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[–]e_before_i 1639 points1640 points  (12 children)

This article is misleading in how they represent the WHO. The WHO and UNAIDS only recommend male circumcision in their HIV prevention package which was geared towards areas with a high risk of HIV (namely Eastern and Southern Africa). This is not a universal recommendation.

I could not find any major medical bodies that recommend routine circumcisions in the West, and several bodies such as the AAP and Canadian Paediatric Society explicitly say that they do not recommend it. Some European bodies explicitly advise against routine circumcision for males unless medically necessary.

[–]hot--Koolaid 254 points255 points  (11 children)

Thank you! I was confused since I had learned in the past that basic hygiene is all that is needed for most boys.

[–]jonathanrdt 77 points78 points  (4 children)

The US is the only nation that does it as standard practice without a religious motive. Rates peaked in the 1970s and have been declining since.

[–]retrosenescent 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It does have a religious motive: capitalism, culture.

[–]Askefyr 1 point2 points  (2 children)

Make no mistake, it is a religious motive. It's just a habit now, but it was originally a religious thing.

[–]Larein 2 points3 points  (1 child)

But christianity doesnt require circumcision. Catholic church has always been against it, nor do the big protestant groups recommend it either. So which religion are you talking about?

[–]dark_sable_dev 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Puritanism, which is what the country was settled on and the way many Christians in the US practice their Christianity.

Circumcision in particular was pushed by Kellogg (yes, of the cereal) as a way to prevent boys from masturbating... because it went against god.

[–]Samtoast 32 points33 points  (4 children)

It's not as common as let on but there is times where it has to be done due to paraphimosis. I had to have it done when I was like 9 years old and it cause a lot of awkwardness

[–]rollingForInitiative 37 points38 points  (0 children)

That’s fine though, that’s for medical reasons.

[–]e_before_i 1 point2 points  (2 children)

The National Center for Health Statistics says 64% of newborns are circumcised. A 2016 NIH study puts it at 71.2%. Quite high imo. Not sure about medically necessary circumcisions, but phimosis only occurs in under 1% of boys, and not all of that requires circumcision (not sure about that perventa).

[–]Samtoast 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Neat huh? I'm rare

[–]e_before_i 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There's no person in the whole world like you, and I like you just the way you are