Ethical And Legal Aspects Of Nursing Practice

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

Islamic, Jewish, West African, the Aborigines of Australia and many other religions and cultures use circumcision as a rite of passage that holds significant meaning. Most preform the act in infancy or early childhood and while some hold it as optional others see it as obligatory and will even make sure to circumcise their deceased before burial. (Darby) In Kenya, boys will wear the razor blade that was used on them around their necks as a sign of “initiation into manhood” (Morris) Some religions, such as Catholicism, have maintained that the act of circumcision is brutal, barbaric and unnecessary.(Wikipedia 1)

Female circumcision has been a cultural tradition practiced in different parts of the world for many years in order to secure virginity until marriage. In Africa female genital mutilation tradition is a part of the Muslim culture and parts of the Middle East, for the women to be desirable by her husband. (JPEG) Consequently, girls the ages of 4 through 14 are to endure the severe pains of female circumcision in order to not betray their culture and family beliefs. (Ali, 2016) In the US, the estimated number of females between 15 and 49, who are either at risk of genital mutilation or who have already undergone a procedure, has reached more than 500,000, triple the amount reported in the 1990 national census. (Female genital mutilation in the US tripled in 25 years, 2015) This controversial practice performed on females lead advocates to believe that this is a form of female genital mutilation that must come to an end. (Ali, 2016)

This research is limited only to the ethical issues of Female Genital Mutilation(FGM). Ethical issues about other kinds/types of mutilation like the tattoos or markings, surgeries, transplants and piercings are not furthermore discussed, explained, and identified in this research.

Let’s say breakfast cereal was invented to prevent you from masturbating and keep men pure and sane. In Jewish, Islamic, and Christian practices a newborn boy must be circumcised in order to be accepted by their god. Others have formed organizations fighting circumcision -- a surgery that removes the foreskin covering the glans of the penis -- because it is viewed as inhumane and extremely traumatic to a newborn boy. Thankfully, people have found scientific proof which provide the public with medical reasons and facts as to why circumcision might or might not be necessary in a male’s life. In American Culture, circumcision has been a medically suggested practice in order to prevent penile cancer, urinary-tract infections(UTIs) and a lower risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Not to mention the astounding amount of numbers that show over 2.1 million males in America that have been circumcised since 2008 at some point in their lives. Despite what side a parent or adult male may side on as far as getting a circumcision research is important.

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 practice of circumcision has many benefits or advantages. One benefit is that penile cancer has a lower risk of developing in circumcised men (One in 250,000 Australian men develops this cancer1). Urinary tract infections affect up to 4% of boys in infancy, but is 10 times less frequent in circumcised boys1. Uncircumcised men may be more likely to acquire and transmit the HPV virus that is responsible for cervical cancers1, and penile inflammatory disorders also are more likely in uncircumcised men. Circumcised men are less likely to get skin disorders. Although circumcision may slightly reduce the risk of STD transmission, it does not provide protection against STD’s.

America is the only country in the Western world that routinely circumcises newborn boys. Eighty-five percent of the world’s men are uncircumcised. “The practice violates all seven principles of the American Medical Association’s code of ethics,” charges George Denniston, M.D., a Seattle physician and founder of Doctors Opposing Circumcision. “By definition it’s not even surgery. Surgery is removal of diseased tissue, or a repair of some kind.” “Nonsense,” says Edgar Schoen, M.D., director of perinatal screening at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in California, and an outspoken proponent of circumcision. “There are numerous medical reasons for it.” This pro and con argument has been raging in the medical community for almost three decades. Meanwhile, the circumcisions continue.

Circumcision reduces the risk of penile cancer. It has been found that the incidence of penile cancer is about 1 in 100,000, but in uncircumcised men is 1 in a 600 chance (Hall, 2008). Penile cancer is almost exclusively found in uncircumcised men. Uncircumcised men have a higher etiological risk including of human papillomavirus (HPV), phimosis, and balanitis due to their location of the glans penis and coronal sulcus which is covered by the foreskin (Morris, et al., 2011). There is evidence that circumcised men may clear HPV more quickly and phimosis which is a congenital narrowing of the foreskin opening, restriction impeding the passage of urine and the ability to clean under the foreskin (Circumcision Academy of America, 2016). Phimosis almost exclusively occurs in uncircumcised men (Morris, et al., 2011) and increases the risk of penile cancer 12-fold (Circumcision Academy of America, 2016). There is also significant evidence of circumcision

There are several preconceived notions surrounding the decision of circumcision. Many people believe it is ungodly or unsanitary for males not to be circumcised, while others conclude it is unnecessary or it isn’t important. Circumcision is practiced all over the world by many different religious groups and individuals. These people have different reasons to perform this procedure on themselves or on their children. Many do it for religious reasons, health reasons or cultural reasons. I believe it is imperative for parents not to perform this procedure on their children, despite the few positive outcomes that this operation may carry. With good care and proper personal hygiene practices the child can avoid getting his penis infected. A newborn

There is no hygienic or medical benefit for circumcising a female. Also, a male is circumcised shortly after birth, whereas females experience this procedure at much later ages such as seven or eight. In 2012, the U.N. passed a resolution that condemns female genital mutilation, or circumcision, as harmful to women and girls (Kolodny). This article argues that female genital mutilation should be a crime, not a cultural practice, but even if there was some way to make this practice illegal, how would it ever be enforced in the lawless countries that it is commonly practiced.

When young boys are born parents are given the option to circumcise them. Most of the time parents decide to circumcise their little boy if their father and or brother are circumcised. However, if the father and or brothers are not circumcised they decided to leave their little boy uncircumcised. When I have little boys I would like to circumcise them for several different reasons. However, I do not know who I am marrying and how they feel about circumcision or if they are circumcised or not. I would discuss circumcision with my spouse before making any decisions.

I am interested in learning about the reason for and against infant male circumcision. The question of whether the baby boy should be circumcised is commonly faced by mothers all across the world. There is a lot of conflicting opinions, that can make it hard for the baby’s parents to decide. There is confusion of which would be worse for their child getting the circumcision and the pain associated with it, or will not getting it cause their son health problems. In the future, I hope to become a labor and delivery nurse and I would like to be able to educate my patient on any advantages and disadvantages of infant circumcision.

In September of 1997, it became illegal in the united states to perform circumcisions on females (Horowitz, 1997). However, to this day there is still a gender-based human rights violation that has not been protected by law. Male infants often undergo genital surgery that is not medically necessary. Male circumcision is the only non-therapeutic surgery performed on minors as an attempt to prevent disease. It is my hope that one day, all newborns will be protected from having their genitals altered, unless medically necessary.

Ever since the beginning of religion, Jews, Muslims, and Christians have practiced male circumcision. This practice was scene as both sanitary, holy, and if done properly, harmless. This practice became so popular that civilization has carried out into current time, in which male circumcision still serves as a very popular procedure today. However what most Americans don’t know is that this procedure isn’t only done on males in other areas of the world. In countries