Was just talking at dinner with family, and it seems a logical action to ban circumcision, as in most cases, doesn’t have consent, and is a major (genitals are important) body modification. Can we ban it at the state level? Just a thought.

  • Alpha71@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Later childhood circumcision is a pretty awful thing to endure. I don’t wish for circumcision for anyone but I also don’t want some poor kid in pain because of thoughtless parents.

    I’ve never understood this line of reasoning. You think that a baby ISN’T in pain when you circumsize him? I’m pretty sure he’s in just as much pain as if he would have experienced it later on in life.

    • BonesOfTheMoon@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      That’s not what I’m saying. I think being circed is terrible but it’s a lot worse dealing with it later in life. I’ve seen kids end up in ER with phimosis it’s so bad. If you are not going to clean your child, be realistic is all I’m saying.

      • Alpha71@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        Do you know just how small a newborn’s penis is? There is one widely publicized case where a newborn had his entire penis BURNED OFF because the doctor fucked up. (it’s a really horrible story where they tried to convince the child he was actually a girl. He later killed himself.)

        It may not be pleasant for an older child but the surgery would be easier since the child is much bigger now.

        • BonesOfTheMoon@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          Yes I read that book. I’m just saying the pain of late circ is pretty awful in my experience compared to a newborn. They don’t use the cautery method they used for that baby anymore.

        • TopRamenBinLaden@sh.itjust.works
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          9 months ago

          I had a friend who had a circumsion in his teens, and the way he speaks about it, it sounds like he got PTSD from the ordeal. This dude is one of the toughest people I have met in my life and he said it was the most painful thing he had ever endured.

          I mention this, because it kind of adds to both of your points. Yes, circumcisions are extremely painful, and it is messed up to do to a baby who can’t consent, in most cases. At the same time, I have never met anyone who has PTSD from being circumsized as a baby. If the procedure is inevitable for a person, its probably better to do it to them as a baby, because the trauma from it will be forgotten.

          That being said, the procedure should be much rarer than it is now, at least in the US. It should only be done for medical reasons, not cosmetic ones.

        • Schadrach@lemmy.sdf.org
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          9 months ago

          There is one widely publicized case where a newborn had his entire penis BURNED OFF because the doctor fucked up. (it’s a really horrible story where they tried to convince the child he was actually a girl. He later killed himself.)

          It also kills about a hundred babies a year.

          And yeah, that kid’s story is super fucked up if it’s the one I’m thinking. After they burned his dick off, Dr. Money proposed raising and treating him as a girl in line with his theories about gender identity and gender roles (he’s actually the guy who coined the term “gender role”). Which went to all kinds of fucked up places like simulated sexual roleplay with his brother to reinforce the feminine role. He eventually transitioned back to being a man once he was an adult, and later killed himself. The case gets referenced by right wingers pretty often as an example of “trans ideology” being dangerous and about grooming.

      • Alpha71@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        actually it’s from a long held belief (that is SO wrong) that newborns don’t feel pain. In fact they used to operate on newborns WITHOUT anesthesia.

        And they wondered why the infant mortality rate was so high from those surgeries…