Circumcision

If you just delivered a baby boy in the United States, 80% chances are that your son was circumcised. How did circumcision evolve from a strictly Jewish and Muslim ritual to a standard medical procedure performed on a vast majority of American males, irrespective of religion? This practice is not so common in India, nor is it routinely practiced in any other non-Muslim or non-Jewish countries of the world. In this articleWhat is circumcision?Decreased sexual sensitivityIt is cleaner?Veneral diseasesViolence What is circumcision? In some countries and cultures, the foreskin of a male baby is removed by an operation known as circumcision. No anesthesia is used. For thousands of years the only people who were circumcised were Jews and Muslims, until the mid-1800s, when circumcision started being regularly practiced in the United States. If mothers could see their sons being circumcised, it is almost certain none of them would opt for it. The operation is violent, done without anesthesia, and unspeakably painful to the infant. The screams, shaking, and frantic attempt by the newborn to escape this unexpected and unbearable pain can be horrible to watch. And millions of children born in America routinely undergo this procedure. Most parents dont really know why. Why does this happen? Decreased sexual sensitivity Within minutes, three feet of veins, arteries and capillaries, 240 feet of nerves and more than 20,000 nerve endings are destroyed; so are all the muscles, glands, epithelial tissue and sexual sensitivity associated with the foreskin. Finally, what nature intended as an internal organ is now externalized and your child has a circumcised penis - sleek, streamlined and modern. It is cleaner? One of the main arguments in favour of circumcision is that it is more hygienic, as it makes the penis easier to take care of and clean. While it may be slightly easier to clean, common sense and regular cleaning practices makes an uncircumcised penis just as easy to clean. In addition, the foreskin proms a protective covering, and if this covering is removed, the penis is exposed to abrasion and dirt, making it more unclean. Veneral diseases It is believed that venereal diseases are less easily contracted by the circumcised male. However, statistics show that the US has both the highest percentage of sexually active circumcised males in the Western world and the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS. The loss of the protective foreskin leaves the urinary tract vulnerable to invasion by bacterial and viral pathogens. Those in favour of circumcision feel that cancer of the penis, which to be sure is extremely rare, is even less frequent in the circumcised. Similarly, a tight foreskin occasionally becomes tighter as the child grows older and may necessitate circumcision in adulthood. At this time the operation is very painful and requires several days for convalescence. But then again, the appendix serves no purpose either, but would we want to remove it at birth to prevent appendicitis later on? Should an unnecessary operation be undertaken? European and Indian males, for example, are not circumcised at birth, and are no more vulnerable to veneral disease than their American counterparts. They go on to lead normal, healthy lives. Violence As far as violence in society goes, America statistically has the highest crime rate. Is it possible that the brutality of the early circumcision could be one of many factors affecting men who grow up and eventually give this violence back to society? Does circumcision at birth kill certain sensitive cells in the male child born in the United States? Are circumcised males colder and a little more insensitive than their uncircumcised counterparts? Voice your opinion

If you just delivered a baby boy in the United States, 80% chances are that your son was circumcised.

How did circumcision evolve from a strictly Jewish and Muslim ritual to a standard medical procedure performed on a vast majority of American males, irrespective of religion? This practice is not so common in India, nor is it routinely practiced in any other non-Muslim or non-Jewish countries of the world.

What is circumcision?

In some countries and cultures, the foreskin of a male baby is removed by an operation known as circumcision. No anesthesia is used. For thousands of years the only people who were circumcised were Jews and Muslims, until the mid-1800s, when circumcision started being regularly practiced in the United States.

If mothers could see their sons being circumcised, it is almost certain none of them would opt for it. The operation is violent, done without anesthesia, and unspeakably painful to the infant. The screams, shaking, and frantic attempt by the newborn to escape this unexpected and unbearable pain can be horrible to watch.

And millions of children born in America routinely undergo this procedure. Most parents don't really know why. Why does this happen?

Decreased sexual sensitivity

Within minutes, three feet of veins, arteries and capillaries, 240 feet of nerves and more than 20,000 nerve endings are destroyed; so are all the muscles, glands, epithelial tissue and sexual sensitivity associated with the foreskin. Finally, what nature intended as an internal organ is now externalized and your child has a circumcised penis - sleek, streamlined and modern.

It is cleaner?

One of the main arguments in favour of circumcision is that it is more hygienic, as it makes the penis easier to take care of and clean. While it may be slightly easier to clean, common sense and regular cleaning practices makes an uncircumcised penis just as easy to clean. In addition, the foreskin proms a protective covering, and if this covering is removed, the penis is exposed to abrasion and dirt, making it more unclean.

Veneral diseases

It is believed that venereal diseases are less easily contracted by the circumcised male. However, statistics show that the US has both the highest percentage of sexually active circumcised males in the Western world and the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS. The loss of the protective foreskin leaves the urinary tract vulnerable to invasion by bacterial and viral pathogens.

Those in favour of circumcision feel that cancer of the penis, which to be sure is extremely rare, is even less frequent in the circumcised. Similarly, a tight foreskin occasionally becomes tighter as the child grows older and may necessitate circumcision in adulthood. At this time the operation is very painful and requires several days for convalescence. But then again, the appendix serves no purpose either, but would we want to remove it at birth to prevent appendicitis later on?

Should an unnecessary operation be undertaken? European and Indian males, for example, are not circumcised at birth, and are no more vulnerable to veneral disease than their American counterparts. They go on to lead normal, healthy lives.

Violence

As far as violence in society goes, America statistically has the highest crime rate. Is it possible that the brutality of the early circumcision could be one of many factors affecting men who grow up and eventually give this violence back to society? Does circumcision at birth kill certain sensitive cells in the male child born in the United States? Are circumcised males colder and a little more insensitive than their uncircumcised counterparts?

Voice your opinion