I had looked at a lot of research regarding female circumcision and was prepared to write paper loaded with righteous indignation over the practice. A history of the worlds most controversial surgery hardcover by. Do the benefits of male circumcision outweigh the risks. Paraphimosis can obstruct urine and blood flow and is a medical emergency. Some of the questions discussed in this book concern our daily lives. Frontiers do the benefits of male circumcision outweigh. Circumcison 1 circumscision the sign of the abrahamic promise introduction. May 29, 2017 male circumcision is still a controversial medical procedure, usually conducted during the first few days after birth.
Visit the choosing a pediatrician page for assistance in. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Thus, for instance, in the us, where child vaccination is a condition for enrolling children in day care or state schools, the. Spam or selfpromotional the list is spam or selfpromotional. The obvious and perfect comparison to fgm for this argument is male genital mutilation mgm, euphemistically known as circumcision. Circumcision is the surgical removal of the prepuce, or foreskin, of a male. Book online circumcision for infants and children imc.
Margaret somerville, a canadian ethicist, has written a book about ethics with a chapter about infant circumcision. Some are intensely practical, such as whether we can withdraw a feeding tube from a patient in a vegetative state who could. Starting with what usually sound like simple, easy to agree with axioms he builds up easy to follow example. In the absence of religious reasons no such claims can be proved. Pdf the ethics of infant male circumcision researchgate. Socalled female circumcision, in the form of excision of the labia minora and clitoris clitoridectomy aimed at destroying sexual sensation, is known in islam although it is a cultural, not a religious practice and in certain societies of africa, south america, and elsewhere. For healthcare, seek a qualified medical professional who is knowledgeable on the benefits of a whole body and intact care and who knows the harms involved in circumcision and forced retraction. Circumcision, ethics, and medicine circumcision resource center. Ethics and female circumcision research paper 2307 words. Earp is strongly against fgm, but he doesnt think the campaign to end genital. Less commonly, circumcision is sometimes done for healthrelated reasons. The practice of circumcision has ancient origins, and continues today around the.
Apr 08, 2019 circumcision, patient trackers and torture. Popular circumcision books showing 122 of 22 circumcision. Male circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin prepuce from the human penis. Jan, 2015 in her book the ethical canary, she says her critics accused her of detracting from the horror of female genital mutilation and weakening the case against it by speaking about it and infant male circumcision in the same context and pointing out that the same ethical and legal principles applied to both. Circumcision, ethics, and medicine circumcision resource.
Female circumcision and ethics the female circumcision practices are found to be followed by a number of regions and tribes in the world where this practice is considered to purify and provide health benefits to the females of that particular society. Jul 19, 2018 circumcision has been practiced in parts of africa, oceania, judaism, and islam. Peter singer makes a habit of baitandswitching the reader. The centers for disease control and prevention cdc have announced a set of provisional guidelines concerning male circumcision, in which they suggest that the benefits of the surgery outweigh the risks, p. That the christian bible, both old and new testaments, is an inadequate source for a genuine moral theory has been noted so often that to repeat it seems gratuitous. Inappropriate the list including its title or description facilitates illegal activity, or contains hate speech or ad hominem attacks on a fellow goodreads member or author. An excerpt from the american medical association code of ethics. You can now see the available circumcision appointments and reserve one online. This is an introduction to african christian ethics for christian colleges and bible schools. Pdf the ethics of circumcision of male infants researchgate. In her book the ethical canary, she says her critics accused her of detracting from the horror of female genital mutilation and weakening the case against it by speaking about it and infant male circumcision in the same context and pointing out that the same ethical and legal principles applied to both.
As a religious rite, circumcision was required of all of abrahams descendants as a sign of the covenant god made with him. Confronting the fgm and male circumcision double standard february 18, 2014 by brian d. Modern medical ethics state that parents may make medical decisions for their child, but their actions must be in his best interest. The ethics of nontherapeutic circumcision being imposed on unconsenting minors babies and children has been a source of ongoing controversy some medical associations take the position that the parents should determine what is in the best interest of the infant or child. A medical journal article that examines the ethics of male infant circumcision concludes that circumcision violates the principles of medical ethics. The practice of circumcision has ancient origins, and continues today around the world for various religious and cultural reasons. Male circumcision is defined as the partial or total surgical removal of the foreskin also called prepuce, which is specialized tissue that covers the head or glans of the penis. The authors make clear that from a purely health risks and benefits perspective, it is eminently reasonable for a parent to decide either way about circumcision. With a highly readable approach and reliable information, it guides parents through the full range of issues to help them make a decision that is best for their newborn son.
The first part deals with the theory of ethics, while the second discusses practical issues. Apart from the practical difficulties that would be incurred by such a task. Pdf infant circumcision has recently attracted controversy with professional groups recommending it. Although nontherapeutic circumcision of children remains a common practice in the united states despite its rarity in most peer nations, under. This obligation requires the physician both to place the patient first and to first do no harm. In this article, we explore the research evidence as well as the ethical debate around. In the best tradition of our bodies, ourselves, terkel and greenberg have provided a beautifully balanced, evidencebased resource for parents and others thinking about the whole issue of male circumcision. Female circumcision is the subject of two opinion articles. Just follow the three simple steps below and we will contact you to confirm the appointment we endeavour to do this for you as.
Popular circumcision books meet your next favorite book. Jan 01, 2010 current uk practice of islamic circumcision. The journal of medical ethics is pleased to announce the forthcoming release of a special issue, the ethics of male circumcision to be published in full in the coming days. Books and periodicals with our writing circumcision. One of the most difficult issues about this question of circumcision is the ethics of who gets to make the decision. Accordingly, this guidance addresses the queries medical practitioners raise with the bma about both therapeutic and nontherapeutic 1 male circumcision. The form of circumcision that westerners are most familiar with is complete removal of the foreskin or prepuce, as it is practiced in judaism. For this third edition, the author has revised and updated all the chapters and added a new chapter addressing climate change, one of the most important ethical challenges of our generation.
A history of the worlds most controversial surgery by david l. The oxford uehiro centre for practical ethics university of. The circumcision decision is the only unbiased exploration of the important question of whether to circumcise your son or leave his foreskin intact. In circumcision and human rights, internationally respected experts in the fields of medicine, science, politics, law, ethics, sociology, anthropology, history, and religion present the latest research on this tragedy, as a part of the worldwide campaign to end sexual mutilation. In one article the writer comments, no ethical defense can be made for preserving a cultural practice that damages womens. The aap report on circumcision is replete with nonsequiturs. Circumcision prevents phimosis the inability to retract the foreskin and paraphimosis a painful inability to pull the retracted foreskin back down. Although their main focus is on the potential for male circumcision to provide partial protection against femaletomale. There are several surgical techniques that can be employed in the circumcision of the neonate. For thirty years, peter singers practical ethics has been the classic introduction to applied ethics. Practical ethics is the one book i know that can, without fail start a heated argument in any company. Kennedy institute of ethics journal, 262, 105144 and e1e28. I bought this book for an ethics class research paper. Indeed, those who are skeptical about the ethical soundness of ablating the.
Circumcision has ancient roots among several ethnic groups in subequatorial africa, and is still performed on adolescent boys to symbolize their transition to warrior status or adulthood. However, this practice is considered to be immoral and unethical by the ethical feminist. Practically speaking, since this is a practical ethics blog, mgm is a million times larger and more salient problem then mbp. An unbiased guide for parents terkel, susan, greenberg, lorna on. But, before i had even finished the introduction, my viewpoint was changing.
Circumcision andor subincision, often as part of an intricate coming of age ritual, was a common practice among australian aborigines and pacific islanders. Nontherapeutic circumcision of children fails to meet the standards of modern medical ethics. Maimonides, the great jewish sage, said, circumcision should never be done except for reasons of pure faith. The issues are grouped into the following six sections. The ethics of male circumcision one of the most difficult issues about this question of circumcision is the ethics of who gets to make the decision. You just open to any page read a paragraph out loud. Are male and female circumcision morally equivalent.
Circumcision of male babies and children at the request of their parents is an increasingly. It also won a national award for the best parenting book of the year. As a religious rite, circumcision was required of all of abrahams descendants as a sign of the covenant god made with him genesis 17. Circumcision andor subincision, often as part of an intricate coming of age ritual, was a common practice among australian aborigines and pacific islanders at first contact with western. Frontiers do the benefits of male circumcision outweigh the. This toolkit provides you with practical guidance relevant to ntmc in the. Feb 21, 2011 for thirty years, peter singers practical ethics has been the classic introduction to applied ethics. Also called female genital mutilation, it is a controversial. In his book, gollaher explains that britain was in a serious economic. About 10% of uncircumcised infants will require circumcision later in life for medical reasons. Mar 18, 20 the ethics of male circumcision by brian d. The ethics of nontherapeutic circumcision being imposed on unconsenting minors babies and children has been a source of ongoing controversy.
Like all professions, medicine has its own ethical code and principles of conduct. Circumcision has been practiced in parts of africa, oceania, judaism, and islam. Male circumcision is the removal of some or all of the foreskin prepuce from the penis. Ethics of circumcision excerpts from an important book. Ethics, applied ethics and human rights atheist scholar.
One of the roles of the british medical association bma is to issue guidance to doctors on ethical and medicolegal issues. Intact america envisions a world where children are free from medically unnecessary surgeries carried out on them without their consent in the name of culture, religion, profit, or parental preference. List of books and articles about circumcision online. This makes me think that we have an evolving practical and moral. Incorrect book the list contains an incorrect book please specify the title of the book. Male circumcision is still a controversial medical procedure, usually conducted during the first few days after birth. Medical ethics have evolved over the years, especially since the recent advent of the human rights era. Aug 30, 2009 this is an introduction to african christian ethics for christian colleges and bible schools. Uehiro centre for practical ethics, university of oxford, oxford, uk. The most common devices used to date are the gomco clamp 67%, the plastibell device 19% and the mogen clamp 10%. In this chapter, we take an analytic approach to the ethical debate on performanceenhancing substances, in two ways. Circumcision violates the principles of medical ethics.
Removing a normal, healthy body part and causing unnecessary pain is doing harm. On the ethics of nontherapeutic circumcision of minors, with a prescript on the law. In both ethics and law, a physician has a primary obligation of personal care to the patient. Is it the parents responsibility to make the decision. Mar 18, 2015 uehiro centre for practical ethics, university of oxford, oxford, uk. They outline steps for eradicating this abusive practice to. As with any aspect of medical practice, doctors must use their skills in a way that promotes their patients interests. Sociopolitical issues, financial issues, marriage issues, sexual issues, medical issues, and religious. I agreed with nearly all of the authors conclusions unusual for a book on ethics. Gollaher shelved 2 times as circumcision avg rating 3. Although their main focus is on the potential for male circumcision to provide partial protection against femaletomale, heterosexually transmitted hiv, due to the.
The oxford uehiro centre for practical ethics university. Circumcision is immoral, should be banned practical ethics. Physicians who undertake surgery on patients must prove that it is justified. For a small country, iceland has had a big impact on global media coverage recently, following its proposed ban on male circumcision before an age of consent. I find it odd that you chose metzitzah bpeh mbp as your example. Confronting the fgm and male circumcision double standard. Contemporary medical ethics requires that anesthesiaanalgesia be provided for painful procedures on children. The american medical associations 2001 principles of medical ethics. During this minor surgery, the foreskin surrounding the penis is removed.
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