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* http://www.fgmnetwork.org/intro/mgmfgm.html
Circumcision is a euphemism for genital reduction surgery or [[Genital Mutilation: America's double standards| genital mutilation]], performed by medically-licensed or unqualified practitioners for various reasons. It is important to define it honestly, for that is how the mind interprets it, with or without superimposed denials, explanations and intellectualisations.
Many circumcisions are performed on children, who, by definition are not able to give informed consent of the kind available to adults. They are vulnerable to coercion and manipulation and generally have little say in what happens to their bodies medically & surgically. They are not usually allowed to say no to medical procedures because it is deemed that parents & doctors "know best". However, it is unlikely that any child, asked if they would like a person with a knife to cut off part of their penis, would agree to such an action. This would be a normal psychological reaction to the threat of attack and is overruled at some psychological cost.
The process of psychological dissociation from trauma, and the subsequent re-experiencing of frightening images, plus avoidance of situations which symbolize the trauma, is called Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD for short. It is a collection of symptoms recognized in some soldiers after combat and in victims of extreme terror. It has been shown to occur in women after gynecological procedures and after circumcision in children of both sexes.
{{SEEALSO}}
* [[Foreskin]]
* [[Sexual effects of circumcision]]
* [[Psychological issues of male circumcision]]
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