Wednesday, November 23, 2016

More Anti-Science: The Anti-Circumcision Movement

Several weeks ago, I encountered one of the oddest protests I’ve seen on the UIUC campus: Men in white clothing with actual or symbolic blood on their crotches. See picture above. Their protest was peaceful, highlighted by posters and leaflets.
What’s up with this movement? They’re called intactivists. They don’t use the term circumcision (which means cut around): They say male genital cutting and genital mutilation. Okay.  They go on to argue that this is a human rights violation; and it deprives males of pleasure. Not-so-okay. And they contend that the science behind falling rates of VD related to circumcision is bogus. Not okay.
Here is what Mayo Clinic touts as health benefits of circumcision (quoting below):
Easier hygiene….
Decreased risk of urinary tract infections….
Decreased risk of sexually transmitted infections….
Prevention of penile problems (phimosis)….
Decreased risk of penile cancer….  

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