholds of the adult penis. The monofiliment testing instruments are calibrated and have been used to test female genital sensitivity. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17378847
Sorrells, M. et al., “Fine-Touch Pressure Thresholds in the Adult Penis,” BJU International 99 (2007): 864-869.
Circumcision Policy Influenced by Psychosocial Factors
The debate about the advisability of circumcision in English-speaking countries typically has focused on potential health factors. The position statements of committees from national medical organisations are expected to be evidence-based; however, the contentiousness of the ongoing debate suggests that other factors are involved. Various potential factors related to psychology, sociology, religion, and culture may also underlie policy decisions. These factors could affect the values and attitudes of medical committee members, the process of evaluating the medical literature, and the medical literature itself. Although medical professionals highly value rationality, it can be difficult to conduct a rational and objective evaluation of an emotional and controversial topic such as circumcision. A negotiated compromise between polarized committee factions could introduce additional psychosocial factors. These possibilities are speculative, not conclusive. It is recommended that an open discussion of psychosocial factors take place and that the potential biases of committee members be recognized. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2724127/
Goldman, R., “Circumcision Policy: A Psychosocial Perspective,” Paediatrics & Child Health 9 (2004): 630-633.
Circumcision is Not Good Health Policy
A cost-utility analysis, based on published data from multiple observational studies, comparing boys circumcised at birth and those not circumcised was undertaken using the Quality of Well-being Scale, a Markov analysis, the standard reference case, and a societal perspective. Neonatal circumcision increased incremental costs by $828.42 per patient and resulted in an incremental 15.30 well-years lost per 1000 males. If neonatal circumcision was cost-free, pain-free, and had no immediate complications, it was still more costly than not circumcising. Using sensitivity analysis, it was impossible to arrange a scenario that made neonatal circumcision cost-effective. Neonatal circumcision is not good health policy, and support for it as a medical procedure cannot be justified financially or medically. http://www.mendeley.com/research/costutility-analysis-neonatal-circumcision/
Van Howe, R., “A Cost-Utility Analysis of Neonatal Circumcision,” Medical Decision Making 24 (2004):584-601.
Pain, Trauma, Sexual, and Psychological Effects of Circumcision
Infant male circumcision continues despite growing questions about its medical justification. As usually performed without analgesia or anaesthetic, circumcision is observably painful. It is likely that genital cutting has physical, sexual and psychological consequences, too. Some studies link involuntary male circumcision with a range of negative emotions and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Some circumcised men have described their current feelings in the language of violation, torture, mutilation and sexual assault. In view of the acute as well as long-term risks from circumcision and the legal liabilities that might arise, it is timely for health professionals and scientists to re-examine the evidence on this issue and participate in the debate about the advisability of this surgical procedure on unconsenting minors. http://epublications.bond.edu.au/hss_pubs/36/
Boyle G. et al., "Male Circumcision: Pain, Trauma and Psychosexual Sequelae," Journal of Health Psychology (2002): 329-343.
Circumcision Results in Significant Loss of Erogenous Tissue
A report published in the British Journal of Urology assessed the type and amount of tissue missing from the adult circumcised penis by examining adult foreskins obtained at autopsy. Investigators found that circumcision removes about one-half of the erogenous tissue on the penile shaft. The foreskin, according to the study, protects the head of the penis and is comprised of unique zones with several kinds of specialized nerves that are important to optimum sexual sensitivity. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8800902
Taylor, J. et al., "The Prepuce: Specialized Mucosa of the Penis and Its Loss to Circumcision," BJU 77 (1996): 291–295.
Circumcision Affects Sexual Behavior
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that circumcision provided no significant prophylactic benefit and that circumcised men were more likely to engage in various sexual practices. Specifically, circumcised men were significantly more likely to masturbate and to participate in heterosexual oral sex than uncircumcised men. http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/277/13/1052
Laumann, E. et al., "Circumcision in the U.S.: Prevalence, Prophylactic Effects, and Sexual Practice," JAMA 277 (1997): 1052–1057.
Researchers Demonstrate Traumatic Effects of Circumcision
A team of Canadian researchers produced new evidence that circumcision has long-lasting traumatic effects. An article published in the international medical journal The Lancet reported the effect of infant circumcision on pain response during subsequent routine vaccination. The researchers tested 87 infants at 4 months or 6 months of age. The boys who had been circumcised were more sensitive to pain than the uncircumcised boys. Differences between groups were significant regarding facial action, crying time, and assessments of pain.
The authors believe that "neonatal circumcision may induce long-lasting changes in infant pain behavior because of alterations in the infant’s central neural processing of painful stimuli." They also write that "the long-term consequences of surgery done without anaesthesia are likely to include post-traumatic stress as well as pain. It is therefore possible that the greater vaccination response in the infants circumcised without anaesthesia may represent an infant analogue of a post-traumatic stress disorder triggered by a traumatic and painful event and re-experienced under similar circumstances of pain during vaccination." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9057731
Taddio, A. et al., "Effect of Neonatal Circumcision on Pain Response during Subsequent Routine Vaccination," The Lancet 349 (1997): 599–603.
Circumcision Study Halted Due to Trauma
Researchers found circumcision so traumatic that they ended the study early rather than subject any more infants to the operation without anesthesia. Those infants circumcised without anesthesia experienced not only severe pain, but also an increased risk of choking and difficulty breathing. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Up to 96% of infants in some areas of the United States receive no anesthesia during circumcision. No anesthetic currently in use for circumcisions is effective during the most painful parts of the procedure. http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/278/24/2157.short?cited-by=yes&legid=jama;278/24/2157
Lander, J. et al., "Comparison of Ring Block, Dorsal Penile Nerve Block, and Topical Anesthesia for Neonatal Circumcision," JAMA 278 (1997): 2157–2162.
Circumcised Penis Requires More Care in Young Boys
The circumcised penis requires more care than the natural penis during the first three years of life, according to a report in the British Journal of Urology. The clinical findings of an American pediatrician showed that circumcised boys were significantly more likely to have skin adhesions, trapped debris, irritated urinary opening, and inflammation of the glans (head of the penis) than were boys with a foreskin. Furthermore, because there are large variations of appearance in circumcised boys, circumcision for cosmetic reasons should be discouraged. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1464-410X.1997.00467.x/pdf
Van Howe, R., "Variability in Penile Appearance and Penile Findings: A Prospective Study," BJU 80 (1997): 776–782.
Poll of Circumcised Men Reveals Harm
A poll of circumcised men published in the British Journal of Urology describes adverse outcomes on men’s health and well-being. Findings showed wide-ranging physical, sexual, and psychological consequences. Some respondents reported prominent scarring and excessive skin loss. Sexual consequences included progressive loss of sensitivity and sexual dysfunction. Emotional distress followed the realization that they were missing a functioning part of their penis. Low-self esteem, resentment, avoidance of intimacy, and depression were also noted. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1464-410x.1999.0830s1085.x/pdf
Hammond, T., "A Preliminary Poll of Men Circumcised in Infancy or Childhood," BJU 83 (1999): suppl. 1: 85–92
Psychological Effects of Circumcision Studied
An article titled "The Psychological Impact of Circumcision" reports that circumcision results in behavioral changes in infants and long-term unrecognized psychological effects on men. The piece reviews the medical literature on infants’ responses to circumcision and concludes, "there is strong evidence that circumcision is overwhelmingly painful and traumatic." The article notes that infants exhibit behavioral changes after circumcision, and some men have strong feelings of anger, shame, distrust, and grief about having been circumcised. In addition, circumcision has been shown to disrupt the mother-infant bond, and some mothers report significant distress after allowing their son to be circumcised. Psychological factors perpetuate circumcision. According to the author, "defending circumcision requires minimizing or dismissing the harm and producing overstated medical claims about protection from future harm. The ongoing denial requires the acceptance of false beliefs and misunderstanding of facts. These psychological factors affect professionals, members of religious groups, and parents involved in the practice."
Expressions from circumcised men are generally lacking because most circumcised men do not understand what circumcision is, emotional repression keeps feelings from awareness, or men may be aware of these feelings but afraid of disclosure. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1464-410x.1999.0830s1093.x/abstract
Goldman, R., "The Psychological Impact of Circumcision," BJU 83 (1999): suppl. 1: 93–102
Serious Consequences of Circumcision Trauma in Adult Men Clinically Observed
Using four case examples that are typical among his clients, a practicing psychiatrist presents clinical findings regarding the serious and sometimes disabling long-term somatic, emotional, and psychological consequences of infant circumcision in adult men. These consequences resemble complex post-traumatic stress disorder and emerge during psychotherapy focused on the resolution of perinatal and developmental trauma. Adult symptoms associated with circumcision trauma include shyness, anger, fear, powerlessness, distrust, low self-esteem, relationship difficulties, and sexual shame. Long-term psychotherapy dealing with early trauma resolution appears to be effective in healing these consequences. http://www.cmaj.ca/content/154/6/769.abstract
Rhinehart, J., "Neonatal Circumcision Revistited," Transactional Analysis Journal 29 (1999): 215-221
Anatomy and Function of the Foreskin Documented
A new article describes the foreskin (prepuce) as an integral, normal part of the genitals of mammals. It is specialized, protective, erogenous tissue. A description of the complex nerve structure of the penis explains why anesthetics provide incomplete pain relief during circumcision. Cutting off the foreskin removes many fine-touch receptors from the penis and results in thickening and desensitization of the glans outer layer. The complex anatomy and function of the foreskin dictate that circumcision should be avoided or deferred until the person can make an informed decision as an adult. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1464-410x.1999.0830s1034.x/pdf
Cold, C. and Taylor, J., "The Prepuce," BJU 83 (1999): suppl. 1: 34–44.
Male Circumcision Affects Female Sexual Enjoyment
A survey of women who have had sexual experience with circumcised and anatomically complete partners showed that the anatomically complete penis was preferred over the circumcised penis. Without the foreskin to provide a movable sleeve of skin, intercourse with a circumcised penis resulted in female discomfort from increased friction, abrasion, and loss of natural secretions. Respondents overwhelmingly concurred that the mechanics of coitus were different for the two groups of men. Unaltered men tended to thrust more gently with shorter strokes. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1464-410x.1999.0830s1079.x/pdf
O’Hara, K. and O’Hara, J., "The Effect of Male Circumcision on the Sexual Enjoyment of the Female Partner," BJU 83 (1999): suppl. 1: 79–84
Male Circumcision and Psychosexual Effects Investigated
Infant male circumcision continues despite growing questions about its medical justification. As usually performed without analgesia or anesthetic, circumcision is observably painful. It is likely that genital cutting has physical, sexual, and psychological consequences, too. Some studies link involuntary male circumcision with a range of negative emotions and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Some circumcised men have described their current feelings in the language of violation, torture, mutilation, and sexual assault. In view of the acute as well as long-term risks from circumcision and the legal liabilities that might arise, it is timely for health professionals and scientists to re-examine the evidence on this issue and participate in the debate about the advisability of this surgical procedure on unconsenting minors. http://epublications.bond.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1036&context=hss_pubs
Boyle, G., Goldman, R., Svoboda, J.S., and Fernandez, E., "Male Circumcision: Pain, Trauma, and Psychosexual Sequelae," Journal of Health Psychology 7 (2002): 329-343.
Surveys Reveal Adverse Sexual and Psychological Effects of Circumcision
A survey of the 35 female and 42 gay sexual partners of circumcised and genitally intact men, and a separate survey of 53 circumcised and genitally intact men, and a separate survey of 30 genitally intact men themselves indicated that circumcised men experienced significantly reduced sexual sensation along with associated long-lasting negative emotional consequences. http://www.amsciepub.com/doi/abs/10.2466/pr0.2001.88.3c.1105
Boyle, G. and Bensley, G., "Adverse Sexual and Psychological Effects of Male Infant Circumcision,". Psychological Reports 88 (2001): 1105-1106.
Foreskin Reduces the Force Required for Penetration and Increases Comfort
Masters and Johnson observed that the foreskin unrolled with intercourse. However, they overlooked a prior observation that intromission (i.e., penetration) was thereby made easier. To evaluate this observation an artificial introitus was mounted on scales. Repeated measurements showed a 10-fold reduction of force on entry with an initially unretracted foreskin as compared to entry with a retracted foreskin. For the foreskin to reduce the force required it must cover most of the glans when the penis is erect. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12208206
Taves, D., "The Intromission Function of the Foreskin," Med Hypotheses 59 (2002): 180.
Survey of Men Circumcised as Adults Shows Mixed Results
Men circumcised as adults were surveyed to assess erectile function, penile sensitivity, sexual activity and overall satisfaction. Over 80% of these men were circumcised to treat a medical problem. The response rate was 44% among potential responders. Mean age of responders was 42 years at circumcision and 46 years at survey. Adult circumcision appears to result in worsened erectile function, decreased penile sensitivity, no change in sexual activity, and improved satisfaction. Of the men 50% reported benefits and 38% reported harm. Overall, 62% of men were satisfied with having been circumcised. Note: Results may be affected by the fact that there was no sample of normal, healthy, genitally intact men for comparison. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11956453
Fink, K., Carson, C., DeVellis, R., "Adult Circumcision Outcomes Study: Effect on Erectile Function, Penile Sensitivity, Sexual Activity and Satisfaction," J Urol 167 (2002): 2113-2116.
Survey Finds Circumcision Contributes to Vaginal Dryness
The impact of male circumcision on vaginal dryness during coitus was investigated. We conducted a survey of 35 female sexual partners aged 18 to 69 years who had experienced sexual intercourse with both circumcised and genitally intact men. Women reported they were significantly more likely to have experienced vaginal dryness during intercourse with circumcised than with genitally intact men. http://journal.nzma.org.nz/journal/116-1181/595/
Bensley, G. and Boyle, G., "Effects of Male Circumcision on Female Arousal and Orgasm," N Z Med J 116 (2003): 595-596.
Early Adverse Experiences May Lead to Abnormal Brain Development and Behavior
Self-destructive behavior in current society promotes a search for psychobiological factors underlying this epidemic. The brain of the newborn infant is particularly vulnerability to early adverse experiences, leading to abnormal development and behavior. Although several investigations have correlated newborn complications with abnormal adult behavior, our understanding of the underlying mechanisms remains rudimentary. Models of early experience, such as repetitive pain, sepsis, or maternal separation in rodents and other species have noted multiple alterations in the adult brain, correlated with specific behavioral types depending on the timing and nature of the adverse experience. The mechanisms mediating such changes in the newborn brain have remained largely unexplored. Maternal separation, sensory isolation (understimulation), and exposure to extreme or repetitive pain (overstimulation) may cause altered brain development (Circumcision is described as an intervention with long-term neurobehavioral effects.) These changes promote two distinct behavioral types characterized by increased anxiety, altered pain sensitivity, stress disorders, hyperactivity/attention deficit disorder, leading to impaired social skills and patterns of self-destructive behavior. The clinical importance of these mechanisms lies in the prevention of early adverse experiences and effective treatment of newborn pain and stress. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10657682
Anand, K. and Scalzo, F., "Can Adverse Neonatal Experiences Alter Brain Development and Subsequent Behavior? Biol Neonate 77 (2000): 69-82
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