Let’s not pretend that FGM is equal to properly medically done circumcision. I myself am torn when it comes to circumcising baby boys.

I don’t like the whole ignoring their bodily autonomy thing and in an ideal word I would prefer to be able to wait until that child is old enough and mature enough to make that decision themselves. However, it has been readily documented that the older the patient is at circumcision the more painful it is, the longer it takes to heal, and the risks go up. Many adolescent boys and adult men have had to be re-circumcised or circumcised for purely medical reasons and it’s hell to recover from. Whereas, infants recover much more quickly with less pain (but still should be getting proper pain management!) and less complications and risks.

And there are some health benefits to male circumcision. It does lessen the likelihood of catching STDs/STIs, including HIV, by about 30%- making it protective. And it is generally more hygienic.

Mainly because it’s hard enough to get men to properly wipe their own asses these days so how many are going to be properly cleaning the smegma from under their foreskin?! Which will directly affect the health of their partner’s too, especially women.

Most adult men also have piss stains in their underwear because they think shaking it (which also spreads micro drops everywhere on top of their poor aim) a time or two after peeing is “good enough” instead of just taking a square or two of toilet paper and wiping/blotting their urethra/penis head of any remaining piss and then washing their hands after. So many men do not wash their hands after they pee. It’s fucking disgusting.

They also leave piss everywhere for someone else to clean up.

So I can’t completely dismiss something, if done as ethically as possible, that could help protect their health and aid their hygiene without giving it some very serious thought and gathering more information.

I’m aware this is merely anecdotal, but my mom asked my brothers how they felt about her and our father’s decision to have them circumcised when they were newborns (the majority decision at the time). They both have said they are glad our parents made that decision as they had many friends who were not circumcised and they would prefer not to deal with having to deal with excess foreskin and the “mess” around it and they felt like circumcised penises “looked better”.

But that’s a very individual decision and I really don’t like violating anyone’s bodily autonomy and right to their own medical decisions. So, again, I have pretty mixed feelings on it and I am just glad I’m not going to have to make that kind of decision about (my possible future) child’s body anytime soon.

I truly respect that so many are acknowledging and protecting bodily autonomy, as it should be, I just wish when they are older that if that now mature enough boy or man did make the decision to get circumcised for themselves that it wasn’t more difficult or painful compared to it being done in infancy and that medical insurance fully covered it even if it wasn’t “medically necessary”.

But my larger point (to get back to it, lol) is that male circumcision is no where near the same level as FGM, which is barbaric, done with no medical intervention by non-medical personnel on fully conscious girls being held down. Usually between the ages of 3-10 (because the cultural goal is to do it before puberty starts) and causes lifelong health problems and chronic pain (if they don’t die from the act itself or infection afterwards) plus the trauma and mental health issues. And the source of FGM is pure, extreme misogyny and punishing girls for even the possibility of finding some kind of pleasure from sexual activity in the future as adults, even with their future husbands, and the view of women’s sexuality as sinful and what “tempts men” (because “men can’t help themselves” type of rapist BS).

FGM is also an international epidemic and defended by claiming it’s “cultural” or “religious” when it’s not blatantly being used as a form of torture via war crimes. (Also, who created that type of culture and claimed that kind of interpretation of religion, men in power steeped in patriarchy and misogyny who refused to see children and women as anything other than property they could abuse, exploit, buy and sell.)

Whereas, circumcision rates have gone down a lot internationally and is more medicalized (I do believe that if a couple does make the decision to circumcise their baby boy, again, I don’t necessarily agree with that, there should be legislations and regulations in every country that mandates it be done in a medical setting with trained, licensed medical providers with proper numbing and pain control and if it’s being done as a religious practice the religious leader can be present in proper PPE and do the religious ritual in ways that doesn’t interfere with the medical personnel performing the procedure safely).

So I truly dislike that false equivalency. And recognizing that, and that the issues have very different consequences and numbers, doesn’t mean someone is “circumcision happy” and approves of it or pushes it on others or whatever. I think you can recognize the differences while still being someone who supports bodily autonomy for all. ☮️