Circumcision is the surgical removal of the sleeve of skin and mucosal tissue that normally covers the glans (head) of the penis. This double layer, sometimes called the prepuce, is more commonly known as the foreskin. Parents are encouraged to read as much as possible about circumcision. They should make themselves aware of the complexities of the circumcision procedure itself. Speak to your doctor about the step-by-step procedure.

It’s rare for intact men or women to support the removal of healthy functioning sexual tissue from an unconsenting child. Those who do usually have something to gain from it (e.g.

The often repeated statement that babies can't feel pain is not true. It is documented in the medical literature that babies are as sensitive to pain as anyone else, and perhaps more so. [13,14] Most circumcisions are performed without anaesthetic, because there are risks involved with using anaesthetics on babies. Sometimes local injections are used, but this does not eliminate pain. Most babies will show signs of pain during the procedure and in the week or ten days following circumcision.

No. However, we believe that circumcision is a special case in surgical treatments as it entails a cosmetic and sexual change in the body that cannot be reversed. Our intent is to discuss the wisdom of promoting circumcision inappropriately or unethically to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS. We oppose circumcision where informed consent is unavailable or not possible and where said consent fails to address the issue of damage or injury to the penis and loss of sexual function and sensation.

No. Immunization involves injections. Circumcision is surgery, which results in the permanent loss of a healthy, functional body part and has long-term physical, sexual and psychological consequences that have yet to be studied. Unlike immunization, which affects children of both genders, circumcision usually targets one gender and is rooted in cultural custom, religion and social myths.

Lengthy but worthwhile scholarly articles on the anti-sexual origins and history of human genital mutilation are found in James DeMeo's The Geography of Genital Mutilation, James W. Prescott's Genital Pain vs. Genital Pleasure, and Karen Ericksen Paige's The Ritual of Circumcision. Many people believe that circumcision began with the Jews as a hygienic ritual. This is not correct. This belief results from us projecting a 20th Century rationale (hygiene) onto an ancient sacrificial blood ritual.

Genital cutting of male children in the U.S. persists because it’s a social custom.

No. A circumcision is a partial and/or complete removal of the foreskin of penis. It is only a cosmetic (or religious) procedure desired by some parents. If the child is taught proper hygiene and how to retract his foreskin he should have no problems in the future. We normally perform the circumcision in the hospital prior to discharge home.

Because a large number of men in English-speaking Western countries are circumcised, many think of the foreskin as an unnecessary part of the penis. Many circumcisions are performed because a circumcised father often does not want to feel that he is different from his son. It is often said that a circumcised penis is cleaner, or easier to keep clean, than an intact penis.

Up to 20% of circumcised males will suffer from one or more of the following complications, to some degree: Meatal stenosis (narrowing of the urethral opening due to infection and subsequent scarring, that occurs almost exclusively in circumcised boys) [15] The surface of the glans becomes dry if not protected by the foreskin. It is believed that dryness and abrasion may cause progressive loss of sensation in the glans, especially in later life.

ADD/ADHD Helping Children, Not Drugging Them: In 1996 the World Health Organization warned that Ritalin over-use has reached dangerous proportions. Learn about alternatives to ritalin and other drugs Peter R. Breggin, M.D - "The drugging of children has gotten so out of hand that America is waking up to this. This is a national catastrophe." more Julian Whitaker M.

They do! Under current cultural conditions, however, most non-intact men still remain ignorant about the important functions of the prepuce and are enculturated to believe that circumcision is beneficial. Many don’t yet know how to identify their harm, while others believe that such effects are "normal" or a "birth defect". Still others deny that they were harmed at all.

No. Circumcision is a surgical procedure that can be performed on men and women of all races and religions and is done for a variety of reasons, some of them cultural or religious. NORM-UK was originally formed to address the unnecessary medical circumcisions being performed in British hospitals. However, we were later joined by members circumcised for religious or cultural reasons who wished to extend the campaign to their own communities.

Male circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin. In the United States today, all forms of child female circumcision are prohibited under Title 18 of the U.S. Code. Males are not included in that legislation, however, and as a result nearly 60% of American boys are still circumcised, with wide variations among individual states.

The unique nerve endings that are cut off during circumcision cannot be restored. However, other significant damage from circumcision can be reversed through a method called non-surgical foreskin restoration, which involves stretching the remaining shaft skin over the glans to grow new skin.

To learn more about circumcision, please click the links on our Resources page. A number of different books on circumcision are also available. Home ? Search ? FAQ ? MGM Bill ? State MGM Bills ? Resources ? Take Action ? Gov Responses ? United Nations ? AIDS ? Amnesty Int'l ? AAP ? ACOG ? Multimedia ? Events ? News ? Press Releases ? Letters ? Endorsements ? Publications ? About Us ? Contact Us ? Store ? Donate ? Site Map

There are no medical benefits to female circumcision. In fact, the Academy has a policy strongly opposes this practice. - Updated: March 5, 2001

Whether or not to have this procedure done is usually a religious or cultural decision. There may be some evidence that circumcision helps avoid some diseases in adulthood, but this is not universally supported. Circumcision may be performed in the hospital prior to discharge by the obstetrician or in our office up to four weeks of age. Back To Top