Female genital mutilation is the altering of female genitalia for non-medical or religious reasons. Circumcision is the removal of foreskin from a male’s penis for perceived medical or religious reasons. Although FGM is recognized internationally as a form of sexism and discrimination, circumcision is not. Both are extremely inhumane and violate individual’s rights. The rights violated for both individual men and women who have had their genitalia mutilated are as follows: the right to health, the right to physical integrity, the right to be free of torture, the right to be free of inhuman treatment, and the right to life when the procedure results in death. The practices are most frequently carried out on youths and can be attributed to social pressure within individuals’ communities.
How to FGM and circumcision differ? FGM is not known to serve any medical purpose. Circumcision is believed to reduce the risk of HIV and urinary tract infections. We must ask ourselves. Do the suggested medical benefits of circumcision, an irreversible and extremely painful procedure, outweigh an individual’s rights? Should laws be passed allowing circumcisions and FGM procedures to be allowed after an individual is an adult? Does a parent’s right to religious freedom outweigh a child’s individual rights? Currently, the Jewish and Islamic faiths are two major world religions practicing circumcision on young boys and converts.
The practice is defended by commandments from holy books, religious leaders, and communities around the globe. Jewish law, the ‘mitzva aseh’, states that it is obligatory for all Jewish males to be circumcised after birth or conversion. This is usually done by a ‘mohel’ on the eighth day after a Jewish male’s birth.
Here is a quote from the Center of Disease Control promoting circumcision as a way to help prevent HIV transmission.
Ecologic studies also indicate a strong association between lack of male circumcision and HIV infection at the population level. Although links between circumcision, culture, religion, and risk behavior may account for some of the differences in HIV infection prevalence, the countries in Africa and Asia with prevalence of male circumcision of less than 20% have HIV infection prevalence several times higher than those in countries in these regions where more than 80% of men are circumcised.
The studies put forth by the CDC and the international medical community are guilty of selection bias and observation bias. These studies have been performed in underdeveloped regions and have not had a significant number of participants. The CDC’s recommendation of circumcision for male’s in aiding the prevention of HIV is reckless and counterproductive. Circumcision is genital mutilation regardless of one’s religious beliefs, and it should not be endorsed by the CDC’s over generalization of bias studies. Condoms are still the best way to prevent HIV transmission, and this should be continued to be endorsed.
The World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund need to issues statements against the practice of male circumcision. Male circumcision is an endorsed practice of genital mutilation that is practiced unjustly on infant male babies worldwide. It is an irreversible procedure, and it should not be permitted in any country until one is considered an adult regardless of one’s religious affiliation or upbringing.
We should really be very careful about having unprotected sex, HIV/AIDS still does not have a cure as of this day. Who knows when this disease will be cured.
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