15 Square believes that it is essential to engage in dialogue respectfully and with integrity—to raise awareness about the harms that some circumcised men have experienced and to encourage open dialogue and rational thinking. As it is a concern that is often raised by people sceptical of circumcision critics is that ‘circumcision is an important part of religious and cultural practice.’
At our Annual General Meeting, 15 Square was delighted to host the work of Leeanne Morris, MSc. Leeanne has been working on research into the psychological impacts of male circumcision. Leeanne interviewed members of 15 Square and men outside our organisation and then conducted a thematic analysis to find the common experiences expressed by the participants of her research.
The presentation on her research is available below. This is part of the growing strength of our work and collaboration with professionals, academics and the wide medical community to gain the recognition of the psychological impacts of circumcision.
They Made the Cut - Leeanne Morris, MSc - Discussing the impact of NTPC in circumcised men.
At 15 Square, we hope to raise awareness by encouraging researchers to explore the physical, psychological, or sexual trauma that some circumcised men have experienced. It is great to see such promising research being conducted, and we look forward to seeing this research develop.
Finally, we would like to commend other recent efforts in this space by Hammond et al in their work related to the psychology and motivations of individuals undertaking foreskin restoration. You can find this paper by following the link below.
We would like to thank the participants and the men that have been brave enough to share their stories despite having faced serious ridicule, dismissal, scepticism, and stigma. Only by discussing lived experiences can we break the misguided assumptions about this intimate and important subject.
I’ve been a member for many years and congratulate the support and coverage of this dreadful procedure.
In my case I was an innocent infant who was deprived of the pleasures the foreskin provides.
Several years ago I copied details and exchanged photographs of my physical mutilation to 15 Square.
I could elaborate with a written account for your records.
Please carry on with your publicity.
(My comment is also posted on the YouTube video comments on this piece)
Leeanne Morris is a model of compassionate psychological research and treatment. Her commitment and passion shine right through the necessary clinical distance, placing a light on suffering that has gone unnoticed for so long.
We have ICD 11 codes for “Female Genital Mutilation” (GC51.0, GC51.1, GC51.2, GC51.3, GC51.Z) using the WHO’s flawed system, and of course we have nothing for male genital cutting, or intersex cutting for that matter. We have research into the DSM5 disorders experienced by female victims of genital cutting, but almost no research on the DSM5 disorders experienced by males (until now!).
I would like to remind the viewers here that most boys around the world are circumcised by being held down and having their genitals cut without any anesthetic or analgesia, and in far greater numbers than girls. The perception that this is done on infants, in sanitary conditions, and with pain control, is a myth for most of the world, and even in the United States, circumcisions are still done without any pain management by some providers (it is not a requirement). Worldwide, they are often held down as young boys, not infants, so have a conscious memory of the trauma. Not only are they not able to express how they were affected by this experience, but their very identity as men (according to the cultures in which they live) is dependent on them not being effected. Is it any wonder that boys who have experienced this may have unacceptable views and behaviors associated with violence and sexual boundaries? When violence is normalized for these victims, then violence becomes a way of life.
Females are also traumatized by genital cutting, but their trauma is now recognized internationally. Unfortunately, even sexual health organizations like the World Association for Sexual Health have not yet recognized or addressed male sexual trauma from forced genital cutting. The trauma, the PTSD, and the grief is deep, and there are yet no tools to address this. In addition, the UN and the WHO are strongly invested in keeping this problem out of the discussion, so we need to both demonstrate the psychological, as well as the physical morbidity and mortality of these cultural practices in order to gain their attention.
Leeanne’s work is groundbreaking and essential in recognizing the PTSD, and disenfranchised grief of this small group in the UK, but the implications are enormous. Once these conditions are recognized, I believe there will be a flood of men in need of psychological help, and we will need to develop the tools and infrastructure for this need. The first step is believing the few brave men that come forward.
Thank you for believing in us Leeanne, and thanks to your brave participants as well for bringing this to light. It is healing to me, as an affected man, to know that you care!