Doctors must know of and offer alternatives instead of going straight for a circumcision - We have been saying this for a long time!
This Sunday an important article was released revealing serious concerns made by the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital surgeons. They suggested that over half of the UK’s medical circumcisions performed are unnecessary and that non-invasive alternatives can (and should) be tried in non-emergency situations.15 Square, along with many other organisations have been trying to bring attention to this problem for many years.
We are aware that doctors and surgeons often encourage patients to undergo circumcisions without exploring alternatives. This is based on the first-hand experiences of men who contact 15 Square. We don’t know how prolific this is, however, historically it has been suggested that circumcisions performed for foreskin tightness (phimosis) were 700% higher than the expected incidence of actual phimosis.
This suggested that doctors and surgeons were incorrectly claiming the presence of pathology. Since this study (The Incidence of Phimosis in Boys, Taylor et al) the number of circumcisions being performed has dropped by a noticeable amount. Despite this, we still receive complaints from men on a regular basis claiming that they too did not receive thorough examinations or have any alternatives offered, so instead, they turn to 15 Square.
Professions from Alder Hey suggesting that over half of the UK’s medical circumcisions performed are unnecessary is a major milestone.
It is a major breakthrough moment for healthcare providers have started to acknowledge that there is a serious problem.
The number of formal complaints arising from circumcision is likely to be a drop in the ocean compared to those who have been affected, and in the case of Children’s Trusts, the chances of complaints are diminished due to the young age of the patients. This is compounded by the psychological and sexual consequences in later life which some men are reluctant to register formal complaints about. Despite this, there are thousands upon thousands of men repeating the same problems. Sexual dysfunction. Loss of autonomy. Abrasion Difficulties. Psychological trauma.
The common myth is that there are few consequence to circumcision with low chances of complication, therefore the removal of the foreskin will at least be prophylaxis against worsening health conditions. Unfortunately the majority of healthcare providers have almost no formal training in the functions of the foreskin. This means they lack appreciation for what will be lost. This is the attitude that needs to be challenged as less invasive alternatives should be considered first if there is a chance that they could avoid necessitating an irreversible procedure with diverse consequences.
In December, two brothers were hospitalised with life-threatening injuries following unnecessary infant circumcision. Tragically, one of the boys died following the genital cutting. We encourage parents not to take risks by assuming that their children will be happy with the decisions that they make on their behalf, and we encourage professionals to alert parents to the dangers.
The work to highlight this issue is a global challenge
Legislation in Germany enacted in 2012 to formally legalise circumcision has been receiving ongoing scrutiny and criticism from medical ethics professionals. Extracts from the German News Outlet Aerzteblatt have recently reported the following:
“Even five years after the Bundestag legalized the non-therapeutic removal of the foreskin from boys, the decision of the parliamentarians is still met with heavy criticism from paediatricians, pediatric surgeons, psychotherapists and human rights activists.”
“Circumcisions that are not medically indicated change the body irreversibly and are not consistent with health protection and child welfare in boys who are unable to consent.”
– Christoph Kupferschmid for the German Academy for Child and Adolescent Medicine (DAKJ).
“From the point of view of a healthy young boy, there is no medical reason, let alone a medically justifiable one, to cut off his healthy foreskin, the most sensitive part of his penis, and thereby irreversibly and severely damage his sexual self-determination and genital integrity without a documented diagnosis.”
– Matthias Franz for the Child and Adolescent Psychosomatics Section of the German Society for Psychosomatic Medicine and Medical Psychotherapy (DGPM). On why they feel most Medical Circumcisions Are Unnecessary.
We sincerely hope that this marks a trend of objective scrutiny from medical professionals and that this observation helps inform improved health policy.
Did you know?
15 Square has friends around the world doing great work to raise awareness of the harms caused by circumcision. You can find more about some of them here:
Australia – Foreskin Revolution and The Darbon Institute
Germany – Mogis E.V
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