PBH 200 Research Paper - Male Circumcision
The focus of this course has been the understanding of different cultures, and through that, the comparing and contrasting of them all. Throughout these histories and teachings have been countless examples of practices and beliefs so unique to their respective cultures, that it feels almost absurd for people from other cultures to imagine. However, some practices transcend the cultures from which they originated, and in doing so have found a life of their own, with some being so far culturally removed by society that many view them as standard. This is the case for male circumcision. Ritter and Graham (2017) mention that while female circumcision is its own harmful entity that is scarcely seen and …show more content…
Despite circumcision rates in the United States dropping in correlation with people’s increased disassociation with religion, with circumcision rates dropping from 90% in 1970 to 60% in 2000, a whopping 82% of caucasian American men are currently circumcised, with African American men still having a circumcised majority at 54% (Burgu et al., 2010). Although religious appropriation is the root cause of circumcision popularity, hygiene is the most cited non-religious reason. According to the CDC (2011), circumcised men have a 44% lower risk of acquiring HIV than their uncircumcised counterparts. This is because the foreskin offers a warm, moist breeding ground for both HIV and other STIs to survive and reproduce. In addition, unlike the penis itself, the foreskin is not keratinized, and is therefore more likely to tear, giving the virus easier access to the bloodstream. Another reason why some parents choose to have their sons circumcised is to avoid future foreskin-related problems. The most common of these is phimosis, which is when the foreskin is either painful to retract or simply unable, such as in more severe cases. This can hinder the cleaning of the penis and if it is unable to be treated, may require …show more content…
UNAIDS (2010) reports that approximately one-third of the current male population is circumcised, and it really is no surprise. There are over 13 million Jewish people and over 1 billion Muslim people worldwide, which account for almost half of the world's circumcised population (BBC, 2014). This also serves as further proof as to just how much the procedure has worked its way into everyday life, as about half of the amount of circumcised men received the procedure for hygienic or societal reason. These are all important to take into account, especially for parents expecting a son, or even just those who have any sort of real opinion on the issue. Because it has found its way into being the most-performed elective surgery, people unassociated with Judaism or Islam likely have little to no clue about the origins of circumcision. At the same time, those choosing it for the risk-reduction reasons may not have full knowledge of what exactly the procedure is preventing, just how effective it truly is, or if it is even something they should be doing to their child. Understanding all of these aspects is important because most neonatal circumcision is, from a medical view, unnecessary (Ritter & Graham, 2017, p. 248-249). This does not mean it is necessarily bad, it should just be looked at from every angle. This course has focused
The focus of this course has been the understanding of different cultures, and through that, the comparing and contrasting of them all. Throughout these histories and teachings have been countless examples of practices and beliefs so unique to their respective cultures, that it feels almost absurd for people from other cultures to imagine. However, some practices transcend the cultures from which they originated, and in doing so have found a life of their own, with some being so far culturally removed by society that many view them as standard. This is the case for male circumcision. Ritter and Graham (2017) mention that while female circumcision is its own harmful entity that is scarcely seen and …show more content…
Despite circumcision rates in the United States dropping in correlation with people’s increased disassociation with religion, with circumcision rates dropping from 90% in 1970 to 60% in 2000, a whopping 82% of caucasian American men are currently circumcised, with African American men still having a circumcised majority at 54% (Burgu et al., 2010). Although religious appropriation is the root cause of circumcision popularity, hygiene is the most cited non-religious reason. According to the CDC (2011), circumcised men have a 44% lower risk of acquiring HIV than their uncircumcised counterparts. This is because the foreskin offers a warm, moist breeding ground for both HIV and other STIs to survive and reproduce. In addition, unlike the penis itself, the foreskin is not keratinized, and is therefore more likely to tear, giving the virus easier access to the bloodstream. Another reason why some parents choose to have their sons circumcised is to avoid future foreskin-related problems. The most common of these is phimosis, which is when the foreskin is either painful to retract or simply unable, such as in more severe cases. This can hinder the cleaning of the penis and if it is unable to be treated, may require …show more content…
UNAIDS (2010) reports that approximately one-third of the current male population is circumcised, and it really is no surprise. There are over 13 million Jewish people and over 1 billion Muslim people worldwide, which account for almost half of the world's circumcised population (BBC, 2014). This also serves as further proof as to just how much the procedure has worked its way into everyday life, as about half of the amount of circumcised men received the procedure for hygienic or societal reason. These are all important to take into account, especially for parents expecting a son, or even just those who have any sort of real opinion on the issue. Because it has found its way into being the most-performed elective surgery, people unassociated with Judaism or Islam likely have little to no clue about the origins of circumcision. At the same time, those choosing it for the risk-reduction reasons may not have full knowledge of what exactly the procedure is preventing, just how effective it truly is, or if it is even something they should be doing to their child. Understanding all of these aspects is important because most neonatal circumcision is, from a medical view, unnecessary (Ritter & Graham, 2017, p. 248-249). This does not mean it is necessarily bad, it should just be looked at from every angle. This course has focused