Circumcision - Accepted genital mutilation

(NaturalNews) It's a funny thing. Every culture has its way of doing things. You grow up in a culture, and you accept many things without ever questioning them. And yet, it's hard to believe that so many Americans in the last 150 years have accepted genital mutilation without question.

History of American Circumcision

Male circumcision has been the norm in this country for generations. We have been brainwashed into believing that an intact foreskin results in a lack of cleanliness that leads to disease, including cancer and HIV. But that's not how this medical malpractice started. It began with fear of sexuality - specifically, nocturnal emissions (wet dreams) and masturbation. Circumcision was claimed to cure or prevent both of these "horrific" acts. These claims were followed by more claims and "scientific" papers "proving" ridiculous cures through circumcision. These cures and preventions include:

• Prevents syphilis
• Cures epilepsy
• Prevents epilepsy
• Prevents spinal paralysis
• Cures bedwetting
• Prevents curvature of the spine, paralysis, and clubfoot
• Cures abdominal neuralgia
• Cures eye problems
• Prevents crossed eyes
• Cures blindness, deafness, and dumbness
• Prevents blacks from raping white women
• Cures urinary and rectal incontinence
• Prevents tuberculosis
• Prevents penile cancer
• Promotes chastity
• Prevents prostrate cancer
• Prevents venereal disease and cancer of the tongue
• Prevents cervical cancer in women
• Provides immunity to nearly all physical and mental illnesses
• Cures nervousness
• Prevents bladder cancer and cancer of the rectum
• Prevents urinary tract infections
• Prevents AIDS
• Prevents neonatal group B streptococcal disease
• Prevents HIV infection

The information above was found in an interesting slide show presented by International Coalition for Genital Integrity. Their slides show the show the rise and fall of circumcision rates in the U.S. and the U.K. alongside the timeline that shows the misinformation pushed upon the American people through the medicalization of circumcision. (See link below).

The arguments for circumcision include:

• Fewer urinary tract infections
• Less risk of penile cancer
• Less risk of transmission of some STDs including HIV

Urinary tract infections and penile cancer are both rare events and there are multiple factors at play, not just circumcision. Studies regarding STDs and circumcision do not show a correlation in developed countries.

Conclusion

Circumcision in the U.S. is a cultural practice with no medical justification. We continue this practice because it became the norm. As a matter of fact, one of the arguments used to encourage circumcision is, "You don't want him to look different from the other little boys in the locker room, do you?"

The truth is simple. There was no flaw in the design of our genitals. The foreskin protects the penis. An intact penis is four times more sensitive than a circumcised penis. Genital integrity is the right of every human being. It's time we put an end to this barbaric practice. This article is an excerpt from Circumcision, the Primal Cut - A Human Rights Violation.

Sources:

http://www.nocirc.org/

http://www.icgi.org/medicalization/

About the author:
Allene Edwards first became interested in alternative medicine and holistic treatment modalities when she successfully used diet therapy to manage her children�s ADHD. Later when she became chronically ill with an auto-immune disease that multiple doctors could not identify, much less cure, she successfully treated both the symptoms and the cause through naturopathic treatment and nutrition. She is the Managing Editor of Organic Lifestyle Magzine and a regular contributor.