I suddenly felt the need to post this. I watched a circumcision on Friday, I'm kinda feeling like it's mutilation; I don't think that skin was meant to be removed.
I did a presentation on circumcsion last month and as I was researching it I found a lot of authors strongly opposed to it. I was thinking they were blowing everything out of proportion; afterall, circumcision's been around for thousands of years, everyone does it.
However, it turns out it's mainly a Jewish, Muslim and North American phenomena. Like, not many other cultures practice it. The Jews and Muslims of course consider it a symbol of the Abrahamic covenant. In North America it started out as a response to kooky Victorian views on sexuality and then evolved into a cleanliness thing for soldiers in WWI and WWII.
Nowadays it's primarily a cosmetic issue, parents want their sons to look like everyone else. It's like piercing your ears, I guess, not necessary but some people like the way it looks.
Perhaps parents should watch a circumcision before they make that decision. The NP I was following told me if I do another rotation with him next year he'll teach me how to do circumcisions. The thought makes me queasy.
What's striking is that the rest of the English-speaking world started doing it at the same time as the US, but they have very largely given it up - and there hasn't been a huge epidemic of foreskin-related problems to make them change their minds. In New Zealand it was nearly universal by the 1950s, now it's almost unknown (except among Pacific Islanders).
ReplyDeleteOne difference is money. The public health systems stopped paying for it. Take out the profit motive and doctors stop pushing it. In fact at least two NZ doctors say they hated doing it and were glad to give it up.
I've heard the ratio now in the US is about 50-50, so chances are that an uncircumcised male won't stand out in a locker room.
ReplyDeletehey, you got a random comment. be aware of what you title your posts, I guess.
ReplyDeleteUh, yes, I'm a little weirded out. Should I edit that? I mean, it's a perfectly reasonable comment and everything I read supports what he said; it's just disconcerting to have a stranger posting on my page.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting information and I guess it is kind of like mutilation. And probably if more parents watched it they would change their minds. When I had my boys it was just the thing to do. No questions, it was just assumed that is what parents wanted. Do you have to learn how to do it or is it an option?
ReplyDeleteI think it's optional but if I want to do pediatrics I should probably learn. We'll see.
ReplyDeleteA stranger with good information added to your network, keep it on. Never hurts to have contacts out in the world, especially one with information in your chosen field. And his information adheres to the second witness rule.
ReplyDeleteThe whole idea of a blog is that it's public. Getting your views out, without having to bow to a boss. Unless, of course, you make it password protected. Incidentally, I thought the picture of the pliers and box cutter went with the circumcision topic.
ReplyDeletehahaha! They kind of do, it was brutal. That little foreskin is attached to the glans on newborns and has to be mechanically separated--pushing an instrument down in between the two layers of skin. Holy cow.
ReplyDeleteSecond witness rule? What the heck is that?
ReplyDeleteMy what an interesting life you lead. I don't think I could watch a circumcision let alone perform one.
ReplyDelete