Pros and cons of circumcision

What are the pros and cons of circumcision?

Despite the prevalence of circumcison in the United States, many people have raised valid ethical concerns. What makes circumcision different from genital mutilation? Are there any health benefits to circumcision? Should Christian parents consider circumcision for their son? We’ll answer all these questions and more in this post.

If you want to skip the long story and jump to the conclusion, scroll down to the next heading. 🙂

Circumcision: An Ongoing Debate

While circumcision was first documented in the Book of Genesis, when God instructed Abraham to be circumcised along with all the men in his household, scholars believe that the practice didn’t start with Abraham. Instead, there’s evidence that the Sumerians and Semites, who lived in today’s modern-day Iraq, practiced it long before Abraham was born. And Egyptian paintings dated to about 2300 B.C. unmistakably depict the practice of circumcision.

By 500 B.C., the practice had become common in what is now the modern-day countries of Syria, Israel, Lebanon, Ethiopia, and Egypt. However, in 169 B.C., Jerusalem was invaded by Antiochus, who had a particular hate for the Jewish religion. He banned many Jewish religious practices, including circumcision. This did not stop the Jews from passing on their tradition of circumcision to their children, but it did prevent the practice from spreading into Grecian, Roman, Gaul, and Celtic cultures.

The next mention of circumcision in mainstream historical literature is at the rise of Islam, where it was mentioned in the Koran. Over the next several centuries, it was practiced in certain parts of Africa and the middle East.

In more modern times, circumcision became mainstream in the 19th and 20th centuries in America. Many scientists made incredible claims as to the benefits of circumcision; Sigmund Freud, for example, claimed that infant circumcision reduced masturbation in adults. Other doctors went so far as to claim that circumcision could prevent mental illness and blindness, as well as alcoholism, asthma, epilepsy, and hernias. Crazy, right??

Although subsequent research obvously didn’t support these claims, most American parents still chose to circumcise their baby boys. It became a cultural practice.

Modern-day studies performed in middle-to-low income countries indicate that men who were circumcised were less likely to get infected with or transmit HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. This was especially true in men who had homosexual relationships. Other proposed benefits include easier hygeine and decreased rates of penile cancer, as well as fewer urinary tract infections. However, studies performed in America and other developed countries didn’t show the same effectiveness in curbing the spread of HIV in first-world countries.

There several organizations in the U.S. dedicated to speaking out against infant circumcision. Intact America, Genital Autonomy America, and Intaction are all organizations that oppose infant or involuntary circumcision. Over the last several years, these organizations have increasingly spouted racist, sexist, and anti-Semetic rhetoric. Most of these organizations believe that circumcision is a violation of human rights, and that it should not be performed involuntarily on babies. Others say that recommending voluntary adult circumcision in African countries (where HIV transmission rates are the highest) is racist.

Currently, the World Health Organization recommends voluntary circumcison, while the American Academy of Pediatrics maintains a neutral stance. So the indecision about circumcision continues.

Pros and Cons

Okay, so that’s the story. What are the pros and cons of circumcision?

Pros of circumcison

• Easier hygeine
• Decreased risk of penile cancer
• Decreased risk of HIV transmission in underdeveloped countries, especially in men having sex with men
• Decreased risk of acquiring sexually transmitted diseases
• Decreased urinary tract infections
• Circumcision performed on infants younger than 4 weeks is less dangerous and heals more quickly than circumcisons performed on adults

Cons of circumcision

• Painful
• Child is not able to give consent when circumcision is done on a newborn
• Risk of infection, bleeding, or other complications (in up to 16% of infants)
• Unknown psychological consequences
• Alleged genital mutilation
• Alleged racial targeting of black, homosexual men

Christian and Medical Perspective

First of all, it’s important for us, as Christian parents, to remember that circumcision has absolutely nothing to do with a person’s standing with God. Parents in the early church had the same questions about the importance of circumcision, and Paul answered it with conviction in Galations: 5:6-7: “In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Regardless of what we decide about circumcision, we need to prioritize teaching our children to love the Gospel and live it out.

The health benefits of circumcision are easier hygeine, decreased risks of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, and fewer urinary tract infections.

As far as hygeine goes, if young boys are taught to properly clean an intact foreskin, they can still have great hygeine without undergoing circumcision. However, when your child grows older, he may not be able to clean himself. As a nurse and a caregiver, my personal experience is that uncircumcised older men often struggle with hygeine, and most caregivers are either unaware or unwilling to help with hygeine in this area.

Circumcision has been shown to decrease the spread of HIV in underdeveloped countries. If you’re living in the United States, however, this may not be a very relevent benefit to your child. Additionally, if your son does not have sex with men, the risk decreases even more. Urinary tract infections are more likely to occur with circumcision, but even in uncircumcised males, urinary tract infections are very rare.

Many critics of circumcision raise the argument that circumcision is painful. That’s true. However, as parents, we are sometimes forced to make decisions that cause temporary pain to our children, but that we believe will yield long-term benefits. Consider necessary surgeries, vaccinations, or even suctioning out a baby’s nose when the baby has a cold. Sometimes parents have to make difficult decisions that are for a child’s ultimate benefit. In a world marred by sin, that’s an unfortunate reality.

Another argument is that the child cannot give consent, and therefore should not be subjected to circumcison until he is old enough to decide for himself. There are several logical problems with this. First, social and legal precedent is that parents have the right to make decisions in their child’s best interest. A newborn does not have the capability to make decisions about anything. That’s why a baby has parents. Additionally, research indicates that newborn circumcision is much safer and has a quicker healing time than adult circumcision.

And, yes, there is a risk of complications, including infection and bleeding. However, most doctors agree that the risk of complications from circumcision is smaller than the risk of complications from not being circumcised.

Other arguments against circumcision include unknown psychological damage. It’s a valid argument. We truly don’t know what circumcision does to a child’s brain, and there’s not really a way to research it. However, as a Christian, I know that God only commands His children to do things for their good. And if God instituted circumcision for a nation who He dearly loved, then I can trust that it was for their good. Therefore, I can feel comfortable that I’m not damaging my child by getting him circumcised.

Many liberal organizations against circumcision say that it’s basically genital mutilation and that it’s racially targeted against African men. That’s absolutely ridiculous and illogical.

First, the definition of mutilation is “the infliction of serious damage on something.” That’s simply not what’s happening during circumcision. While it’s a permanent change to the penis, it’s not causing damage or changing the function of the penis. No one would call an infant or adult who’s undergone circumcision “seriously damaged,” and a circumcised penis is not considered damaged.

And as far as the accusation that recommending voluntary circumcision in Africa is racism? It’s illogical as well. No one is recommending that all men with a certain melanin count be circumcised. No one is reaching out to African American men to recommend circumcision. Voluntary circumcision is recommended in countries where the HIV transmission rate is higher. These countries do tend to be primarily African and have people with higher melanin counts, but that has nothing to do with the recommendation. So, I wouldn’t let the claim that circumcision is racist inufluence your decision to circumcise or not circumcise.

So, really, the decison is up to you as the parents. Research the pros and cons of circumcision, and make the decision that is best for your family. It’s okay to get your child circumcised, and it’s okay to not get him circumcised. It’s far more important to live out the Gospel and to teach your child to love Jesus. Ultimately, that’s what matters most.