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CIRCUMCISION
An examination of legal and ethical issues surrounding male circumcision
- It is always hard to understand why cruel and barbaric practices have developed and even harder to comprehend why they remain. Genital mutilation of young girls (female genital mutilation, FGM) and boys (male genital mutilation, MGM) is one of the most widespread problems. International campaigns have successfully reduced this problem in some areas of the world but still it remains a problem in other, mainly underdeveloped, areas. A renewed effort to rid our world of these problems is now underway and it is hoped that over the next decade infants will no longer be submitted to these practices. The information provided here will help you find the help you need to combat these procedures.
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- "What's done to children, they will do to society."
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- Karl Menninger, MD
- "My own preference, if I had the good fortune to have another son, would be to leave his little penis alone."
—Benjamin Spock, M.D.,
". . . there are now serious concerns this routine procedure may actually deprive adult men of a vital part of their sexual sensitivity."
Dean Edell, M.D.,
Karl Menninger, MD
- The U.S. circumcision rate declined 11.4% over two years, according to figures just released by the National Center for Health Statistics, from 63.1% in 2001 to 55.9% in 2003, following a steady, twenty-five year decline. At this rate, in just 12 years, the US will join other English-speaking countries in abandoning circumcision. Medicalized, mass circumcision of infants is a uniquely English-speaking phenomenon. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom formerly circumcised the majority of infant boys, but have either abandoned the practice, or reduced the rate to about 1 in 10. The United States medical community stands alone is profiting from a non-therapeutic, unnecessary procedure performed on non-consenting minors. The largest decline was in western states where the rate dropped 23%; and seven out of ten boys remained genitally intact. In 2003, 45% of American newborn males left the hospital intact, up from 37% in 2001.
Since 1996, it has been illegal to circumcise girls in the US. The law itself is legally questionable because it lacks equal protection, which the Constitution makes mandatory.
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- Countries in which male circumcision is still practised and the majority of males are circumcised. Most are third world countries:
Afghanistan
A mountainous landlocked country in central Asia; bordered by Iran to the west and Russia to the north and Pakistan to the east and south
Albania
A republic in southeastern Europe on the Adriatic coast of the Balkan Peninsula
Algeria
A republic in northwestern Africa on the Mediterranean Sea with a population that is predominantly Sunni Muslim; colonized by France in the 19th century but gained autonomy in the early 1960s
Azerbaijan
A landlocked republic in southwestern Asia; formerly an Asian soviet
Bahrain
An island country in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Saudi Arabia; oil revenues funded progressive programs until reserves were exhausted in 1970s
Bangladesh
A Muslim republic in southern Asia bordered by India to the north and west and east and the Bay of Bengal to the south; formerly part of India and then part of Pakistan; it achieved independence in 1971
Benin
A country on western coast of Africa; formerly under French control
Cameroon
A republic on the western coast of central Africa; was under French and British control until 1960
Chad
A family of Afroasiatic tonal languages (mostly two tones) spoken in the regions west and south of Lake Chad in north central Africa
Comoros
A country on the Comoro Islands
Djibouti
A country in northeastern Africa on the Somali peninsula; formerly under French control but became independent in 1997
Egypt
A republic in northeastern Africa known as the United Arab Republic until 1971; site of an ancient civilization that flourished from 2600 to 30 BC
Eritrea
An African country north of Ethiopia on the Red Sea; achieved independence from Ethiopia in 1993
Ethiopia
Ethiopia is a republic in northeastern Africa on the Red Sea; formerly called Abyssinia
Gabon
A republic on the west coast of Africa
Gambia
A narrow republic surrounded by Senegal in West Africa
Ghana
A republic in West Africa on the Gulf of Guinea
Guinea
A republic in eastern Africa on the Atlantic; formerly a French colony; achieved independence from France in 1958
Indonesia
A republic in southeastern Asia on an archipelago including more than 13,000 islands; achieved independence from the Netherlands in 1945; the principal oil producer in the Far East and Pacific regions
Iran
A theocratic islamic republic in the Middle East in western Asia; Iran was the core of the ancient empire that was known as Persia until 1935; rich in oil; involved in state-sponsored terrorism
Iraq
A republic in the Middle East in western Asia; the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia was in the area now known as Iraq; modern government is involved in state-sponsored terrorism
Israel
Jewish republic in southwestern Asia at eastern end of Mediterranean; formerly part of Palestine
Kazakhstan
A landlocked republic south of Russia and northeast of the Caspian Sea; the original Turkic-speaking inhabitants were overrun by Mongols in the 13th century; an Asian soviet from 1936 to 1991
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Kenya
A republic in eastern Africa; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1963; major archeological discoveries have been made in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya
Kuwait
An Arab kingdom in Asia on the northwestern coast of the Persian Gulf; a major source of petroleum
Lebanon
An Asian republic at east end of Mediterranean
Libya
A military dictatorship in northern Africa on the Mediterranean; consists almost entirely of desert; a major exporter of petroleum
Madagascar
A republic on the island of Madagascar; achieved independence from France in 1960
Malaysia
A constitutional monarchy in southeastern Asia on Borneo and the Malay Peninsula; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1957
Maldives
A republic on the Maldive Islands; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1965
Mali
A landlocked republic in northwestern Africa; achieved independence from France in 1960; Mali was a center of West African civilization for more than 4,000 years
Mauritania
A country in northwestern Africa with a provisional military government; achieved independence from France in 1960; largely western Sahara Desert
Morocco
A kingdom (constitutional monarchy) in northwestern Africa with a largely Muslim population; achieved independence from France in 1956
Nigeria
A republic in West Africa on the Gulf of Guinea; gained independence from Britain in 1960; most populous African country
Niger
An African river; flows into the South Atlantic
Pakistan
A Muslim republic that occupies the heartland of ancient south Asian civilization in the Indus River valley; formerly part of India; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1947
Philippines
A republic on the Philippine Islands; achieved independence from the United States in 1946
Qatar
An Arab country on the peninsula of Qatar; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1971; the economy is dominated by oil
Republic of the Congo
A republic in west-central Africa; achieved independence from France in 1960
Samoa
A group of volcanic islands in the South Pacific midway between Hawaii and Australia; its climate and scenery and Polynesian culture make it a popular tourist stop
Tonga
A monarchy on a Polynesian archipelago in the South Pacific; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1970
Saudi Arabia
An absolute monarchy occupying most of the Arabian Peninsula in southwest Asia; vast oil reserves dominate the economy
Sierra Leone
A republic in West Africa; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1961
Somalia
A republic in extreme eastern Africa on the Somali Peninsula; subject to tribal warfare
South Africa
A republic at the southernmost part of Africa; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1910; first European settlers were Dutch (known as Boers)
South Korea
A republic in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula; established in 1948
Sudan
A republic in northeastern Africa on the Red Sea; achieved independence from Egypt and the United Kingdom in 1956; involved in state-sponsored terrorism
Syria
An Asian republic in the Middle East at the east end of the Mediterranean; site of some of the world's most ancient centers of civilization
Tajikistan
A landlocked mountainous republic in southeast central Asia north of Afghanistan; formerly an Asian soviet
Togo
A republic on the western coast of Africa on the Gulf of Guinea; formerly under French control
Tunisia
A republic in northwestern Africa on the Mediterranean coast; achieved independence from France in 1956
Turkey
A Eurasian republic in Asia Minor and the Balkans; achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1923
Turkmenistan
A republic in Asia east of the Caspian Sea and south of Kazakhstan and north of Iran; an Asian soviet from 1925 to 1991
United Arab Emirates
A federation of seven Arab emirates on the eastern Arabian peninsula; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1971; rich in oil reserves
United States of America
North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776
Uzbekistan
A landlocked republic in west central Asia; formerly an Asian soviet
Vanuatu
A volcanic island republic in Melanesia; independent since 1980
Yemen
A republic on the southwestern shores of the Arabian Peninsula on the Indian Ocean; formed in 1990
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