Abraham L. Wolbarst: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:Abraham L. Wolbarst.jpg|right|thumb|Abraham Leo Wolbarst]] | [[Image:Abraham L. Wolbarst.jpg|right|thumb|Abraham Leo Wolbarst]] | ||
'''Abraham Leo Wolbarst''', {{MD}}, ({{LifeData|1872|1952}}) a New York City physician, was a notorious promoter of non-therapeutic neonatal male [[circumcision]]. | '''Abraham Leo Wolbarst''', {{MD}}, ({{LifeData|1872|1952}}) a New York City physician and [[circumcised doctors| circumcised doctor]], was a notorious promoter of harmful non-therapeutic neonatal male [[circumcision]]. | ||
==Universal circumcision as a sanitary measure== | ==Universal circumcision as a sanitary measure== | ||
| Line 25: | Line 25: | ||
|title=Universal Circumcision as a Sanitary Measure | |title=Universal Circumcision as a Sanitary Measure | ||
|journal=JAMA | |journal=JAMA | ||
|date=1914- | |date=1914-01-10 | ||
|volume=62 | |volume=62 | ||
|issue=2 | |issue=2 | ||
| Line 35: | Line 35: | ||
This was before the days of evidence-based medicine, when doctors relied on medical ''opinion'', instead of scientific ''evidence''. Wolbarst collected the ''opinions'' of several physicians and published those opinions as evidence for his argument that circumcision prevented diseases. Wolbarst argued that non-therapeutic neonatal circumcision prevented numerous diseases including venereal disease (now known as sexually transmitted disease). | This was before the days of evidence-based medicine, when doctors relied on medical ''opinion'', instead of scientific ''evidence''. Wolbarst collected the ''opinions'' of several physicians and published those opinions as evidence for his argument that circumcision prevented diseases. Wolbarst argued that non-therapeutic neonatal circumcision prevented numerous diseases including venereal disease (now known as sexually transmitted disease). | ||
Skeldon (2008) commented: | |||
| | <blockquote> | ||
|title=The | At first one might think that there was now a wave of medical evidence supporting the | ||
practice of routine male circumcision, but a closer look shows that most of these claims | |||
were observational and not evidence-based. For instance, in his article “Universal | |||
circumcision as a sanitary measure,” the New York physician Abraham Leo Wolbarst | |||
(1872-1978) argues that circumcision prevents masturbation. During its publication, this | |||
was already a commonly held view and so was not generally questioned. But if one | |||
considers the implications of this, it becomes apparent that to statistically prove such a | |||
claim among young boys would be virtually impossible. This is why Wolbarst’s evidence | |||
consisted of what he called “authoritative observations” from other respected | |||
practitioners in the field.<ref name="skeldon2008">{{REFconference | |||
|last=Skeldon | |||
|first=Sean | |||
|author-link= | |||
|title=The Medicalization and Resultant Decline of Circumcision in Canada | |||
|trans-title= | |trans-title= | ||
|language= | |language= | ||
| | |url=https://prism.ucalgary.ca/server/api/core/bitstreams/028cdb7b-3536-4b5b-921b-46ba3a2262ec/content | ||
| | |archived= | ||
| | |place=Calgary, AB | ||
|publisher= | |publisher=Health Sciences Centre | ||
| | |source= | ||
|date= | |date=2008-03 | ||
| | |datefrom=2008-03-07 | ||
|format= | |dateto=2008-03-08 | ||
| | |format=PDF | ||
}}</ref> No statistics exist to document how many men were | |accessdate=2025-01-19 | ||
}}</ref> | |||
</blockquote> | |||
Wolbarst's article appeared on the eve of World War I. It apparently influenced American military commanders to order [[adult circumcision| circumcision]] of military personnel under their command to prevent venereal diseases and improve military readiness.<ref name="skeldon2008" /> No statistics exist to document how many men were [[circumcised]] because of Wolbarst's article. | |||
The adoption of circumcision as a prophylactic [[amputation]] by American military services falsely stigmatized the [[foreskin]] as being unhealthy. [[Robert S. Van Howe|Van Howe]] (1999) has exhaustively shown that circumcision does not protect against STDs.<ref name="vanhowe1999">{{REFjournal | The adoption of circumcision as a prophylactic [[amputation]] by American military services falsely stigmatized the [[foreskin]] as being unhealthy. [[Robert S. Van Howe|Van Howe]] (1999) has exhaustively shown that circumcision does not protect against STDs.<ref name="vanhowe1999">{{REFjournal | ||