My sister recently gave birth to a beautiful little boy, shortly after which the doctors asked if she would like to circumcise him. His father had no issue with it, saying that there is a long tradition of men in his family being circumcised. This prompted some critical thinking on my part. A great many of us on campus will eventually become parents, just as my sister has, and we must be informed about medical decisions that will affect the lives of our children. To this day, nearly 58.3% of male babies are circumcised at birth. There has been extensive research done to determine whether circumcision is necessary or advisable. It’s not.
The foreskin serves a multitude of functions. First and foremost, it is a protective organ. It shields the head of the penis from abrasions, such as those sustained in exercise, while simultaneously keeping out sweat and other contaminants. Many parents are often concerned that foreskin will make their son’s penis unclean. Even without soap and water, the soft mucosal tissue embedded in the foreskin serves as an immunological defense system. This tissue secretes immunoglobulin antibodies and both antibacterial and antiviral proteins, which drastically reduce the risk of infection.
Not only does this crucial patch of skin heavily reduce the chance of infection, it also greatly reduces the transmissibility of sexually transmitted diseases, particularly HIV. According to a meta-analysis published in the National Institutes of Health database, the foreskin contains squamous membranes that provide a protective barrier against HIV infections. Recent studies at the NIH have also seen correlations in increased T-cell production in uncircumcised males, which is critical to fighting HIV.
Not only does the removal of the foreskin lead to reduced immune response capabilities, but it also causes damage to the penis itself. Several feet of blood vessels are necessary for the complete circulation of blood to the organ and are stripped away by circumcision during this vital period of biological development. The increased exposure to the atmosphere combined with decreased vascular circulation could result in dark purple discoloration of the male sex organ. Oftentimes, the foreskin grows double-layered due to excess skin growth which is eventually stretched out. Removing this leads to circumcised penises being truncated and thinner than those that are uncircumcised. Furthermore, the connective tissues that protectively fuse the foreskin and the underlying glands together are ripped apart during circumcision, leaving the glands raw and subject to infection, scarring and shrinkage.
However, the primary physical result of circumcision is decreased nerve sensitivity. Thousands of fine touch mechanoreceptors are stripped away, drastically reducing sensitivity to physical touch as well as temperature changes. This significantly reduces male sexual sensitivity.
It is also important to note that, at times, circumcision is encouraged because there exists a notion that a circumcised penis pleasures a sexual partner more. According to studies, this is not true. Female sexual partners express little difference in pleasure when comparing circumcised and uncircumcised penises. Additionally, male homosexual partners described significant increases in pleasure with partners who were uncircumcised rather than circumcised.
But, most heartbreakingly, circumcision is detrimental to the emotional well-being of newborn babies. Circumcision causes extreme pain to infants, stunting proper psychological and chemical bonding with mothers. The pain is often so extreme that babies go without food for days and must be fed via an IV. This can be extremely risky in babies with jaundice who require liquid sustenance to survive.
Most common thoughts regarding circumcision are simply not true. It does not lead to uncleanliness, it does result in sexually transmitted diseases and it does not provide less sexual pleasure. For so long, we have allowed cultural and religious assumptions to guide our decision-making on this topic. But as potential future parents, we should be more conscious and intentional with the decisions we make about our children. But, as times evolve and our knowledge of the objective world expands, we must adapt our thinking. I hope that someday we will live in a world where the first thing we do to boys will not be the act of circumcision.
Seth Gabrielson is an Opinion Columnist studying physics, aerospace engineering and philosophy. He writes about the intersection of culture, religion and science and can be reached at semiel@umich.edu.