Suicide

Suicide is a serious possible consequence of circumcision or circumcision trauma.

Circumcision coma

New Zealand researcher Lindsay R. Watson describes a state of denial in grown-up men who have not yet realized that in their earliest childhood, the circumcision gave them a highly traumatic experience that they have not yet realized or even processed. When genitally mutilated men realize for the first time (often through a trigger impulse from the outside) what has been done to them, it is often like an "awakening from a coma" to them.

This is often followed by extreme feelings of hate, anger and loss. Chances are that these men find no way to channel their anger constructively to protect others from genital mutilation. Some of these simply give up themselves by committing suicide.

Documented cases of suicide due to circumcision

There are not so many records of men who could no longer endure their condition after forced circumcision and who took their own lives. This article tries to collect a list of these tragedies.

Name	Age	Reason
Brandt, Brian Mathew	28	Hated himself and his mother over a very aggressive circumcision conducted while he was an infant.
Cagle, Kevin Lloyd	20	I hate my body. I don't feel whole.
Conte, Jonathon	34	Botched circumcision and resulting depression.
Lwane, Dontsa	19	Botched circumcision.
Lwane, Wandile	21	Suicide after learning of his brother Dontsa's death.
Reimer, David	38	Never felt complete.
Terrebonne, Beasley Allen	48	Botched circumcision and resulting depression.

Suicide attempts

There are some documented suicide attempts but surely most attempts never come to light.

Publications

• Massie L (2013): Male Circumcision and the Potential for Unexplained Male Adolescent Suicide in Northern Ireland, in: Genital Cutting: Protecting Children from Medical, Cultural, and Religious Infringements. Denniston, G.C., Hodges, F.M. and Milos, M.F. (ed.). Dordrecht: Springer. Pp. 101-106.

See also

• Documented severe complications of circumcision
• Fatalities