West Virginia: Difference between revisions

From IntactiWiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
← Older edit
WikiModEn2 (talk | contribs)
Bureaucrats
21,921 edits
→Conclusion: Add text.
 
(16 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 23: Line 23:
"The residents of West Virginia have a lower life expectancy than the national average. In 2014 life expectancy for both sexes in the state was 76.0 years compared to 79.1 years for the United States as a whole. In 2014, males in West Virginia lived an average of 73.6 years compared to a national average of 76.7 years and females lived an average of 77.5 years compared to a national average of 81.5 years. Male life expectancy in West Virginia between 1980 and 2014 increased by 4.7 years, compared to a national average of a 6.7-year increase. Life expectancy for females in West Virginia between 1980 and 2014 increased by 1.7 years, compared to a national average of a 4.0-year increase. Life expectancy for both sexes is among the lowest of all states."<ref>{{URLwikipedia|West_Virginia|West Virginia}}</ref>
"The residents of West Virginia have a lower life expectancy than the national average. In 2014 life expectancy for both sexes in the state was 76.0 years compared to 79.1 years for the United States as a whole. In 2014, males in West Virginia lived an average of 73.6 years compared to a national average of 76.7 years and females lived an average of 77.5 years compared to a national average of 81.5 years. Male life expectancy in West Virginia between 1980 and 2014 increased by 4.7 years, compared to a national average of a 6.7-year increase. Life expectancy for females in West Virginia between 1980 and 2014 increased by 1.7 years, compared to a national average of a 4.0-year increase. Life expectancy for both sexes is among the lowest of all states."<ref>{{URLwikipedia|West_Virginia|West Virginia}}</ref>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<b>West Virginia</b> is rated to have the poorest health care of any U.S. state.<ref>{{REFweb
<b>West Virginia</b> is deemed to have the poorest health care of any U.S. state.<ref>{{REFweb
  |url=https://wvahc.org/voices-of-insight/west-virginia-healthcare-ranked-worst-in-the-nation/
  |url=https://wvahc.org/voices-of-insight/west-virginia-healthcare-ranked-worst-in-the-nation/
  |title=West Virginia Healthcare Ranked Worst in the Nation
  |title=West Virginia Healthcare Ranked Worst in the Nation
Line 82: Line 82:




Circumcision has long been falsely promoted as a prophylactic procedure that would prevent future disease, but contemporary research indicates that non-therapeutic male [[circumcision]] is very harmful.
Circumcision has long been falsely promoted as a prophylactic procedure that would prevent future disease, but contemporary research indicates that non-therapeutic male [[circumcision]] is very harmful. There are no medical indications for [[circumcision of the newborn]]<ref name="mansfield1995">{{REFjournal
|last=Mansfield
|first=
|init=CJ
|author-link=
|last2=Hueston
|first2=
|init2=WJ
|author2-link=
|last3=Rudy
|first3=
|init3=M
|author3-link=
|etal=no
|title=Neonatal Circumcision: Associated Factors and Length of Hospital Stay
|journal=J Fam Pract
|date=1995-10
|volume=41
|issue=4
|pages=370-6
|url=https://www.cirp.org/library/procedure/mansfield/
|archived=
|quote=
|pubmedID=7561711
|pubmedCID=
|DOI=
|doi=
|accessdate=2026-04-10
}}</ref> and very few in later years.
* Circumcision actually is a surgical [[amputation]] that exposes the patient to [[bleeding]], [[infection]], [[Documented severe complications of circumcision| surgical mishap]], and certain loss of the [[Erogenous sensation of the foreskin| erogenous]], protective [[foreskin]].
* Circumcision actually is a surgical [[amputation]] that exposes the patient to [[bleeding]], [[infection]], [[Documented severe complications of circumcision| surgical mishap]], and certain loss of the [[Erogenous sensation of the foreskin| erogenous]], protective [[foreskin]].
* Several researchers have determined that infant male [[circumcision]] is a traumatizing event that produces [[posttraumatic stress disorder]]. There is reason to believe that many <b>West Virginia</b> males would be likely to suffer from post-circumcision traumatic stress disorder.<ref>{{REFjournal
* Several researchers have determined that infant male [[circumcision]] is a traumatizing event that produces [[posttraumatic stress disorder]]. There is reason to believe that many <b>West Virginia</b> males would be likely to suffer from post-circumcision traumatic stress disorder.<ref>{{REFjournal
Line 88: Line 116:
  |first=
  |first=
  |init=GJ
  |init=GJ
  |author-link=
  |author-link=Gregory J. Boyle
  |last2=Goldman
  |last2=Goldman
  |first2=
  |first2=
  |init2=R
  |init2=R
  |author2-link=
  |author2-link=Ronald Goldman
  |last3=Svoboda
  |last3=Svoboda
  |first3=
  |first3=
  |init3=JS
  |init3=JS
  |author3-link=
  |author3-link=J. Steven Svoboda
  |last4=Fernandez
  |last4=Fernandez
  |first4=
  |first4=
Line 225: Line 253:
Healthcare providers are somewhat scarce in rural <b>West Virginia</b>.
Healthcare providers are somewhat scarce in rural <b>West Virginia</b>.


Physicians in the [[United States]] are paid on a fee-for-service basis. [[Circumcision]] is an additional service for which physicians collect an additional fee. A typical child circumcision can be done in only a few minutes, so the [[financial incentive]] is highly attractive. The actual health value or lack thereof of circumcision is seldom considered.
Physicians in the [[United States]] are paid on a fee-for-service basis. [[Circumcision]] is an additional service for which physicians collect an additional fee. A typical child circumcision can be done in only a few minutes, so the [[financial incentive]] is highly attractive. The actual health value or lack thereof of circumcision is seldom considered.<ref name="bollinger2025">{{REFdocument
|title=Policy Paper: Newborn Circumcision as a Negative Wellness Factor
|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/394517060_Policy_Paper_Newborn_Circumcision_as_a_Negative_Wellness_Factor
|contribution=
|last=Bollinger
|first=Dan
|init=
|author-link=Dan Bollinger
|publisher=Research Gate
|format=PDF
|date=2025-08
|accessdate=2026-04-10
}}</ref>


A premature [[forced foreskin retraction]] by a <b>West Virginia</b> physician has been reported.
A premature [[forced foreskin retraction]] by a <b>West Virginia</b> physician has been reported.


==Conclusion==
==Conclusion==
The [[American Academy of Pediatrics]] has abandoned its previous recommendations regarding [[child circumcision]] in 2017. It now has no official position.
Male [[circumcision]] is now generally recognized as male sexual/genital mutilation ([[MGM]]).
Male [[circumcision]] is now generally recognized as male sexual/genital mutilation ([[MGM]]).


Line 258: Line 300:
  |pages=
  |pages=
  |accessdate=2026-04-08
  |accessdate=2026-04-08
}}</ref> however the civic and government leaders of <b>West Virginia</b> have not shown any interest in reforming the practice or in protecting the legal rights of <b>West Virginia</b> boys.  
}}</ref> however the civic and government leaders of <b>West Virginia</b> have not shown any interest in reforming the practice or in protecting the [https://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/legal/ legal rights] of <b>West Virginia</b> boys.  


If <b>West Virginia</b> is sincere about seeking to improve health care, it could start by stopping the practice of harmful, unnecessary, non-therapeutic [[circumcision]], which benefits only the bank accounts of the doctors, and redirecting the freed up resources where it was needed, perhaps, for example, to prenatal care for expectant mothers. Cessation of unnecessary, non-therapeutic circumcision should be part of the West Virginia Rural Health Transformation (RHT) program, as it would free up scarce provider time to actually treat disease.
If <b>West Virginia</b> is sincere about seeking to improve health care, it could start by stopping the practice of harmful, unnecessary, non-therapeutic [[circumcision]], which benefits only the bank accounts of the doctors, and redirecting the freed up resources where it was needed, perhaps, for example, to prenatal care for expectant mothers. Cessation of unnecessary, non-therapeutic circumcision should be part of the <b>West Virginia</b> [https://governor.wv.gov/rht Rural Health Transformation (RHT) program], as it would  
* avoid surgical risks.
* eliminate circumcision [[pain]] and [[trauma]].
* prevent [[meatal stenosis]].
* preserve the [[Immunological and protective function of the foreskin]].
* [[Circumcision and STDs| reduce incidence of sexually transmitted disease]].
* improve mental health.<ref name="tye2022" /> <ref name="andersen2025" />
* free up scarce provider time to treat disease.
* permit improvement of overall population health.<ref name="andersen2025" />
* reduce disabilities that prevent employment.<ref name="andersen2025" />
* may reduce [[Circumcision and violence| societal violence]].


{{LINKS}}
{{LINKS}}
Line 267: Line 319:
{{REF}}
{{REF}}


[[Category:American healthcare reform]]
[[Category:Circumcision]]
[[Category:Circumcision]]
[[Category:Education]]
[[Category:Education]]
Line 273: Line 327:
[[Category:Male genital mutilation]]
[[Category:Male genital mutilation]]
[[Category:Statistics]]
[[Category:Statistics]]
[[Category:USA]]
[[Category:USA]]

Latest revision as of 17:48, 10 April 2026

West Virginia is a small, mountaineous U.S. state in the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States. West Virginia is contiguous with Kentucky and Ohio, which are part of the "circumcision belt of America" that runs through the midwestern United States. West Virginia is an extension of that belt.

West Virginia has a population of about 1,770,000.

Coal mining is an important industry in West Virginia.

2017 estimates indicate that 19% of the state's population lives in poverty, exceeding the national average of 13%.[1]

Health care in West Virginia

The emphasis on child circumcision in West Virginia consumes medical resources (funding and time of health care providers} that would otherwise be available to treat actual diseases and improve health.

According to Wikipedia, health care in West Virginia is generally substandard:

"United Health Foundation's "America's Health Rankings" for 2013 found that Americans are making considerable progress in key health measures. West Virginia, however, ranked either last or second-to-last in twenty categories, including cancer, child immunization, diabetes, disabilities, drug deaths, teeth loss, low birth weight, missed work days due to health, prescription drug overdose, preventable hospitalizations, and senior clinical care."

"The residents of West Virginia have a lower life expectancy than the national average. In 2014 life expectancy for both sexes in the state was 76.0 years compared to 79.1 years for the United States as a whole. In 2014, males in West Virginia lived an average of 73.6 years compared to a national average of 76.7 years and females lived an average of 77.5 years compared to a national average of 81.5 years. Male life expectancy in West Virginia between 1980 and 2014 increased by 4.7 years, compared to a national average of a 6.7-year increase. Life expectancy for females in West Virginia between 1980 and 2014 increased by 1.7 years, compared to a national average of a 4.0-year increase. Life expectancy for both sexes is among the lowest of all states."[2]

West Virginia is deemed to have the poorest health care of any U.S. state.[3]

Popularity of male circumcision in West Virginia

It is very likely that third-party payment is freely available for the medically not indicated, non-therapeutic, harmful, surgical amputation of the normal foreskin.

West Virginia has long enjoyed the dubious distinction of having the highest incidence (87%) in 2009 of harmful, painful, traumatic, non-medically-indicated child circumcision in the United States.

American circumcision rates by state.
American circumcision rates by state.























Circumcision has long been falsely promoted as a prophylactic procedure that would prevent future disease, but contemporary research indicates that non-therapeutic male circumcision is very harmful. There are no medical indications for circumcision of the newborn[4] and very few in later years.

Physicians

According to Wikipedia, 10 to 15 percent of physicians practicing in West Virginia are Doctors of Osteopathy (DO).[10]

Healthcare providers are somewhat scarce in rural West Virginia.

Physicians in the United States are paid on a fee-for-service basis. Circumcision is an additional service for which physicians collect an additional fee. A typical child circumcision can be done in only a few minutes, so the financial incentive is highly attractive. The actual health value or lack thereof of circumcision is seldom considered.[11]

A premature forced foreskin retraction by a West Virginia physician has been reported.

Conclusion

The American Academy of Pediatrics has abandoned its previous recommendations regarding child circumcision in 2017. It now has no official position.

Male circumcision is now generally recognized as male sexual/genital mutilation (MGM).

Doctors Opposing Circumcision advises that circumcision is unnecessary and may be avoided.[12]

Adler argues forcefully that circumcision is a fraud and a violation of legal rights,[13] however the civic and government leaders of West Virginia have not shown any interest in reforming the practice or in protecting the legal rights of West Virginia boys.

If West Virginia is sincere about seeking to improve health care, it could start by stopping the practice of harmful, unnecessary, non-therapeutic circumcision, which benefits only the bank accounts of the doctors, and redirecting the freed up resources where it was needed, perhaps, for example, to prenatal care for expectant mothers. Cessation of unnecessary, non-therapeutic circumcision should be part of the West Virginia Rural Health Transformation (RHT) program, as it would

References

  1. ↑ REFweb Anonymous (2024). Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, United States Census. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  2. ↑ REFweb Wikipedia article: West Virginia
  3. ↑ REFweb Anonymous (2026). West Virginia Healthcare Ranked Worst in the Nation, West Virginians for Affordable Health Care. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  4. ↑ REFjournal Mansfield CJ, Hueston WJ, Rudy M. Neonatal Circumcision: Associated Factors and Length of Hospital Stay. J Fam Pract. October 1995; 41(4): 370-6. PMID. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  5. ↑ REFjournal Boyle GJ, Goldman R, Svoboda JS, Fernandez E. Male circumcision: pain, trauma and psychosexual sequelae PDF. Journal of Health Psychology. May 2002; 7(3): 329-43. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  6. ↑ REFjournal Van Howe RS. Incidence of meatal stenosis following neonatal circumcision in a primary care setting. Clin Pediatr (Phila). January 2006; 45(1): 49-54. PMID. PMC. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  7. ↑ REFjournal Fendereski K, Horns JJ, Driggs N, Lau G, Shaeffer AJ. Comparing Penile Problems in Circumcised vs. Uncircumcised Boys: Insights From a Large Commercial Claims Database With a Focus on Provider Type Performing Circumcision. J Pediatr Surg. November 2024; 59(11): [161614]. PMID. PMC. DOI. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  8. ↑ a b REFjournal Tye MC, Sardi LM. Psychological, psychosocial, and psychosexual aspects of penile circumcision PDF. Int J Impot Res. May 2023; 35(3): 242-8. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  9. ↑ a b c d REFjournal Andersen-Giberson D. Circumcision and forced disability: Routine male neonatal circumcision and the consequences of amputation within a critical disability studies framework PDF. Critical Disability Discourses. December 2025; 10(2): 1-37. DOI. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
    Quote: In a critical disability studies framework, it is argued that the act of amputating healthy erogenous tissue and the consequences of that amputation cause disability, particularly from a counter-hegemonic lens.
  10. ↑ REFweb Wikipedia article: Osteopathic medicine in the United States
  11. ↑ REFdocument Bollinger, Dan: Policy Paper: Newborn Circumcision as a Negative Wellness Factor PDF, Research Gate. (August 2025). Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  12. ↑ REFweb Anonymous (2016). For Professionals, Doctors Opposing Circumcision. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  13. ↑ REFbook Adler, Peter (2022): Circumcision Is A Fraud: And The Coming Legal Reckoning. 282 pages. KDP. ISBN 979-8844459276. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
Retrieved from "https://en.intactiwiki.org/w/index.php?title=West_Virginia&oldid=45270"