Difference Between: Male & Female Circumcision

A while back, PZ Myers discussed the AAP's interest (at the time) in allowing doctors to perform a less invasive procedure than male circumcision. PZ wasn't happy about this, and many of his readers had to wonder why someone would be outraged about a less invasive procedure than male circumcision before getting outraged about male circumcision. For the record, PZ noted that he does not agree with male circumcision; however he did strawman the argument, and used plenty of ad hominems.

Blog Entry Here:
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/20...

Rebecca Watson--at the end of a video in response to tosheatower--used the same strawman argument. This was a better response than PZ Myers delivered, solely because it lacked ad hominem, however it still suffered from the same strawman argument.

Video Here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAlEcB...

I have much respect for both PZ and Rebecca. This is not an attack against either of them. However, this is to set the record straight, and to try and prevent this strawman argument from popping up again in the future.

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For more information about this topic, please see these videos...

Sexism & Circumcision:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d96PKZ...

AAP Statement:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d96PKZ...

Ayaan Hirsi Ali On Circumcision:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VsnVm...

Dr. Dean Edell on the AAP Statement:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krU-8f...

Dr. Dean Edell On Circumcision:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuu07U...

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Types of FGC from the W.H.O.
http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth...

Types of MGC from:
Aldeeb,Sami A. Male & Female Circumcision. Shangri-La Publications, 2001.

• Category

  Education

[Gary freeman]

The most commonly practiced form of male circumcision is the entire removal of the foreskin, which has more nerve endings than any other part of the penis. The most commonly practiced form of female circumcision is clitoral hood removal, which has only 1/8th as many nerve endings as the male foreskin. Who's being irrational and emotional here? I'm sticking with math.

[Gary freeman]

That's not hyperbole, that's math. Male circumcision is 20 times as common world wide. Your emotional assumption that I was speaking in terms other than statistics is far more hyperbole than the reality of facts.

[constipatedlecher]

I saw stats that said more like 6x as common. Where'd you get the number 20?

[shamelessShely]

That's a great question and the answer is yes, I would question any practice that was levied as a punishment against some members of society for being born less privileged (such as immunizations containing heavy metals for public school attendees). Then again that is more a practice of government. If it is truly the choice of the parents and truly promotes societal cohesion then no, I wouldn't question it. I would question uncirc'd males cutting boys and look for ulterior motives but not circ'd.

[orbnorian]

At what point does it become 'too much' for you? Now we are talking about infants here. Foot-binding, nipple-piercing, tattooing (face and body), cutting off fingers and toes, etc. At what point do you personally become repulsed to the point of saying 'enough'? Is there anything that parents could practice on an infant that would cause you to question whether societal cohesion comes first?

[orbnorian]

I didn't say that the Constitution was universal, absolute, or heaven sent. I simply stated that we have a document that mentions individual rights. In the context in which I wrote that statement I was attempting to imply that we have a document which protects individual rights over societal customs and practices. I see that I completely failed in my attempt.

[orbnorian]

I see you couldn't meet the Slavery challenge. Okay, your 'success of the society' doesn't go that far.

The class war in first world democracies, though interesting, is not the topic of discussion here. Individual rights is the topic as I see it. Cutting infant genitalia is a violation of those individual rights. I think it is wrong to cut any genitalia without the adult permission of the individual. Adult, and individual being the key words in that statement.

[shamelessShely]

If you don't think there is slavery in the US try visiting a WalMart some time. You will find dozens of people working long hours for too little money to put a roof over their head, food on their plates or antibiotics in their guts when they fall ill. Sam Walton's kids are all billionaires without having worked a day in their lives and their workers have to have all of their living expenses paid by tax payers. The tax payers and working class are are slaves working for the benefit of the wealthy

[shamelessShely]

Um.. the US Constitution is far from being universal or absolute. For one thing it only pertains to one country in North America. And for another, the US Supreme Court rules time and time again that individual rights take a back seat to matters of security. So what you're referring to is not exactly a mandate of heaven but a first world luxury. Belonging to a society is far from being a slave. It means collective sacrifice AND collective reward.

[Devin M.]

I actually don't remember what I meant anymore, but my point was probably that only a minority of groups were known to practice it.

[orbnorian]

So, children are the personal property of their parents. And as for, "You "intactivists" are placing the "rights" of the individual over the success of the society which the individual would belong to..." Slavery in the U.S. Go ahead, dispute the abrogation of slavery as, "... placing the "rights" of the individual over the success of the society...".

I might be wrong but, isn't there some piece of paper someplace that mentions something about individual rights?

[Zeldagigafan90210]

I'd much rather separate myself from a society that honors mutilation of the genitals than be a part of it. If I die after I separated myself from that barbaric society, at least I know that my heart was in the right place.