Male and female circumcision: Difference between revisions

(5 intermediate revisions by one other user not shown)

Line 36:

|-

| "She loses only a little piece of the [[clitoris]], just the part that protrudes. The girl does not miss it. She can still feel, after all. There is hardly any pain. Women's pain thresholds are so much higher than men's."

| "It's only a little piece of skin. The baby does not feel any pain because his nervous system is not developed yet."

| "It's only a little piece of [[skin]]. The baby does not feel any pain because his nervous system is not developed yet."

|-

| "The parts that are cut away are disgusting and hideous to look at. It is done for the beauty of the suture."

Line 73:

=== Variations of male genital cutting ===

Male genital cutting can consist of a mere prick to draw a drop of blood, to cutting off just the tip of the foreskin, full [[excision]] of the [[foreskin]], a procedure called subincision where the underside of the penis is cut lengthwise to expose the urethra, to a [[penectomy]] or shaft removal, castration or the removal of the testes, to the removal of the shaft and testes.

Male genital cutting can consist of a mere prick to draw a drop of blood, to cutting off just the tip of the foreskin, full [[excision]] of the [[foreskin]], a procedure called subincision where the underside of the penis is cut lengthwise to expose the [[urethra]], to a [[penectomy]] or shaft removal, castration or the removal of the testes, to the removal of the shaft and testes.

=== Variations of female genital cutting ===

Line 105:

=== Type II ===

The WHO's definition of Type II FGM is "partial or total removal of the [[clitoris]] and the [[labia minora]], with or without [[excision]] of the labia majora. When it is important to distinguish between the major variations that have been documented, the following subdivisions are proposed: Type IIa, removal of the labia minora only; Type IIb, partial or total removal of the [[clitoris]] and the labia minora; Type IIc, partial or total removal of the [[clitoris]], the labia minora and the labia majora.<ref name="WHO - Terminology">{{REFweb

The WHO's definition of Type II FGM is "partial or total removal of the [[clitoris]] and the [[labia minora]], with or without [[excision]] of the [[labia majora]]. When it is important to distinguish between the major variations that have been documented, the following subdivisions are proposed: Type IIa, removal of the [[labia minora]] only; Type IIb, partial or total removal of the [[clitoris]] and the [[labia minora]]; Type IIc, partial or total removal of the [[clitoris]], the [[labia minora]] and the [[labia majora]].<ref name="WHO - Terminology">{{REFweb

|quote=

|url=http://www.who.int/reproductive-health/publications/fgm/fgm_statement_2008.pdf

Line 118:

=== Type III: [[Infibulation]] with [[excision]] ===

The WHO defines Type III FGM as narrowing of the vaginal orifice with creation of a covering seal by cutting and repositioning the labia minora and/or the labia majora, with or without [[excision]] of the [[clitoris]] ([[infibulation]])." It is the most extensive form of FGM, and accounts for about 10% of all FGM procedures described from Africa.<ref>{{REFweb

The WHO defines Type III FGM as narrowing of the vaginal orifice with creation of a covering seal by cutting and repositioning the [[labia minora]] and/or the [[labia majora]], with or without [[excision]] of the [[clitoris]] ([[infibulation]])." It is the most extensive form of FGM, and accounts for about 10% of all FGM procedures described from Africa.<ref>{{REFweb

|quote=

|url=http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs241/en/index.html

Line 135:

== Mutilation vs. surgical procedure ==

Two factors make the difference between a mutilation and surgical procedure; medical necessity and/or informed consent. If there is no medical necessity, a procedure is still valid and acceptable if the recipient gives his or her full consent. This must happen in elective cosmetic surgery for example. When there is a medical necessity, but the patient is a minor, this decision must be left up to the minor's parents or guardians. The controversy in male circumcision is in that it is usually performed on a healthy, non-consenting minor where there is no medical necessity or clinical indication. Can a doctor perform non-medical ~~surgerey~~ on a healthy, non-consenting child without a medical necessity or clinical indication, let alone give parents or guardians the option?

Two factors make the difference between a mutilation and surgical procedure; medical necessity and/or [[informed consent]]. If there is no medical necessity, a procedure is still valid and acceptable if the recipient gives his or her full consent. This must happen in elective cosmetic surgery for example. When there is a medical necessity, but the patient is a minor, this decision must be left up to the minor's parents or guardians. The controversy in male circumcision is in that it is usually performed on a healthy, non-consenting minor where there is no medical necessity or clinical indication. Can a doctor perform non-medical surgery on a healthy, non-consenting child without a medical necessity or clinical indication, let alone give parents or guardians the option?

Children are neither in medical need of surgery, nor can they give their consent to elective cosmetic surgery.

@@ Line 36: / Line 36: @@
 |-
 | "She loses only a little piece of the [[clitoris]], just the part that protrudes. The girl does not miss it. She can still feel, after all. There is hardly any pain. Women's pain thresholds are so much higher than men's."
-| "It's only a little piece of skin. The baby does not feel any pain because his nervous system is not developed yet."
+| "It's only a little piece of [[skin]]. The baby does not feel any pain because his nervous system is not developed yet."
 |-
 | "The parts that are cut away are disgusting and hideous to look at. It is done for the beauty of the suture."
@@ Line 73: / Line 73: @@
 === Variations of male genital cutting ===
-Male genital cutting can consist of a mere prick to draw a drop of blood, to cutting off just the tip of the foreskin, full [[excision]] of the [[foreskin]], a procedure called subincision where the underside of the penis is cut lengthwise to expose the urethra, to a [[penectomy]] or shaft removal, castration or the removal of the testes, to the removal of the shaft and testes.
+Male genital cutting can consist of a mere prick to draw a drop of blood, to cutting off just the tip of the foreskin, full [[excision]] of the [[foreskin]], a procedure called subincision where the underside of the penis is cut lengthwise to expose the [[urethra]], to a [[penectomy]] or shaft removal, castration or the removal of the testes, to the removal of the shaft and testes.
 === Variations of female genital cutting ===
@@ Line 105: / Line 105: @@
 === Type II ===
-The WHO's definition of Type II FGM is "partial or total removal of the [[clitoris]] and the [[labia minora]], with or without [[excision]] of the labia majora. When it is important to distinguish between the major variations that have been documented, the following subdivisions are proposed: Type IIa, removal of the labia minora only; Type IIb, partial or total removal of the [[clitoris]] and the labia minora; Type IIc, partial or total removal of the [[clitoris]], the labia minora and the labia majora.<ref name="WHO - Terminology">{{REFweb
+The WHO's definition of Type II FGM is "partial or total removal of the [[clitoris]] and the [[labia minora]], with or without [[excision]] of the [[labia majora]]. When it is important to distinguish between the major variations that have been documented, the following subdivisions are proposed: Type IIa, removal of the [[labia minora]] only; Type IIb, partial or total removal of the [[clitoris]] and the [[labia minora]]; Type IIc, partial or total removal of the [[clitoris]], the [[labia minora]] and the [[labia majora]].<ref name="WHO - Terminology">{{REFweb
   |quote=
   |url=http://www.who.int/reproductive-health/publications/fgm/fgm_statement_2008.pdf
@@ Line 118: / Line 118: @@
 === Type III: [[Infibulation]] with [[excision]] ===
-The WHO defines Type III FGM as narrowing of the vaginal orifice with creation of a covering seal by cutting and repositioning the labia minora and/or the labia majora, with or without [[excision]] of the [[clitoris]] ([[infibulation]])."<!-- <ref name="WHO-2006-10-02"/> --> It is the most extensive form of FGM, and accounts for about 10% of all FGM procedures described from Africa.<ref>{{REFweb
+The WHO defines Type III FGM as narrowing of the vaginal orifice with creation of a covering seal by cutting and repositioning the [[labia minora]] and/or the [[labia majora]], with or without [[excision]] of the [[clitoris]] ([[infibulation]])."<!-- <ref name="WHO-2006-10-02"/> --> It is the most extensive form of FGM, and accounts for about 10% of all FGM procedures described from Africa.<ref>{{REFweb
   |quote=
   |url=http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs241/en/index.html
@@ Line 135: / Line 135: @@
 == Mutilation vs. surgical procedure ==
-Two factors make the difference between a mutilation and surgical procedure; medical necessity and/or informed consent. If there is no medical necessity, a procedure is still valid and acceptable if the recipient gives his or her full consent. This must happen in elective cosmetic surgery for example. When there is a medical necessity, but the patient is a minor, this decision must be left up to the minor's parents or guardians. The controversy in male circumcision is in that it is usually performed on a healthy, non-consenting minor where there is no medical necessity or clinical indication. Can a doctor perform non-medical surgerey on a healthy, non-consenting child without a medical necessity or clinical indication, let alone give parents or guardians the option?
+Two factors make the difference between a mutilation and surgical procedure; medical necessity and/or [[informed consent]]. If there is no medical necessity, a procedure is still valid and acceptable if the recipient gives his or her full consent. This must happen in elective cosmetic surgery for example. When there is a medical necessity, but the patient is a minor, this decision must be left up to the minor's parents or guardians. The controversy in male circumcision is in that it is usually performed on a healthy, non-consenting minor where there is no medical necessity or clinical indication. Can a doctor perform non-medical surgery on a healthy, non-consenting child without a medical necessity or clinical indication, let alone give parents or guardians the option?
 Children are neither in medical need of surgery, nor can they give their consent to elective cosmetic surgery.