EXPOSING CIRCUMCISION MYTHS
Commonly Believed Myths About Circumcision
Cut now before he has problems. 85% of the world's males are intact. They have no more penile problems than circumcised males.
Babies feel no pain. We now know that babies do feel pain, very acutely. Babies scream, choke, hold their breath, and vomit.
It's more painful if done later. Even with anesthesia, at any age it is a painful procedure with the potential for serious complications.
Smegma is bad. This natural secretion assists in lubricating the glans. Females also produce genital smegma. Smegma of either sex is not carcinogenic.
It's cleaner without a foreskin. Children can learn genital hygiene just as they learn to brush their teeth and clean behind their ears.
It prevents phimosis. This rare condition occurs when the foreskin cannot be retracted. Some males don't have a fully retractable foreskin until puberty. "Congenital Phimosis' is normal in infancy, childhood, and in some cases into the teens. If phimosis continues into adulthood, it can be alleviated by gentle stretching of the opening.
It prevents infections. Even circumcised males (and females) will get urinary tract infections (UTI). Antibiotics are a less traumatic solution than circumcision. Doctors and parents who forcibly retract the foreskin to clean or inspect can cause UTIs in intact boys.
It prevents premature ejaculation. A foreskin doesn't cause premature ejaculations. The problem is a common sexual complaint among circumcised and intact men.
It prevents penile cancer. This is very rare (one in 100,000) usually in older men, both circumcised and intact. This is related to HPV, a sexually transmitted virus.
It prevents cervical cancer. We now know that cervical cancer is associated with a history of STD. Foreskins do not cause cancer. Women with circumcised partners and lesbians can get cancer.
It prevents AIDS/venereal diseases. Some fear small tears in the foreskin might allow HIV or other infection to occur. However, small tears in the taut shaft skin of a circumcised male can also occur. America, where most males are circumcised, has the 5th highest rate of AIDS in the world and a high rate of sexually transmitted diseases (STD). 80+% of American sexually active adult males are circumcised. It has not reduced the risk of AIDS or STDs!
Other Miscellaneous Myths Include:Peer Pressure. Parents fear an intact son will be ridiculed by friends. With circumcision declining, it will be the circumcised boy who may feel different. Males eventually realize that "all men are not created equal" without suffering emotional harm. Like Father-like Son. One's psyche is not so fragile that he must have a clone of his father's or sibling's genitals for mental well-being.
Circumcision Wish. A very small minority of intact men wish that their parents had had them circumcised in infancy. Such men can freely choose circumcision. The problems of a few do not justify circumcising the majority.
Men Prefer Being Circumcised. With no accurate means of comparison, the typical circumcised man has no idea with he is missing. A man, colorblind from birth and thinking his sight is normal, might also never question his condition. An increasing number of men express resentment about being circumcised and are seeking restoration information.
Every Nation Circumcises. Wrong! More than 85% of the world's males are intact. The U. S. is the only country routinely circumcising the majority of its newborn males for nonreligious reasons.
Christianity Requires It. Wrong! Christ, who as Jewish, was circumcised by the covenant of Abraham and had glans coverage. Jews for only the last 2000 years have used the radical denudation of the glans. Circumcision is not required of Christ's followers. St. Paul's letter to the Galatians states, "In Christ, circumcision availeth nothing." Editor Note: For information purposes I include MY opinion of biblical circumcision here.
Source: http://www.norm.org
More articles Rebutting Commonly Held Circumcision Myths...
Article by John Sawkey: Director of Medical Ethics Network
Article published at www.healthcentral.com
Article by Midwifery Today E-News (Vol 1 Issue 37, Sep 10, 1999)
