Professionals In Denmark Sign Petition Against Male Circumcision
Last week, over 1000 doctors signed legislation to state that circumcision of boys without medical necessity is medically and ethically unjustifiable. 86% of the Danish public also support an age limit of 18, unless there is a medical necessity for the procedure.
The public sentiment is that of personal bodily autonomy, however, the political parties have refused to comment due to fear of reprisal. There is still international pressure to turn a blind eye to the practice.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has historically been against infant circumcision, however, this public stance turned 180 degrees last autumn to avoid critiquing Jewish practices. The commitment to ensuring that religious practices continue is stronger than the desire to protect the interests of consent and personal freedom to make decisions at the age of maturity.
This is unfortunate, as inwardly, Prime Minister Frederiksen must clearly be aware of some of the arguments against the practice, however, the political pressure from outside of Denmark as well as within has resulted in a U-turn in her public stance.
This is not just a case of secularism vs religious freedom, it is a direct issue of public health. There is a reluctance to support an imposed age limit due to the fear that some parents would opt for back street surgeries despite the harm and legal status. Notably, this has not stopped anti-FGM laws from being passed.
This situation is ongoing and there has been an effort to inform the public of the harm caused by circumcision for the past few years.
Intact Denmark & Male Circumcision
Lena Nyuhus from the organisation Intact: Denmark was interviewed in 2019 about how she became involved in trying to raise awareness of the harms and ethical problems of circumcision.
“Any type of genital surgery on healthy children is something we oppose and would like prevent and legislate against, but of course more healthy boys are exposed to genital surgeries in Denmark today, so therefore they are our focus point.
Girls are protected legislatively but of course, they are still subjected to surgeries. And then there are the intersex children where legislation is on the way -I hope- so in the future, our focus will most likely continue to be boys, but not exclusively.”
You can find the full interview with subtitles below:
As an organisation, 15 Square hope to raise awareness of the medical and ethical issues surrounding circumcision. Whilst it is a culturally sensitive issue, all parents should be given accurate health information regarding the potential for physical and psychological harm. Without this, there is no informed consent.
We applaud the professionals in Denmark who have acknowledged the potential for harm and recognise the issue of consent and the bodily rights of children.
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