FGM does. Male circumcision cuts the foreskin, FGM cuts the clitoris—the two things cut are not even remotely the same. A retort from Tritiumx :. It is a false equivalence in terms of degree, but to say it is not about male sexuality is inaccurate. Male circumcision as popularized in the United States was originally proscribed by advocates specifically as a method to prevent male masturbation.
Sylvester Graham associated any pleasure with immorality. He was a preacher, health reformer, and creator of the graham cracker. Men and women suffering from otherwise unlabeled psychiatric issues were diagnosed with masturbatory insanity; treatments included clitoridectomies for women, circumcision for men.
He also worked with his brother to invent the cornflake. As Tyfereth dryly puts it:. Commenter ml66uk , on the other hand, points to how male circumcisions often go horribly wrong in parts of Africa:. The worst forms of female genital cutting are unquestionably worse than the usual form of Western male circumcision, but the worst forms of male circumcision are also far worse than the lesser forms of female cutting. Over males died of circumcision in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa last year, and there were at least two penile amputations and one castration.
This site shows gruesome photos of the results. Compare that with this [account of a Muslim infant getting circumcised in a hospital]. Why would that procedure be illegal in most Western countries, yet this [video of an American baby circumcised in a hospital] is legal. Several of the most outspoken opponents of FGM also oppose male circumcision.
I think [male circumcision] is a mutilation. In working with FGM we often find that the battle is such an uphill one that we hope that the men who are working on this issue of male circumcision will carry that. Gloria Steinem had this to say during a panel discussion of FGM :. Speaking for myself, I stand with many brothers in eliminating that practice too. Male circumcision is more sexually damaging [than FGM].
More tissue is excised, more nerves are lost, more functionality is lost. The foreskin has been PROVEN to be the primary sexual tissue with almost all pleasurable properties because the glans has virtually no fine touch reception, mostly protopathic sensitivity [i. By a simple process of elimination, we can deduce that the foreskin is the hub of pleasure. Anonymous Coward counters with statistics:.
Plenty of men as adults have been circumcised and did not see a reduction in their enjoyment of sex. In fact, more say that sex is better than say it is worse:. Of the 79 men who'd experienced sex snipped and unsnipped, 43 said sex improved 55 percent after their circumcisions, 23 said it went downhill 29 percent , and 13 said there was no change or a mix of pros and cons 16 percent.
Click here to read women and gay men compare sex with snipped and unsnipped partners. My [unscientific] numbers don't differ much from the latest research: Based on a sample of 84 men who'd been circumcised as adults for medical reasons, a article in Urologia Internationalis found a 61 percent satisfaction rate, with 38 percent saying that penile sensation improved after the procedure, 18 percent saying it got worse, and the rest reporting no change.
Men who get cut as adults are more likely to do so for religious or circumfetishist reasons and so will be biased toward circumcision. It's impossible to cut off the foreskin and not cause a drastic reduction in sexual pleasure. The average circumcision removes the ridged band and frenular delta, utterly ruining the penis. Try speaking to adult men who've been duped into getting it done for things like phimosis [when the foreskin cannot fully retract]. As they emphasise, nearly every society that practices female genital cutting also practices male genital cutting, often in parallel and for similar reasons.
When the cutting is part of a rite of passage into adulthood, for example, diminishing sexual experience is not typically the intention for either the boys or the girls. What about the physical effects? These range widely, too. Although this procedure does not usually remove tissue , it may certainly be painful and traumatic, and we have argued elsewhere that it should not be done on non-consenting minors.
Based on these and other points of overlap, the emerging consensus among some scholars is that the ethics of genital cutting should not be based on the apparent sex of the child as judged by their external genitalia.
Instead, it should be based on their age and ability to give informed consent. For example, at what point along the intersex spectrum does a small penis legal to cut become a large clitoris illegal to cut?
In this case, one relevant harm would be the involuntary loss of a healthy, functional, and erotogenic genital structure that one might wish to have experienced intact. Throughout much of Africa, for example, genital cutting of whatever degree of severity is most commonly performed around puberty, and is done to boys and girls alike. In most cases, the major social function of the cutting is to mark the transition from childhood to adulthood, and it is typically performed as part of an elaborate ceremony.
Indeed, in nearly every society that practices such coming of age rituals, the female half of the initiation is carried out by women rather than by men who do not typically view it as being a consequence of male dominance, but who instead see their genital-altering practices as being beautifying, even empowering, and as an important rite of passage with high cultural value.
In the US context, male circumcision was adopted by the medical community in the late s in an effort to combat masturbation, among other dubious reasons. It has since persisted as a rationalised habit, long past the time when it was effectively abandoned by other developed nations. Both promise cleanliness and the absence of odours as well as greater attractiveness and acceptability.
Given that both male and female forms of genital cutting express different cultural norms depending upon the context, and are performed for different reasons in different cultures, and even in different communities or individual families, how shall we assess the permissibility of either?
Do we need to interview each set of parents to make sure that their proposed act of cutting is intended as an expression of acceptable norms? But this is bound to fail. So it is not the reason for the intervention that determines its permissibility, but rather the consequences of the intervention for the person whose genitals are actually on the line. Medically unnecessary genital surgeries — of whatever degree of severity — will affect different people differently.
Links to supporting research can be found in the original essay, available here. Space exploration. Instead of treating Mars and the Moon as sites of conquest and settlement, we need a radical new ethics of space exploration. Ramin Skibba. Modern biomedicine sees the body as a closed mechanistic system. But illness shows us to be permeable, ecological beings.
Even when the procedure is performed in a sterile environment and by a health-care professional, there can be serious health consequences immediately and later in life. Medicalized FGM gives a false sense of security. In addition, there is no medical justification for FGM. Advocating any form of cutting or harm to the genitals of girls and women, and suggesting that medical personnel should perform it is unacceptable from a public health and human rights perspective.
Several studies have shown that girls can be subjected to FGM repeatedly when members of their family or community are dissatisfied with the results of earlier procedures. And because medical personnel often hold power, authority and respect in society, it can also further institutionalize the procedure. This programme works with governments, civil society organizations, networks of religious leaders, parliamentarians, youth and human rights activists, and academia to:.
The Joint Programme recognizes that eliminating FGM requires communities to make a collective and coordinated choice so that no single girl or family is disadvantaged by the decision. This approach has seen progress.
Civil society organizations are implementing community-led education and dialogue sessions on human rights and health. These networks are helping a growing number of communities declare their abandonment of FGM. A shift has occurred among religious leaders, many of whom have gone from endorsing the practice to actively condemning it. There has been a growing number of public declarations de-linking FGM from religion and supporting of abandonment of the practice.
Health workers have been trained to treat complications caused by FGM, including the integration of FGM care into medical education curriculum. Referral systems that build coordination between health providers and community actors and organizations have also been strengthened. Several countries have passed new national legislation banning FGM and developed national policies with concrete steps to achieve the abandonment of FGM. Radio networks have aired call-in shows about the harm caused by FGM.
The use of media to galvanize public opinion against the practice has helped change perceptions and transformed public perceptions of girls who remain uncut. Penalties range from a minimum of six months to a maximum of life in prison. Several countries also include monetary fines in the penalty.
The Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development recognizes that violence against women is a widespread phenomenon. It states, "In a number of countries, harmful practices meant to control women's sexuality have led to great suffering. The Programme of Action calls for "Governments and communities [to] urgently take steps to stop the practice of female genital cutting and protect women and girls from all such similar unnecessary and dangerous practices.
Steps to eliminate the practice should include strong community outreach programmes involving village and religious leaders, education and counselling about its impact on girls' and women's health, and appropriate treatment and rehabilitation for girls and women who have suffered cutting.
Services should include counselling for women and men to discourage the practice. Chapter 4, para 4. Most governments in countries where FGM is practiced have ratified international conventions and declarations that make provisions for the promotion and protection of the health of women and girls.
For example:. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaims the right of all human beings to live in conditions that enable them to enjoy good health and health care art. Adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 10 December , the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has five articles which together form a basis to condemn FGM: article 2 on discrimination, article 3 concerning the right to security of person, article 5 on cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, article 12 on privacy, and article 25 on the right to a minimum standard of living including adequate health care and protection of motherhood.
The Convention relating to the Status of Refugees defines who is a refugee, what their rights are, and explains the legal obligations of states. Those fleeing the threat of FGM qualify for refugee status. The International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights condemn discrimination on the grounds of sex and recognize the universal right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health art.
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women requires State Parties to: "take all appropriate measure to modify or abolish customs and practices which constitute discrimination against women" art.
General recommendation 24 of the Convention emphasizes that certain cultural or traditional practices, such as FGM, carry a high risk of death and disability and recommends that State parties should ensure laws that prohibit FGM. General recommendation 14 recommends State parties take appropriate and effective measures to eradicate FGM; to collect and disseminate basic data on traditional practices; to support women's organizations that work for the elimination of harmful practices; to encourage politicians, professionals, religious and community leaders to co-operate in influencing attitudes; to introduce appropriate educational and training programmes; to include appropriate strategies aimed at ending FGM into national health policies; to invite assistance, information and advice from the appropriate organization of the United Nations system; and to include in their reports to the Committee, under articles 10 and 12 of the Convention, information about measures taken to eliminate FGM.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child protects against all forms of mental and physical violence and maltreatment art The Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women urges governments, international organizations and non-governmental groups to develop policies and programmes to eliminate all forms of discrimination against girls, including female genital cutting.
Article 4 focuses on integrity of the person, article 5 on human dignity and protection against degradation, article 16 on the right to health, and article 18 3 on the protection of the rights of women and children.
The Addis Ababa Declaration on Violence against Women serves as an important step towards the formulation of an African charter on violence against women, providing the framework for national laws against FGM. The United Nations Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee approved a resolution that calls upon States to implement national legislation and policies that prohibit traditional or customary practices that damage the health of women and girls, including FGM.
Key Actions for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development calls for governments to promote the human rights of women and girls and ensure their freedom from coercion, discrimination and violence, including harmful practices. It also calls for governments to ensure health providers are knowledgeable and trained to serve clients who have been subjected to harmful practices.
Further Actions and Initiatives to Implement the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action recognizes the progress made in national efforts to ban FGM, and points out that discriminatory attitudes and norms continue to make girls and women vulnerable to gender-based violence, including FGM. It calls for governments to combat and eliminate violence against women. The European Parliament adopted a resolution on female genital mutilation calling for measures to protect survivors of the practice and urging member states to recognize the right to asylum for women and girls at risk of being subject to FGM.
European Parliament Resolution of 14 June focused on ending female genital mutilation. Demographic Perspectives on Female Genital Mutilation. Jacqueline Smith. Nahid Toubia, Caring for women with circumcision. A technical manual for healthcare providers. Rainbo, Leye, K. Roelens, M. Medical aspects of female genital mutilation.
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