Circumcision Case Study

Male circumcision has long been a debate with decisions based on cultural, ethnic, religious and social preference of the parent. There are both benefits and risks associated with the procedure of male circumcision. The procedure involves the removal of some or, the entire foreskin around the penis. Neonatal circumcision is rising among English speaking countries and it is known now that more than 80% of the male population has been circumcised. (CDC, 2006) This number is rising however; studies show that there is insufficient evidence to recommend neonatal circumcision as a routine decision. (AAP, 2006). Many debates of this procedure relate to the benefits versus the risk and medical costs that the procedure entails. This paper

Resolution: The government should increase the support for male circumcision in Medicare and other health care programs to reduce the cost for parents and to improve the health outcomes for the infant.

Too, as a mother, I struggled much with the decision on whether to circumcise my son. Though I was well read on the matter, the idea of inflicting pain to this little wonder I had spent nine-months protecting appeared nearly counterproductive and in some dark spaces of my mind, plain cruel. However, my husband steady inflection of “this must be done” kept a fair amount of fear from overwhelming me. He certainly voiced more opinions on the subject than me, and personally, my argument was largely overlooked due to my lacking the appropriate appendage to relate. Looking back now, I find my concerns had more to do with medical implications of the procedure, while my husband’s foundations for circumcision spawned from values. Our text even boasts

Once upon a time in a land not so far away, a bouncing baby boy was born. His mother and father fawned over his features, from his bald little head to his tiny wrinkled feet. After speaking on the perfection of the entirety his existence, they pass the baby boy off to a nurse who brings him to a table where he is tied down and mutilated against his will with little to no anesthesia. The doctor performing the operation will say, “he will not even know it is happening,” while the baby screams his head off. After having a perfectly natural piece of his genitalia removed, he will be returned to the arms of his parents. This is the reality for 58% (BabyCenter) of the 2 million or so (NICHD) boys born in the United States every year. Circumcision is an unnecessary procedure that violates the rights of boys.

Female circumcision is based on gender oppression and degradation of women. It is the result of a patriarchal society trying to sexually control women. Women are stripped of their sexuality and their virginity is controlled until they are married. As in most patriarchal societies, marriage is essential to the economic survival of women. Therefore, in the minds of these people, the benefits gained from this operation for the girl and her family far outweigh any potential danger. They look forward to circumcision as a coming-of-age ritual, which is necessary to maintain health, virginity and family honor. Circumcised women are considered beautiful while uncircumcised women are considered ugly, unclean, and unfit for marriage. So when parents request a genital procedure for their daughter, they are only seeking to enhance their child's acceptance into their culture and assure her desirability as a wife.

The World Health Organization, also known by the acronym WHO, has defined female genital mutilation as “procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.” FGM (acronym for female genital mutilation) is highly prevalent in Africa and the Middle East. An estimated 200 million and counting have been victims of this practice (UNICEF New York, 2016). In the past 20 years the tradition of female circumcision has received a lot of attention from the public and mass media and has been at the center or controversial debate (Kalev, 2004). Why? Because female circumcision is extremely detrimental to a female’s health as it causes long-term and short-term health complications and psychological damage to the victim. This research paper will discuss these topics and reassure the reader that female genital mutilation has and serves no benefits and is ultimately a violation of human rights.

The practice of female circumcision is happening in areas across the globe such as Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The United states and Serval others counties look at this as a vicious act of genital mutilation and an outright human rights violation (Clay, 2017, p.g.22). The practice of female circumcision has gone on for years as a cultural rite of passage in some countries. Other countries see it as a religious belief and others see it as a way to make their daughter more desirable for a husband The author reports that even through in the United States that many women more than half a million are still at risk of having their genital cut from the CDC reports in 2012 (Clay, 2017,

I agree with you that circumcision can be controversial practice that is influenced by people’s ethnicity, cultural practices, religion, as well as individual preferences. The American Urological Association (AUA) believes that neonatal circumcision has potential medical benefits outweighs the risks if it is performed safely by an experienced operator. The immediate risks after circumcision include; bleeding, infection and penile injury. Complications that can occur later following circumcision include; buried penis, meatal stenosis, skin bridges, chordee and poor cosmetic appearance. Nonetheless, when performed on healthy newborn infants as an elective procedure, the incidence of serious complications is extremely low. When performed properly,

Circumcision is a procedure where the foreskin of the male penis is removed, most commonly in newborns. Some studies have found there are some potential benefits to having newborn males circumcised as laid out in the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Circumcision Policy Statement released in 1999. A few potential benefits include the reduced risk of UTI, HIV and other STDs, and some penile cancers. In fact, more recently, the AAP has released a newer statement in 2012 saying these benefits now outweigh the risks and can justify access to the procedure should families choose to do so. However, there are many other studies that show the risks of having newborn males circumcised. These include reduced penile sensitivity, later in life erectile disfunction, unimaginable pain, and ethical issues. Due to this sensitive topic, parents of newborn males should be given correct and unbiased information about the risks and benefits of circumcising their child. A physician should never recommend the procedure, but instead provide only the facts.

Darby (2015) discussed the harm versus the benefits of a neonatal circumcision. For centuries, it has been believed that the removal of the penis foreskin offer great medical and hygienic benefits while yielding minimal risks. However, little attention has been paid to these minimal risks. Darby (2015) discussed the risks of not being circumcise as well as the risks of being circumcised. Darby (2015) also discussed the religious and sociocultural beliefs associated with neonatal circumcision.. However, Darby (2016) stated that despite these reasons, some men grow up and resent their condition and would not have chosen circumcision for them.

Male circumcision is done by removing the foreskin around the head of the penis and is usually done 1-2 days after birth. According to the Centers for Disease Control, “Male circumcision reduces the risk that a man will acquire HIV from an infected female partner, and also lowers the risk of other STDs, penile cancer, and infant urinary tract infection. For female partners, male circumcision reduces the risk of cervical cancer, genital ulceration, bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis, and HPV. Although male circumcision has risks including pain, bleeding, and infection, more serious complications are rare”(1). Another risk includes, decrease in sensitivity. In other words, there are both benefits and risks to male circumcision. The cause of male circumcision is health benefits and religious reasons.

The aim of this paper is the presentation of advantages and disadvantages associated with male circumcision based on peer reviewed articles and recommendations of WHO. The ethical and religious aspects of circumcision will not be discussed in this paper.

The cultural practice of female circumcision could endanger their daughter’s future quality of life. The parents knew that it was against the law in Britain, they choose to leave the country and have the procedure done.

Have you ever wondered if circumcision hurts your newborn? A research by Practice Application of Research was done to identify which analgesia was more effective. Circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin of the glans penis (Razmus, 2004). It is a procedure that usually does not take a long time. This procedure was done at the hospitals with no analgesia, but pain was still present when the newborn was getting circumcise. This procedure has become more popular than it was before in the United Stated (Razmus, 2004), but yet not all risk and benefits were clear. Some authors have reported that it decrease the number of urinary tract infections, it protected against penile cancer, against HIV infection and HPV (Razmus, 2004). Complications

1. Female circumcision is the removal of all or part of a female’s genitals (Berman & Cannon, 2004). It is difficult to evaluate morality. Objectivism says that moral judgments are true for everyone, while cultural relativism says it depends on ones culture (Vaughn, 2016). Female circumcision is used to prevent illegitimate children (Berman & Cannon, 2004). However, the surgery is done at a young age, does not use correct medical procedures and causes major health problems (Berman & Cannon, 2004). For these reasons, female circumcision is not morally permissible.