What are the Effects of Circumcision?
By Glenn Epps
Men, just like that of females, are all born with sexual "color vision." As with ones visual sensitivity if one were born color blind one could live without ever seeing color; simply one wouldn't know what color was. Color blind people certainly function "fine" but most of us would argue that being able to see all colors is preferable. Men's sexual color vision is forever altered when circumcision is performed. Sure no doubt for most sexual pleasure is great but its not as it could have been or would have been. Frankly, what man or woman wouldn't want their cake and be able to eat
Many women, mostly those in African and Southeast Asia Muslim regions, have also had their sexual color vision forever altered. I'm sure many have read or heard about this. We have called it FGM or Female Genital Mutilation. FGM can be as "simple" as excising the clitoral hood (the clitoral hood is analogous to the male foreskin) or be much more drastic.Most Western countries have moved swiftly to make it illegal to alter the genitalia of non-consenting women who are minors. Most would agree, except perhaps those performing female circumcision, those females are entitled to full sexual function, feeling and sensations--full color vision. it too?
This Is What Many Doctors Do Not Mention Before They Perform Circumcision:
The Prepuce, More Commonly Referred To As The Foreskin, Is Not Just "Skin", "Redundant Foreskin" Or "Extra Skin."
The Foreskin Is Loaded With Nerves--Nerves Which Allow For A Complete Range of Sexual Enjoyment and Response.
The Inner Foreskin, Properly Called The Mucosa, Is Particularly Sensitive Tissue Most Of Which Is Destroyed By Most Circumcision Methods.
The Frenulum, Which Is Cut During Circumcision, In Part Or In Total, Has Even More Nerves Than The Foreskin.
The Glans Desensitises. Void Of The Protective Foreskin It Dries And The Skin Thickens To Protect Itself Against Constant Abrasion Of Clothing.
The Gliding Sheath Mechanism Of The Penis Is Destroyed Or Greatly Reduced.
Strangely, many people see the altering of males' genitals as being "different" from that of altering females' genitals. It only seems logical, and fair, that both men and women should be entitled to intact bodies free of genital altering surgeries. If an adult male or female wants to give informed consent to surgery, which alters their genitals, this then becomes an entirely different issue. What male or female wouldn't want to have full sexual sensory and functional capacity?
Circumcision is most effectively perpetuated. Men who have not been circumcised don't realize the benefits that are derived from their penises. These men often take for granted the feelings and sensations that they derive from having intact genitalia. The cliché, "You don't know what you've got until you've lost it" can't be more true for intact (uncircumcised) men. Circumcised men most often do not realize any loss. How could they? Circumcision is performed on them as babies--it was made impossible for them to ever experience what sensations are produced by tissue, which has been excised. These men can't be blamed for this situation but there is an onus on these men and all of us to take those steps necessary to let adult males decide they would like to make changes to his penis. Just because sex is "just fine" or "great" doesn't mean that we shouldn't allow our children the right and privilege to make decisions about operations to their genitalia themselves.
Neonatal circumcision ensures that a man will not know what he had. How many people have you heard say, "He won't remember the experience?" Think about this--every male born comes into this world with a penis, which as part of its anatomical structure includes foreskin and a frenum, just like every other male. In the United States, so many circumcisions have been performed that many men who are circumcised do not know that they have been circumcised and actually think they are intact. Studies have also shown that many women are unable to identify whether or not their partner has undergone a circumcision. I found this to be odd that people wouldn't be able to identify whether they had been circumcised or not, particularly men, but survey's do indicate this to be true and many men have reported that they where unaware of their circumcision for many years. As said elsewhere at this site, whether you circumcise your child or leave him intact, as a parent, you really ought to explain to your child his penile status. You should be letting your sons know that there are boys that have been circumcised and boys that have not.
All most every very medical authority agrees that when you perform a circumcision you pay special attention so that you don't accidentally damage the frenulum. This is because the frenulum can significantly increase sexual pleasure--but this takes a few extra minutes, and may require a different method of circumcision. Most egregiously many men have had part or all of their frenulum removed during circumcision. Why? Some doctors work more quickly, some don't employ methods to preserve this tissue structure, untrained resident doctors might be assigned to do the circumcisions while other simply don't care. Those doctors who purposefully remove this exquisitely sensitively tissue during circumcision might be committing the greatest crime! Do you have yours? The frenulum attaches the foreskin to the glans at the back (or underside) of the head. The end result is that thousands of men have to live with the results of doctors' haste, mistakes or lack of experience for the rest of their lives. How do you feel about this?
It is also agreed that you do not cut off healthy non-diseased tissue lest there be some absolute compelling medical reason and that the patient is fully aware of alternative treatments, alternative approaches and gives full consent for such surgery--not neonatal circumcision. It is the removal of healthy, sensitive and disease free tissue. The patient gave no consent--he couldn't--he was just a baby. In fact rather than giving consent a device known as the Circumstraint (TM) is used to literally strap the arms and legs of the baby down. Why the need for strapping? The baby struggles, kicks and screams during the procedure. This is what Olympic Medical Corp. has to say about their product, the Circumstraint, "In less than 30 seconds, a nurse can immobilize the struggling infant securely in the correct position with Circumstraint." The struggling, the kicking and the screaming leads us into yet another facet of this operation, pain.
It is also medically accepted and agreed that when performing operations one administers general or local anaesthetic's to conduct the operation--pain and discomfort are minimized as best can be. Both local and general anaesthetics pose problems and potential complications in conducting neonatal circumcisions. Medical protocol, and simple reasoning, would normally dictate that such an operation be postponed until such time that it can be done safely using anaesthetic--not an infant male circumcision. Parents have often been told it doesn't hurt. Just go and look at the pictures and you tell me whether you think you can perform such an operation and that the baby won't feel anything? This is what the Circumstraint assists in--immobilizing a baby that thrashes, kicks and moves--reacting to pain. None of this sounds nice, but what operation is nice? The truth of the matter is that neonatal circumcision breaches a number of normal medical protocols, practices and ethics. Did you know that every year thousands upon thousands of dollars spent on studding the various issues of circumcision to try and present reasons why the operation should be continued and why it is valid. This is in stark contrast to thousands and thousands of dollars spent each and every year to find ways to forgo surgical operations and look for less invasive means of treatment.
LOSSES DUE TO CIRCUMCISION
The material regarding circumcision can get highly complex and extremely difficult to understand--this in itself should tell us something about what is cut off (excised) during a circumcision. What I have put together is an overview of the losses. If you would like detailed medical reports or other findings I would suggest that you might want to visit the Circumcision Information and Resources Pages and to seek out other web resources to assist you. Please visit the Resource Centre of this site for a listing of other resources and sources of information available.
FORESKIN
LOSSES
THE
FRENULUM
CHANGES
TO THE
GLANS
The foreskin (prepuce) is actually an extension of the penile shaft skin. This skin that covers the glans is really composed of two layers and types of skin. The outer foreskin and the inner foreskin; the inner properly referred to as mucosa. The outer foreskin folds over the mucosa when the foreskin is in a non-retracted state covering the glans. The circumference of the average man's erect penis is 5 inches around and the average foreskin length is 1-1/2 inches long. So you have 1-1/2 inches of outer foreskin and then another 1-1/2 inches of inner foreskin. Cutting off this skin approximates 36% of the male shaft skin!
An area of skin the size of a quarter contains more than 12 feet of nerves and over 40 nerve endings. [The Human Connection, Ashley Montague] Take a piece of paper and draw a rectangle with the size being 3 inches by 5 inches--this represents the average amount of inner and outer foreskin that an adult male has lost due to circumcision. Now take some quarters and see how many will fit in this rectangle. You'll find that 15 easily fit into this space, leaving plenty of space left over. That infant circumcision robs men of 240 feet of nerves and over 1,000 nerve endings meant to enhance his and his partner's sexual pleasure.
There is an excellent report published in the British Journal of Urology (1996), 77, 291-295, The Prepuce: Specialized Mucosa Of The Penis And Its Loss To Circumcision, by J.R. Taylor, A.P. Lockwood and A.J. Taylor Department of Pathology, Health Sciences Centre, University of Manitoba. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, which gives a comprehensive overview of what has been (and is) cut off during a circumcision. These doctors exemplify the positive and ethical steps that many doctors are taking to provide their peers and others with information that pertains to infant male circumcision.
The foreskin of the male penis creates the penis' only movable part. The foreskin of adult males is free to move back and forth exposing and covering the glans. This has better become known as the "gliding mechanism." Men that have been circumcised, in the erect state, either have very little mobility in shaft skin, or the shaft skin is taut. Such a condition is not seen in men that have not undergone circumcision. The benefits of a mobile shaft skin can easily be deduced. During sexual activity less friction is created; often-circumcised men require the use of lubricants in aid of intercourse or masturbation. It has also been postulated that the movement and contact of the foreskin, back and forth, over the glans produces further sensations; many intact men have cited the pleasures afforded by this practice. Also, the truly obvious, but often-overlooked feature is that there is more to enjoy by both the male and female. As with sexual intercourse, many variations of method exist, this holds true with the manipulation of the foreskin.
The frenulum is a mucous membrane, richly endowed with nerves and blood vessels, which attaches the foreskin to the penis. It is located on the ventral (back) of the glans. Over and over again one can read that this is a sensitive area on the male penis. In one women's magazine they referred to this as the male "G-Spot." Most, but not all, circumcision methods destroy part or all of the frenulum--this ultra sensitive tissue (the G-Spot) is surgically removed. What is much more serious is that in many cases the doctor has taken extra steps to cut the frenulum off. This structure enhances a male's sexual enjoyment; sadly many have had their frenulum completely excised! Many intact males have indicated that the frenulum, when stimulated just by its self, can produce an orgasmic response.
To the men--do you have part or all of your frenulum? To the women--does your partner have part or all of his frenulum? If some frenulum exists do you know if you had more which was "trimmed" away?
The glans (head of the penis) was designed to be a protected structure--hence the foreskin. The foreskin covering the glans allows the glans to be kept moist and supple. The exposed glans tends to become dry and the skin layers thicken.
Nerves lay near the top of the skin membrane that covers the glans in intact men. Once circumcised the glans seeks to protect itself from abrasion against diapers and later underwear and other apparel; this is known as keratinization. Dr. Dean Edell has noted it, and others, that the skin cell thickness in circumcised men is double or triple that of intact men. This build-up of skin cells deadens and desensitises the nerve endings in the glans.
The glans of the circumcised male losses much of its color and becomes similar in color to that of the rest of the penis. The color changes are generally an indication of the glans trying to protect itself by building up skin layers. Generally the glans is a darker color more reddish or purple in color in the intact man--the color differential between the glans and shaft is often quite noticeable.
Many men, in fact thousands, are committing or have committed to foreskin restoration. As males and females we should support any man who desires to restore. Do we not support women who undergo reconstructive surgery for breasts lost to cancer? Of course we do and there should be no difference in support for men. The book, The Joy of Uncircumcising, by Jim Bigelow, published by Hourglass Publishing is an excellent resource for those interested in restoration. Various resources are available through the Internet. Please the Circumcision Facts On-Line World Resource Center.
PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS
Great multitudes of men have reported adverse psychological consequences as a result of their circumcisions. Some of the more common reports are that of anger, resentment, lack of control, violation and low self-esteem. These are all normal responses. Sure, not every man will have such a response(s) but no man, who is impacted emotionally, due to circumcision, should be dismissed. Adverse psychological consequences resultant from circumcision were documented in the medical literature decades ago. The material isn't new, it just hasn't been made "available" to the general public.
Often the psychological consequences are compounded or exacerbated when the man (or woman in case of female genital mutilation [FGM]) becomes aware that his sex life has been forever altered as a result of surgery to which he did not consent. Other factors include that of poor circumcision results including skin bridges, prominent scars, tight and/or painful erections, excessive and prolonged stimulation required to reach orgasm and stimulation almost becoming painful in order to achieve orgasm just to mention a few.
What is incredibly important is that we breakdown the barriers in our taboo ridden society that prevents men from being able to openly acknowledge losses and to discuss such issues with both men and women.
This isn't just a lot of smoke and mirrors--these are the facts. If you are a circumcised man and are happy with your state that's great--self-image is important. Sadly, most circumcised men haven't been told the truth about this subject and then many when confronted with the subject have closed their ears. Of course this is understandable, when you think about what was done and what is missing who wouldn't want to think that everything is just great and ignore the harm and damage of circumcision.
What is very important is that we all have an understanding of what has been done. We can't change the past for males or females, who have undergone genital alterations, but we certainly can change the future. I would sincerely hope that we all could concur that male and female children throughout the world have the right to grow up knowing what it is like to have intact genitalia. If we can't agree on this I think individually and collectively we have to start asking some very serious questions--why can't we agree on such a principle?
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