I can't tell you anything aboutmale circumscion. I'm not a an.I do not have a *****. It's my relegious belief that I should circumsize my son (when I have one) but thatsanother topic, for another day. However, I do know about female circumsion. I have a penpal in Africa who was circumsized Fully when she was 8 years old. I was horible. She had the entire ****orious cut off, then they emoved the lips. (shudder.)
I also read about one where they removed the **** and sowed the lips toether, so he husband could know if his bride was a virgin or not.
what pains me, is that the still have custom like this in America. I don't know if they do anything as extreme as that, but I kow of at least 4 people who have had ****orindectamies <~~~~~ prbably didn't spell that right. Thats when they just remove the tip of the ****.
Again I dont know why men are circumsized, don't know wht it does to them. what I do know is Female cicumsizion seems cruel nd unusually. It immediatly robs a woman of any and all sexual pleasure (because as we all know, the good feeling come from the ****)And it causes potentially serious health rsks to the women invlved, and can cause complications in child birth.

This topic is very important to think about and discuss. Some day some of you might think about having children and you'll be faced with this choice. Many people make the choice blindly knowing little about it at all...they just accept it as being something most people do. It is a form of genital mutilation, the foreskin does have advantages, and I just think it's wrong to rob a baby boy of it. The fact that our society does it in mass numbers without much thought is scarey. The fact that some people are even afraid to discuss it surprises me. Someday I think people will look back on it and see it as being the horrific practice that it is and say stuff like, "I can't believe people used to do that to their babies". As long as people keep quiet about it, people will stay uninformed and continue this brutal act.

During sexual intercourse, the foreskin acts as a moveable
self-lubricating sheath, sliding up and down the shaft inside the
******. This enhances sexual pleasure and comfort for both partners.
The circumcised ***** on the other hand, has no such advantage,
which may explain, in part, why many American men and women rely
on artificial lubricants during sexual activity. Also, many
circumcised men and their partners complain of painful intercourse,
which may be due to the abrasion resulting from the absence of the
foreskin. http://www.eskimo.com/%7Egburlin/mgm/cin/Circ.Info.Network.94.07.06.txt

The forskin is marvelous.
Taylor, Lockwood, and Taylor studied the foreskin tissue at the Department of Pathology, Health Sciences Centre, University of Manitoba, Canada. They reported their results in the British Journal of Urology in an article titled “The Prepuce: Specialized Mucosa of the ***** and Its Loss to Circumcision.” Based on the examination of 22 adult foreskins obtained at autopsy, they found that the outer foreskin’s concentration of nerves is “impressive” and its “sensitivity to light touch and pain are similar to that of the skin of the ***** as a whole.” The foreskin inner surface is different. It is mucous membrane similar to the inner surface of the mouth, also rich in nerves and blood vessels. Between the inner and outer layers of the foreskin is a unique structure they call a “ridged band” that contains “specialized nerve endings.” The researchers conclude that the foreskin has several kinds of nerves and “should be considered a structural and functional unit made up of more or less specialized parts. . . . The glans and penile shaft gain excellent if surrogate sensitivity from the prepuce.”
The foreskin represents at least a third of the penile skin. It protects the glans from abrasion and contact with clothes. The foreskin also increases sexual pleasure by sliding up and down on the shaft, stimulating the glans by alternately covering and exposing it. This can occur during masturbation or intercourse. Friction is minimized, and supplementary lubrication is not needed. Without the foreskin, the glans skin, which is normally moist mucous membrane, becomes dry and thickens considerably in response to continued exposure. This change reduces its sensitivity. In addition, the loss of a secretion called smegma of the inner foreskin layer removes natural lubrication.

according to the 1999 American Academy of Pediatrics Circumsicion Policy Statement (Found in the AAP Journal, Vol. 104, Number 3, March 1999, p.686-693) does not recommend circumision. Also, experimental design and statistical analysis are not typically taught in medical school; and medical schools discourage questioning of authorities based on tradition. I'd like to also point out that the frontal lobotomy won a nobel prize for being such a great medical techinique

1) According to a comprehensive study, newborn responses to pain are "similar to but greater than those observed in adult subjects." Some infants do not cry because they go into traumatic shock from the overwhelming pain of the surgery. (Anand, K. & Hickey, P., “Pain and Its Effects in the Human Neonate and Fetus,”New England Journal of Medicine 317 (1987): 1326; Romberg, R., Circumcision: The Painful Dilemma (South Hadley, MA: Bergin & Garvey, 1985)).

(2)The AAP report recognizes the extreme pain and trauma caused by circumcision as evidenced by large increases in heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormone levels during circumcision. The AAP notes that according to a recent study, circumcised infants exhibit a stronger pain response to vaccination at six months than uncircumcised infants, demonstrating that the effects of circumcision are not short-lived.

(3)Also there seems to be some sign of emotional truama. circumscied men often report feeling: anger, resentment, revenge, rage, hate sense of loss, deficiency, diminished body image, disbelief, lack of understanding, confusion, embarrassment, shame,
sense of having been victimized, cheated, robbed, raped, violated, abused, mutilated, deformed, fear, distrust, withdrawal, grief, sadness, pain, envy, jealousy of intact men (Hammond, T., “A Preliminary Poll of Men Circumcised in Infancy or Childhood,” BJU International 83 (1999): 85-92.)

(1)UTI affects only 1 in every 100,000 uncircumscribed men. If medical proceedures are suppose to be the least invasive, antibiotics works to counter-act UTI. Moreover, it is unknown exactly the rates of UTI affecting circumscribed men.
(2) This is the same idea as removing teeth because there may one day be cavities.
(3) As in previous reports, hygiene is not an issue. According to the AAP report, "there is little evidence to affirm the association between circumcision status and optimal penile hygiene."
(4) The American origion of circumsicion is based not on cleanliness at all, but rather Routine infant circumcision started in the U.S. in the 1870s when it was promoted as a preventive cure for masturbation (Kellogg, J., Plain Facts for Old and Young (Burlington, IA: F. Segner, 1888).

No experimental anesthetic has been found to be safe and effective in preventing circumcision pain in infants
(Stang, H. et al., “Local Anesthesia for Neonatal Circumcision,” Journal of the American Medical Association 259 (1988): 1507-11.)

Actually male circumcision reduces sexual pleasure and it's rather painful, like extremely painful.

I know that circumcision is for health reasons, and that not being circumsized is some people's religious belief. If people follow their hearts, and don't hurt anyone else, then I see nothing wrong with continuing this practice on MALES. Females, however, is a different story! There is no reason to mess with anything in there unless you are having a baby and need an epesiotomy. And that isn't even in the genitals, just near them. It is fact that circumsizing guys is healthier (although not to do it is still healthy,) for them, and makes it easier to "function" if you know what I mean. There is no reason to mess with anything in that area of a woman unless it is for health reasons.

America shouldnt but in, if they want to help they could send sanitary equiptment. I havent seen the episode of Oprah on ****** Monologues. This is their tradition and right of passage and that makes the women who they are, im not saying its ok but if they believe in this then should be able to practice their customs, as Americans do, but they should do it SAFELY for the sake of the girls.
Angelface, yeah in other countries they sew the girls cl*toris, in order not to cheat on their husband. Before making "love" the man opens it and then sews it when its done. Yeah it is wrong, but not to them.

Have any of you ever seen the episode of Oprah where the authour of "****** Monolouges" is on talking about genital mutilation. I've seen this episode like 3 or 4 times and every time i'm disturbed by what happens. Genital Mutilation is like AngelFace said a way to supposedly stop women from cheating on their husbands. It is also supposed to stop women from having premarital sex and getting pregnant. When the girls are preteens to teen agers they are cut. I remember a women on the show describing what happened to her. i don't have exactly what she said but it pretty much went like this. her either grandmother or aunt (can't remeber which) told her to take a bath and then once that was done they took her to the kitchen and laid her down on the floor. There were neighbor men there and they each held her down as her grandmother cut her cl*toris (why can't we say this I'm not useing it offensivly?) with a dirty unsharpened knife. then they laid her down in the next room and let her bleed while they did the same thing to her sister useing the same knife. These stories are what really makes me against genital mutilization. Not only is this girl subjected to a painful opperation with no pain killers. she is also put at risk of disease and infection because the knife was dirty and she was left on the floor bleeding. All for the sake of tradition. As far as the united states government getting involved i don't think they should at all. they always screw it up whenever they step in. On Oprah there was this group of people that had gone to africa and educated girls about the dangers of being cut. (in the group was the auther of the book and calista flockhart) I believe they were a non-profit organization that wasn't associated with the govenment at all. that is how america should step in. It's alot more threatening if the gov't came and said they couldn't cut girls than if a group of mainly women from different countries educating villages about what is so harmful about their tradition. if anyone else has seen that episode and knows I have one of my facts wrong please tell me.
*Mishie*

I don't agree with genital mutilation, but I don't think the U.S. should try to stop it. There are two reasons for my decision. My first reason is that it would be rude and very disrespectful for us to go and force them to stop practicing their customs. We have no right! Would we let people tell us that we couldn't worship God or Allah or whoever we worship? I can speak for myself and say that I wouldn't accept that for a minute. My second reason is that I believe the U.S. has too many problems of its own to get involved in problems of other countries. I don't mean to sound selfish or unconcerned, but we need to get our own act together before we try to right the wrongs of other countries. I love America, but it is far from perfect.

Well, I just want to say first, this is a great topic onelove. Oh, and if I repeat anything anyone has said before, I'm sorry, but I didn't have time to read all of the past replies.

Anyway, circumsions that are performed on boys are symbolic to some cultures/religions, but it's also for their own physical good.
With foreskin, there's constant risk of infection for a man. Not to mention, his sex life would be very difficult for him. (I'm not getting nasty, but this is anatomy)
With foreskin a man would have to peel it back constantly to maintain many normal, bodily functions that a circumsized man has no problem with.
Most of the time circumsions are performed on males while they are infants. It's not to hurt them, and they'll never remember a thing. It also will never affect them in anyway.
The big difference is, in Africa, the genital mutilation on women is one sided. I hear it is performed on women while they are either little girls or young women, and removing the cl*toris is not to benefit them in anway.
They remove the womens cl*toris (hope I can say that) so as to prevent her from cheating on her husband or "man". They do this so the woman will not recieve pleasure, sexually anymore.
And another form of genital mutilation on women I know of, is literally sewing a womens private parts. Again, to prevent her from cheating, and again, this will not benefit her physically in anyway.
I think it's sick, but on the other hand America can't just step up and try to stop something another country has been doing for so many years. It's in their culture basically. Almost like tradition.
It's sad, and I could never imagine anyone going through it, but what could anyone do? These women live in these tribes and societies where they have to obey. It's almost expected. Their mother's went through it. Now they will.
I'm not condoning this horrible form of cruelty towards women, but am baffled on how to suggest a way to stop this.

oooohhh circumsision... yeah it is very common...... i heard that some christians do that also..... i dont see why.. some say its for purity... but i dont know...
onelove

Well, it happens to all Jewish boys and some non-Jewish boys. It involves the cutting of the foreskin. It's rather common.

hey..
yeah america does have a problem with butting into issues..... MGM male genital mutilation? i havent heard of that why dont u tell me about it dante?
onelove

Also, this is a strange forum to put this under, it's nt in our faces or in our schools.

What about MGM? Also known as circumcision...same point, still painful, a cultural phenomenon. Think about it.

i am totally against genital mutilation. it's a very old custom, but is not right, no matter how you put it. as for if america should step in: NO WAY! america seems to have a problem with sticking her nose in everyone elses crap, and look where this is getting us... if we want to help, we should positively reinforce our idea of gender equality. set an example for the world. still, i don't even know if it's our place to do that.

anyone else have anything to say?
onelove

hey onelove : :

This is a very interesting topic you bring. I think that considering the sensitive nature of the potential discussion, the historical and cultural context of the practice and the millions of people around the world that condone it and practice it, it is important for us here in the North American cultural bubble to research and LEARN why people choose this before we throw judgment on a situation we cannot otherwise comprehend.

I think that America has a really bad history of "stepping in" and telling other countries how to be more 'American'. The decision to 'step in' should not be the first step - the first step should always be to educate ourselves from another perspective. Action should only follow understanding.

Here are some good sources of info so this discussion won't be just a bunch of us young freaks blathering on about a subject we don't really 'get'.

Amnesty Int'l Info Pack on Female Genital Mutilation
Fact Sheet on FGM
Female Genital Mutilation

Bridge perspectives, spread peace.

flow23