Circumcision is still a difficult subject for some people.
It is NOT Just a little snip!
Fundamentally, 15 Square are against the practice unless it is medically necessary (and viable alternatives have been tried).
It is not a small matter and therefore not “just a little snip”, as the procedure is so often described.
This is based on:
- Informed consent and the right to our own bodies. We are ethically opposed to non-essential cosmetic decisions made on behalf of others.
- The hidden harms and the stories of men have often been swept to the side or ignored, however, this is slowly changing.
- The irreversible nature of the procedure.
- The availability of other alternatives and general hygiene practices for resolving every single issue that circumcision affects.
Unfortunately, there is not enough information to inform the public and largely, the medical professions and human rights organisations have a lot to answer for. Describing it in this way is similar to calling a car accident “just a bump”.
Information and choice are key.
There are men who agonise over their LSA (Lichen Sclerosus et Atrophicus) phimosis for years and end up with horrible glans scarring.
Doctors should be giving patients proper counselling on all of the effects of circumcision before recommending the procedure, making sure the men know they will have changes in sensation, the potential for risks, and a full list of viable alternatives to be tried first.
Finally, informing them of all the possible psychological impacts that can occur is essential.
Once this information is given to the patient, genuine informed consent can be given. Doctors must always make sure that men have the option to consider conservative treatments or surgery options aside from a full circumcision.
In some cases the procedure is needed and helps alleviate suffering for men, we must also be aware of the issue of autonomy if with all of the information provided an adult chooses to undergo a circumcision that is informed consent. Some rare situations call for a definite surgical intervention.
Advanced BXO/Lichen Sclerosis can be a definite indicator that a person should undergo circumcision and delaying this further can cause significant distress.
These are the discussions we want to see doctors having with men when they seek advice on their penile health.
After all, it is they who should have a comprehensive complaints procedure in place, alongside a late-term study on satisfaction in adulthood, rather than the world trivialising the harms of a significant few.
Records are key to recognising the harm.
Without the records, we have difficulty changing the status quo.
If these were in place, cultural norms would change too.
Don’t believe us?
Slavery, stoning victims, sacrifice, persecution of others and homophobia have almost all been abandoned by all but the most extreme groups. (*There are always exceptions).
We like to think that this is because the arguments against these issues are so fundamentally compelling that they are naturally left behind as the average person rejects these violations of other people’s liberty and wellbeing.
Cultures that were once complacent with these practices have gained some integrity by leaving these shadows of the past behind.
However, to do this, there must be recognition of the harm and recognition of the double standards within society.
15 Square are working to ensure better medical policy, but culture is slowly moving in the right direction.
While financial motive in the US health system slows down progress, social change is still growing.
News outlets and journalists have gained great confidence in critiquing circumcision, empowered by the logic of the arguments, the personal stories of men who feel harmed and violated, and the double standards that are involved with this subject.
What is the world saying about this?
Article by Sebastian Tynkkynen
Defending the rights of children – why it is not a no-brainer for everyone?
“Every year several Finnish boys are stripped of their right to decide on their own body. On a global scale, we are talking about millions and millions of boys every year.
For religious and cultural reasons, their parents decide to cut their infant´s foreskin, one of the most sensitive parts of a human body. It’s a decision that cannot be taken back, even if the victim of this cultural tradition wanted to when he reaches adulthood.” Read the Full Article HERE
Article by Adrian Liberto
“No, it’s not just a snip”: Why Circumcision is Legalised Child Abuse
“Female genital mutilation is thankfully on the decline and relatively rare in developed countries. The cutting of little boys, however, is not. Approximately one-third of males are circumcised worldwide. “
“It is worth remembering that the irreversible cut that is carried out on the child is inflicted on the adult that child will become too.” Read The Full Article HERE
Article by Anthea Rowan
Circumcision: genital mutilation or simple medical procedure with health benefits?
“Choice, it seems, should underline circumcision – as it does so much today where it once didn’t – in sexual preference, for example.
And choices can only be made when a person is properly armed and empowered with the right information.”
“Often men who didn’t realise they were cut as babies until they see an intact penis experience anger and/or depression upon realising what happened to them.” (Georganne Chapin, of Intact America) Read The Full Article HERE
Article by Iona Italia
A Wrong Against Boys: An Impossible Conversation about Circumcision
“The foreskin is frequently dismissed as a flap of skin.
Yet skin varies greatly in its haptic qualities.
The skin of the fingertip is far more sensitive than that of the elbow; the skin of the clitoral hood is more responsive to touch than that of the heel.
The mobile skin system of the foreskin is richly supplied with blood vessels and nerves, including a dense network of fine touch receptors.
It may also serve to protect the skin of the glans from thickening and keratinising due to constant exposure and friction.
Despite the foreskin’s profusion of nerve cells, pro-circumcision activists frequently argue that the operation results in no loss of erotic sensation.
Of course, erotic feelings are, like other qualia, difficult to quantify and compare.
There are strong indications, however, that feeling is reduced in circumcised men.”
The board of the Danish Medical Association
Circumcision of boys without medical indication is ethically unacceptable
It is not just a little snip!
Even if you disagree, the choices that you make for your children can have lifelong consequences, and there is no undoing circumcision.
We encourage you to think about who the body belongs to.
One of the biggest frustrations for men struggling with circumcision trauma is that the practice is downplayed by counsellors and medical professionals, & they experienced consequences that they were not warned about.
With circumcision, we recognise that medical practitioners are lagging behind the standards for informed patient consent, discussion of harm and trying alternatives.
Many doctors do not give out the correct information on the impact the procedure can have and have a tendency to trivialise it.
15 Square are trying to encourage medical institutions to match practice with guidelines when it comes to the issue of men’s penile health.
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