Discussion topic: Does circumcision have a long term mental effect on boys?

OscarWardProductions · 2013-12-28T03:31:53+00:00

OP, I view MGM/C and FGM/C as child sexual abuse. There are plenty of studies on child sexual abuse correlating to increased mental health problems. I have heard no convincing argument that non-medically necessary genital cutting is not child sexual abuse.

Sources: Child sexual abuse overview & Early childhood abuse and limbic system ratings in adult psychiatric outpatients.

wufoo2 · 2013-12-28T01:44:53+00:00

I'm pretty sure there's research to show that it does have long-term effects on them.

FloranHunter · 2013-12-28T02:17:52+00:00

The research on the psychological effects of routine infant circumcision is unclear, but it should also be remembered that 98% of Muslim men worldwide are circumcised, and unlike western and Jewish men most male circumcisions are done on the boy when he is age 5-15. As in, YOUR age. While babies may not actually have the ability to remember being held down and cut, adolescents most certainly do.

What I would be interested to know is whether or not at least some of the violence and hatred of women and sexuality in Middle Eastern countries stems from the widespread practice of adolescent circumcision. In the west, we consider the practice of FGM a violent physical and sexual assault with both physiological and psychological scars that can seriously damage a person's ability to function in society; but because adolescent male circumcision is so normalized throughout the billion-strong Muslim population (unlike FGM, which is only widely practiced in Africa), it would be interesting to show the effects of the regular physical and sexual mutilation of ALL pre-teen boys in the Islamic tradition.

2013-12-28T04:25:35+00:00

Try r/intactivists. I haven't been there in a long time, but they may have a study, or at least some evidence suggesting that there might be long-term trauma.

TheLittleGoodWolf · 2013-12-28T05:09:37+00:00

I think there may well be some truth to that, I'm not sure how to accurately measure it though. Since circumcision is usually done so early and there are so many other things that can affect the mental state.

It is most definitely a trauma though, and it most definitely has some physical effects, most prominently the loss of the most sensitive part of the penis, and the desensitization of the second most sensitive part.

By the way I have to say that I find it wonderful that you can have this kind of conversation with your stepfather and I want to ask you to never give up the way you reason. If more people thought like you I think the world might just be a little bit of a better place.

C0CKPUNCHER · 2013-12-28T05:04:19+00:00

It should be clarified at this point that there isn't any good evidence that bad things happening to you affects your personality - it is the best story for why people end up they way they end up but it isn't proven.

I don't say this because I lack sympathy, I say this because I'm mechanically interested in improving peoples (my own) condition.

chocoboat · 2013-12-28T07:24:30+00:00

For the great majority of men, it does not have a long term mental effect. They're too young to remember it when it takes place.

For the ones with deformed penises, the ones who were infected with diseases during the circumcision, the ones whose were badly botched and were raised as girls after having their penis amputated, and the ones who outright die from blood loss/infection/other complications...

... yeah I think it affects the guys in that group just a little bit.

FloranHunter · 2013-12-28T17:41:40+00:00

Circumcision causes* alexithymia : http://www.mensstudies.com/content/2772r13175400432/?p=a7068101fbdd48819f10dd04dc1e19fb&pi=4

Abstract

This preliminary study investigates what role early trauma might have in alexithymia acquisition for adults by controlling for male circumcision. Three hundred self-selected men were administered the Toronto Twenty-Item Alexithymia Scale checklist and a personal history questionnaire. The circumcised men had age-adjusted alexithymia scores 19.9 percent higher than the intact men; were 1.57 times more likely to have high alexithymia scores; were 2.30 times less likely to have low alexithymia scores; had higher prevalence of two of the three alex-ithymia factors (difficulty identifying feelings and difficulty describing feelings); and were 4.53 times more likely to use an erectile dysfunction drug. Alexithymia in this population of adult men is statistically significant for having experienced circumcision trauma and for erectile dysfunction drug use.

rightsbot · 2013-12-28T01:36:17+00:00

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2013-12-28T04:37:47+00:00

OP have you had any follow on conversations with any of your family members?

2013-12-28T21:25:24+00:00

I don't think it affected me. Done as baby before I remember (before 2), but I think it would affect you later on in life just because of the surgery and differences in feeling.

Title	Discussion topic: Does circumcision have a long term mental effect on boys?
Author	LeaChan
Upvotes	14
Comments	42
Date	December 28, 2013 1:36 AM UTC (12 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/1tui80/discussion_topic_does_circumcision_have_a_long/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/discussion-topic-does-circumcision-have-a-long.1155042 https://theredarchive.com/post/1155042

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