Male and female circumcision: Difference between revisions

(One intermediate revision by one other user not shown)

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 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.