Community Petition
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/245116
“Ban the act of infant male circumcision without a proper medical reasoning.”
“Male circumcision in infants is an unnecessary, irreversible and unfair procedure to place upon a boy who may in the future disagree with the reasons for which it was done. Religion and parental opinion are not appropriate reasons to remove an essential part of a boys body when they lack the ability to refuse.”
This community petition has been set up by a member of the public on the government petitions web site and has been hosted here for the attention of our members and interested parties.
The petition is open until the deadline on September 21st 2019
I was circumcised at 31, partly because of my foreskin when erect being hard to roll back but mainly because I was madly in love with an American girl who advised me that it would improve our sex life and everyone has it done over there, it was her preference and I was stupidly in love. I had it done, it healed badly if it was indeed done properly in the first place. Following the operation I was left with years of pain physical, physiological and more importantly emotional. I had a nervous breakdown and never saw her again as I could not look at her afterwards although I’m still deeply in love with her and blame myself for my stupidity. She moved on quick I did not at all. I am left with painful scaring and limited movement of the remaining skin. I feel less of a man, I don’t enjoy sex as I’ve lost the vast majority of sensation bar itchy painful scar tissue. Specialist say they can’t see the issue and not to worry more surgery is risky. If only that was the case when the simple operation with only infection to worry about was done to me. I find relatuonships hard now, avoid sex and constantly live with a sense of loss. My biggest thing though is I miss me, don’t feel authentically me. I feel like I’m missing something, which I am a full and normal life.
I believe you’d achieve more by demanding a stop to the genital mutilation of children – full stop. (Use of the word ‘mutilation’ automatically excludes the medical grounds issue). This would heavily undermine any religious objections and make it almost impossible for any right minded politician to object.
I’m a victim of male genital mutilation. Mine was deemed “necessary” to rectify a birth defect. But after 13 years and 30 operations throughout my childhood and adolescence I was physically and psychologically harmed by the repeated attempts to provide me with a penis that was acceptable to the surgeons’ and my parents. No one ever asked me what I wanted or how I felt. These days following two suicide attempts and chronic depression and anxiety my life is devoid of happiness. I know in my own case the argument for medical intervention was strong. But like so many who as children are put to the knife I still should have been given a say about what happens to my genitals. Even where circumcision is considered medically necessary, surgery should be delayed and children consulted wherever possible. And in all other cases it should be illegal, regardless of religion and traditions. We (well most of society..) no longer think stoning, amputations, burning at the stake etc to be acceptable, but these acts were once common, often on religious grounds. We are now more enlightened, except it seems when it comes to mutilating boys penis’s. Why the difference in approach to FGM? Circumcision must be made illegal, in all but truly unavoidable medical circumstances.