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Doctors who circumcise 'are breaking the law'
Critics of circumcision have argued that the practice could be illegal on minors under the Offences Against the Person Act and have attacked the British Medical Association's position on the procedure as 'unethical'.
Earlier this month, Men do complain (MDC) and NORM-UK chairman Dr John Warren and colleagues, pictured below, delivered an open letter to the BMA arguing that 'a child who has no disease, no injury or no dangerous abnormality has no need of any type of treatment or irreversible surgery' and that to carry it out just to please the parents 'violates the autonomy of children'.
The letter goes on to say: 'any surgery that is performed without the patient’s personal consent and without therapeutic need is clearly an assault. Any cut made without consent or therapeutic need “that breaks the continuity of the skin” is a wounding under the (Offences Against the Person) Act 1861.'
All other genital touching 'vigorously' prosecuted
Richard Dunker of MDC said: 'The current attitude of the medical authorities towards circumcision is inappropriate in an era where children’s individual rights are increasingly recognised. Adults have a duty of care and responsibility to nurture their children but this does not extend to a power to authorise non-therapeutic removal of a body part, however trivial a doctor may consider it to be.
'It is hard to see how protecting children from unnecessary genital surgery is not in the public interest when prosecutions for touching the genitals of children are vigorously pursued. In a non-therapeutic circumcision such touching is done with impunity.'
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Victim of uncircumcision
My father and older brother were both circumcised, and so I was to be as well. However, my mother asked my doctor uncle whether circumcision hurt the baby and he told her that it hurt a lot. So out of empathy, my mother never circumcised me. Never in my life have I been grateful for being uncircumcised. As a young child I was ostracized for being uncircumcised by other boys, all of whom were circumcised. Now in my early 20s, the foreskin of my erect penis wont retract without much pain. I must always stop my partner whenever she attempts oral sex because of the pain of my over-sensitive head, which is both frustrating and awkward. Condoms are much more difficult to put on and fall off much more often. No one circumcised can recall any pain from the process as a baby. However, being uncircumcised has only caused me problems--I cannot recall ever being grateful for keeping my foreskin. Now, as an adult, I must go through the same procedure as a baby only at much greater financial cost and time and pain. Though my circumcised friends may have forgotten the pain of circumcision, I know I will not forget the pain of a bruised penis, repeated bleeding, and sleepless nights from the exposed sensitive head during the desensitization process. I hope my case will persuade you to end your campaign against an ancient, harmless ritual for this recent campaign for political-correctness.
prevention is better than cure my dear above doctor and his camp
will some one kindly educate the above respected doctor and his campaigners that circumcision is prevention from illness and dangerous abnormality its not the cure as he says no one needs to be cicumcised as a child.
the individual vs the trend
An individual case study should never be used when debating medical ethics that effect 50% of the population. Your example is no more relevant than the man who recently had his penis amputated mistakenly during a botched circumcision. You may think you pain was greater as an adult but any research will show you that babies are hypersensitive to pain as part of a natural survival strategy. The reason that most circumcised men don't remember the pain is that the brain is very good at repressing traumatic experiences and keeping them away from the conscious mind, but that doesn't mean they are truly gone, just that they bleed into your life in more subtle ways.
You may feel hard done by but ultimately circumcision must be a choice made by the individual. You made that choice, you deal with the consequences. Don't seek to make others responsible for hardships in your life. You're like an appendectomy patient railing against their parents for not foreseeing this possibility and whipping the offending organ out at birth.
Also, pretty much every adolescent feels awkward in the showers, if it wasnt you penis it would be something else, trust me. Unnecessary genital surgery on a child just to fit in? Both I and the whole concept of medical ethics will have to pass on that
Your mother's empathy may
Your mother's empathy may have prevented you from the very real risk of complications from circumcision (perhaps something to be grateful about), in addition to preventing you from experiencing pain that you would not recall. Infants suffer pain from circumcision the way adults do, so unless you think it is acceptable to cause such intense pain in infants, I would not recommend circumcising a baby boy. It is very unfortunate that you are one of the few people who has had dissatisfaction with his uncircumcised penis, but you may have considered yourself much more of a "victim" if you had been circumcised and experienced complications from it.
You may be able to more easily retract your foreskin out if you do this regularly (it could be done briefly every day in the shower, when you don't have a full erection, until you can comfortably retract it without pain when fully erect), but retracting it isn't necessary for sexual activity. It is likely you would thoroughly enjoy oral sex if you and your partner weren't forcing your foreskin to fully retract. The extra sensitivity of your head should be nothing other than a benefit.
It's unusual for condoms to fall off as you describe, and they should not be any more difficult to put on if you are not circumcised. I hope you do not take personal offense to this, but you may require condoms of a different size.
It is very rare for someone to require a circumcision for anything other than cosmetic reasons. I hope you can resolve any difficulties you've been having to your full satisfaction without choosing to go that route, so that you can spare yourself the severe pain.
Help
It sounds as though you may have a condition called Phimosis. It's relatively common. NORM - UK (having experts in the knowledge and treatment on the male sexual anatomy) run Phimosis clinics . You may find steroid treatment helpful, or alternatively a far less invasive surgical technique can be carried out to release the tightness without requiring a full removal of the entire foreskin, frenulum etc... I am sorry your discomfort has got to this point without ever having been looked into before.
Choice
You have a choice.Your family did not.I have a choice.My family has too.Your problems with your foreskin are rare,I believe. Having a tight foreskin is easy to loosen,with some gentle private exercise,or a simple surgical cut - not circumcision.Your main problems seem to be social rather than physical. You must live in a very similar cultural group if all your friends are cut,as less than 10% of the UK popn has been cut. Most men do not specifically discuss or check-out the status of other men's foreskin.It is not important to most men unless there is a problem.No one I know has problems with foreskin or sensitivity.In fact,higher sensitivity means more intense enjoyment during sex. A bruised and bleeding penis sounds more like rough action or hemorrhage than non-circumcision.Condoms, are only a problem if you get the wrong size.Maybe you are unusually small,if so there are a range of condoms available designed for you.Try the Pharmacy,not the garage forecourt. If you have sleepless nights with sensitivity problems,having your foreskin removed will make this ten times worse. Check out the help columns in newpapers,a common complaint from Jewish circumcised men,is inappropriate erections due to sensitivity. Not sure where "harmless" ritual comes from. There are many many cases of permanent disfigurement from circumcision.This has nothing to do with political correctness. More to do with respect,for the body of a child and for their own decisions on their cultural identity.Above all,you have that choice.
You're right. There is a
You're right. There is a benefit in getting circumcised. I was circumcised only after I was married and have already three children. I regret it why I was not circumcised when I was still young. it's true that the head of our penis is sensitive, very sensitive to touches and rubbing, and I was fully satisfied then and enjoyed sex with my wife without being circumcised. However, after being influenced by my male friends, I decided to have circumcision. It is true that I suffered pain in the process; and even have inflamation of my penis that lasted for more than a month. However, I found circumcision has improved a lot-lot-lot more my sexual activities. At first, I feel uncomfortable because the sensitive head of my penis always touches/rubs with my underwear; after quite somtime - its sensitivity deminishes. This is the time that I felt enhancement in my sex activities. It prolongs my sex play with my partner and she said its the best thing I have been doing with her. Unlike before (when I'm not yet circumcised), once I mounted with her - after a few thrust - I immediately ejaculate and feel already exhausted so I just dismount and rest (leaving my partner unable to reach her climax yet). But now, our each and evry sex play leaves us both very satisfied.
I hope not
For heaven's sake man up. See your doctor and ask for procedures that do not involve circumcision. 99% likely that your problem can be resolved without radical surgery. If you are in the 1% then get over it.
Mutilating 100% of boys so that the trivial number who need help later can be saved form needing that help is ridiculous and you know it.
Genital mutilation on babies, infants and children is wrong
I am so pleased that the illegal mutilation of babies, infants and children is being challenged. Any man who was circumcised in childhood and says he has not been affected doesn't know enough about the foreskin that was forcibly cut from his body and the functions it was intended to perform.
Brilliantly accurate
There simply isn't any justification for this practice in the objective and rational world. I have bookmarked the page as it is a brilliant summing up.
Non publication of comments
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This is unfair and contrary to the custom on the net.
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it is about time that this
it is about time that this procedure is recognized as what it really is: child sexual abuse, the kind that doctors are allowed to make a pretty penny on. thank you for printing this!
Well said!
Well said!
Doctors who circumcise are breakinhg the law
Since when has circumcision of males bween illegal. Here in the UK some NHS hospitals will nowe perform it ,albeit on a private basis. I was circ'd at birth so was our son. Neither of us have any prblem with it.
How do you know you have no
How do you know you have no problems?
You were circumcised at birth, so you don't know what you're missing out on.
I think it grossly disrespectful and irresponsible of anyone to circumcise a child. The sex organ is, surprise surprise, most intimately involved in the sex act. If you alter the sex organ, you're limiting what that man can do later on in his sex life.
So what qualifies you to make important and permanent decisions about another man's sex life?
Well, when Hadrian ruled the
Well, when Hadrian ruled the Roman empire, circumcision was banned under penalty of death.
Then the hebrews waged war for the right to keep mutilating their sons. Damned fanatics.
Circumcision
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Good for you. However, if some of your colour vision was reduced from birth you wouldn't have a problem with that, either, because you would never have known anything better.
Mutilation
It's nice to see people taking a stand against the genital mutilation of children.
It's a disgrace that so many campaigners and politicians only think girl's bodies are worthy of protection from such abuses.