In November Leeanne Morris (of 15 Square) and Alejandro Sanchez (from the National Secular Society) appeared on the Locked Up Living podcast to discuss some of the nuances around male circumcision. For those that don’t know, Locked Up Living is a podcast on individuals working for organisations that are at odds with the cultural or social norms and face challenging work or living environments in pursuit of their goals.
Leanne is both a charity trustee and a psychotherapeutic counsellor, with experience in emergency services. The charity seeks to offer peer support, counselling services, and external education (e.g. for agencies) about potential harms and the lived experience of circumcised men. |
Alejandro serves as the human-rights lead at NSS. Part of their work is opposing legally tolerated religious practices that results in potential harm: including non-therapeutic genital cutting of children (male circumcision). |
Alejandro Sanchez (National Secular Society):During the podcast, the participants discussed one of the key areas that 15 Square has taken an interest in recently. Currently, there is an unacceptable lack of oversight. Because there is no legal requirement that circumcisions be done by medically trained professionals, many are conducted by ritual circumcisers, or those motivated to put profit over safety. Compounding this, due to laws surrounding anaesthetic in the UK, medically unqualified religious practitioners must conduct this painful procedure with no anaesthetic. A discussion takes place highlighting the recent criminal cases in the UK in which circumcision practitioners (sometimes with prior investigations into their unsafe practices) were technically not breaking the law despite continuing to perform dangerous circumcisions.
The end result is that this has led to some recent cases of serious harm to multiple children. This has included mutilation, child cruelty, significant child endangerment, unsafe circumcision techniques, and a lack of appropriate aftercare. Worldwide, harrowing case studies continue to recur; documented cases of infant deaths from bleeding and severe complications, as well as infections (e.g. neonatal herpes), necrosis, and lifelong physical damage result from inadequate regulation. In the podcast, the guests discuss the legal loophole that allows anyone to circumcise a child without medical or procedural standards. This is morally unacceptable in the modern world.
From a medical-ethics perspective non-therapeutic surgeries on children violate core principles: any medical intervention should be in the patient’s best interest. Cultural or parental preferences are recognised as invalid in areas such as female circumcision, piercing, tattooing – and here lies the inconsistency in current practice. The current legal and social framework treats parental/cultural/religious preference as determinative, rather than prioritising child protection. In the speakers’ view, this is an inversion of safeguarding logic. We encourage you to listen to the full podcast on Youtube as Leeanne and Alejandro go into detail on these cases, as well as other important subjects associated with infant circumcision.
Other topics of discussion included;
- Irreversible changes to physical sensation and sexual function.
- The history of circumcision, motivated by a desire of parents and society to control and diminish sexual pleasure and desire.
- The psychological & emotional impacts including, grief, loss, and trauma which society does not permit to be openly discussed without judgement, denial, or scepticism. Even suicidal ideation in some extreme cases.
- Impacts to the interpersonal and familial relationships (attachment, anger, shame, and trust).
- Extreme physical risks including injury, mutilation, and on occasion the death of subject of the procedure.
- The growing awareness around the ethical considerations, impacts of under-regulation, and circumcision complications – and the prospects for change.
The NSS and 15 Square both support legal reform and raising the profile of male genital cutting as an important social issue. From 15 Square’s perspective, this includes Gillick competency, improved record keeping, and medical/ethical standards to be maintained for all interventions.
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