Male or female genital cutting: why ‘health benefits’ are morally irrelevant

UnHope20 · 2022-03-18T11:52:16+00:00

The WHO, American Academy of Pediatrics and other Western medical bodies currently maintain that all medically unnecessary female genital cutting of minors is categorically a human rights violation, while either tolerating or actively endorsing medically unnecessary male genital cutting of minors, especially in the form of penile circumcision.

Given that some forms of female genital cutting, such as ritual pricking or nicking of the clitoral hood, are less severe than penile circumcision, yet are often performed within the same families for similar (eg, religious) reasons, it may seem that there is an unjust double standard. Against this view, it is sometimes claimed that while female genital cutting has ‘no health benefits’, male genital cutting has at least some.

Is that really the case? And if it is the case, can it justify the disparate treatment of children with different sex characteristics when it comes to protecting their genital integrity?

I argue that, even if one accepts the health claims that are sometimes raised in this context, they cannot justify such disparate treatment. Rather, children of all sexes and genders have an equal right to (future) bodily autonomy.

This includes the right to decide whether their own ‘private’ anatomy should be exposed to surgical risk, much less permanently altered, for reasons they themselves endorse when they are sufficiently mature.

Suddenly_Sisyphus42 · 2022-03-18T14:16:44+00:00

I hate the whole "cleanliness" argument. It's such complete and utter bull crap. Should I cut off my toes to make it easier to clean my feet or my nose to make it easier to clean my face? How about we keep our hands off other people's genitals unless they say it's okay?

Zinziberruderalis · 2022-03-19T08:01:32+00:00

Are health benefits also irrelevant to vaccination?

Title	Male or female genital cutting: why ‘health benefits’ are morally irrelevant
Author	UnHope20
Upvotes	23
Comments	8
Date	March 18, 2022 11:48 AM UTC (4 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/Male_Studies
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/Male_Studies/comments/tgziay/male_or_female_genital_cutting_why_health/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/Male_Studies/male-or-female-genital-cutting-why-health-benefits.1215960 https://theredarchive.com/post/1215960

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