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| Dr Antony Lempert |
Dr Antony Lempert says the findings of two recent medical papers critical of infant circumcision should prompt us to greater protect children from religious and cultural genital cutting.
Two recently published medical articles have highlighted the dangers of the most common surgical procedure worldwide – and one that is performed almost exclusively for religious or cultural reasons on children too young to consent.
Infant male circumcision is widely acknowledged to be a non-therapeutic (i.e. medically unnecessary) procedure which is not actively recommended by any medical association in the world.
There are nonetheless many claims that it does confer some medical benefit on children and men, or that it is at least harmless. Medical benefit is often hailed as a coincidental advantage by religious leaders who wish to protect their traditional forced genital cutting practices from criticism or limitation.
But these two articles demonstrate otherwise . . .
. . . It is a singular anomaly that non-therapeutic circumcision continues to take place despite lack of a medical indication or even evidence of overall benefit. This turns medical practice and child safeguarding on its head.
Continue reading @ National Secular Society.
