Male circumcision, an exclusive interview: the good, the bad and the ugly
20 February 2015, published by LITTLEROCK.com.mt
There is a lot of strong opinion on the subject of circumcision. While it is a procedure performed on both sexes, in vastly different ways and with different implications, the one done on males is more widely known. Male circumcision is the removal of the foreskin, the fold of tissue that covers and protects the tip of the penis. The main issue of debate is because these operations are usually performed on children or minors who cannot decide for themselves on an irreversible procedure.
LITTLEROCK.com.mt spoke to Abraham (fictitious name as he prefers to remain anonymous), who chose to undergo the operation as a young adult aged 23, to share his experience of male circumcision.
"Circumcision involves the removal of the foreskin. I was quite nervous about it, especially as the date of the surgery drew closer. Inevitably, I started to hear about how it could go wrong. Remembering my first motivation for going through with this gave me strength. Once it was done, I was shocked to see the aftermath! I consoled myself with the fact that all went well, and that finally it was done. However, I then went through 2 of the hardest weeks of my life; the sleeping positions I had to come up with were truly comical!"
Born in India into a non-religious Muslim family, his parents moved to Malta when he was 8 months old. It is customary for circumcision to be performed on boys during the first year of their lives however, in his case, it kept being put off by his parents due to work, travel and other reasons. In Malta, Abraham attended a Catholic school and did not practice Islam, so when he decided to start practicing Islam at the age of 22, he realised that this was going to be what he calls his "Baptism of Fire." Furthermore, he knew that if he was to hope to find a Muslim wife, he would be find it very hard to arrange a marriage if he did not undergo the circumcision.
However, Abraham confirms that the tradition is not a direct religious order: "The order is not derived directly from the Holy Quran, but rather it is adopted from the life and way of the prophets: a prophetic tradition starting from Prophet Abraham all the way down to the last Prophet Muhammad. We deem that if we are to live by the way and teachings of the prophets, we must follow their prophetic tradition."
This might explain why several socio-religious cultures - including Muslims, Jews, certain African tribes and other ethnic minorities - commonly adopt this practice. But are there any added benefits for circumcision apart from religious-cultural motivations?
"There are certainly other benefits, although at the time I made the decision I was only looking out to pleasing Allah. Personal hygiene is the most evident one; I could see and feel this immediately. In fact, sometimes circumcision is performed to eliminate the predisposition towards infections."
While the World Health Organisation seems to support this claim, stating that "there is compelling evidence that male circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men by approximately 60%," human rights activists still refuse health benefits as a valid motivation for child circumcision, since the foreskin is intended to protect the glans and most males may not encounter serious health issues throughout their lives.
What most men are more interested in, probably, is whether circumcision affects a man's sex life and sexual pleasure. Having undergone the operation in adult life, Abraham seems just the perfect man to answer this question.
"Previously the skin of the glans of the penis, which was protected by the foreskin, was far too sensitive to touch," and we can safely assume that the idea of exposing it permanently is what makes most men cringe, yet he continues, "but now the sex lasts longer and certain acts, which could have previously been painful or uncomfortable, are now something completely enjoyable."
"My sexual performance and pleasure have most definitely increased; if I can be frank, circumcision definitely makes you a better lover."
While it is highly improbable that most men will be quick to run to the surgeon on learning this, it is important to also learn that, sadly, this success story is not one every circumcised man can tell. For males with "botched circumcisions" including: skin bridges; shortened shaft skin leading to pubic hair on the shaft, painful erections and difficulty having sex; and - probably the most feared - part of the glans accidentally being removed along with the foreskin, the reality of circumcision is quite different.
An estimated 20-30% of all the world's males are circumcised, meaning approximately 910 million men. These include Muslims, Jews, African tribes, North Americans and other ethnic groups.
WHO estimates that the complication rate may be up to 35% for traditional circumcisions, and 18% for ones carried out in a medical setting in Africa, with sterility being the main setback. Due to the seeming relationship between circumcision and the reduced risk of HIV, WHO have devised ways to reduce botched circumcision incidences to 1.7%.
With a botched circumcision rate ranging from 2-35%, there could be from 18 million to as many as 319 million men living with penis deformation or dysfunction due to circumcision around the world... a deformation which is deemed unnecessary and avoidable by the numerous NGOs fighting against male child circumcision.
"I did sometimes want to give myself an excuse not to go through with it. Furthermore, adult circumcision is a far bigger deal then getting it done as a child: the organ is bigger and will therefore require more stitches, and children have a faster healing ability than adults. However, once it was done and I began to feel its benefits, I felt it was rather the most natural thing to do."
Yet NGOs claim some babies do not even cry due to neurological shock when they get the snip, a trauma that affects them subtly throughout life. Yet Abraham continues:
"We are constantly making decisions regarding the health of our children. With regards to male child circumcision, I feel that parents should be allowed to decide. Having known and experienced both uncircumcised and circumcised life, I truly feel that I would do the same for my son even if we were not Muslims."
Regarding female circumcision, better know as FGM or female genital mutilation, which involves rather different implications, Abraham admits that he is not enough well-informed to give an opinion. After being given a brief outline of various female circumcision procedures performed, he quickly retorts, "I definitely disagree with total female clitoral circumcision: why any human being should live life without experiencing sexual pleasure is beyond me!"
Asked if he would do it again if the clock was turned back, Abraham's reply was an honest one. "I definitely would not look forward to the 4 to 6 weeks post-op, but I would definitely do it again. The way I see it, it's an "ouch-win-win" situation: sacrifice is known to be rewarded with blessing - that is what gave me the courage to go through with it - then all the other benefits mentioned are all great bonuses. Circumcision as an adult is definitely a very painful and testing experience, but to me it was worth every cringe and wince! Probably that is why it is done on children at a young age, as it is far less complicated and painful and offers great rewards to the child throughout his entire life."
LITTLEROCK.com.mt spoke to Abraham (fictitious name as he prefers to remain anonymous), who chose to undergo the operation as a young adult aged 23, to share his experience of male circumcision.
"Circumcision involves the removal of the foreskin. I was quite nervous about it, especially as the date of the surgery drew closer. Inevitably, I started to hear about how it could go wrong. Remembering my first motivation for going through with this gave me strength. Once it was done, I was shocked to see the aftermath! I consoled myself with the fact that all went well, and that finally it was done. However, I then went through 2 of the hardest weeks of my life; the sleeping positions I had to come up with were truly comical!"
Born in India into a non-religious Muslim family, his parents moved to Malta when he was 8 months old. It is customary for circumcision to be performed on boys during the first year of their lives however, in his case, it kept being put off by his parents due to work, travel and other reasons. In Malta, Abraham attended a Catholic school and did not practice Islam, so when he decided to start practicing Islam at the age of 22, he realised that this was going to be what he calls his "Baptism of Fire." Furthermore, he knew that if he was to hope to find a Muslim wife, he would be find it very hard to arrange a marriage if he did not undergo the circumcision.
However, Abraham confirms that the tradition is not a direct religious order: "The order is not derived directly from the Holy Quran, but rather it is adopted from the life and way of the prophets: a prophetic tradition starting from Prophet Abraham all the way down to the last Prophet Muhammad. We deem that if we are to live by the way and teachings of the prophets, we must follow their prophetic tradition."
This might explain why several socio-religious cultures - including Muslims, Jews, certain African tribes and other ethnic minorities - commonly adopt this practice. But are there any added benefits for circumcision apart from religious-cultural motivations?
"There are certainly other benefits, although at the time I made the decision I was only looking out to pleasing Allah. Personal hygiene is the most evident one; I could see and feel this immediately. In fact, sometimes circumcision is performed to eliminate the predisposition towards infections."
While the World Health Organisation seems to support this claim, stating that "there is compelling evidence that male circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men by approximately 60%," human rights activists still refuse health benefits as a valid motivation for child circumcision, since the foreskin is intended to protect the glans and most males may not encounter serious health issues throughout their lives.
What most men are more interested in, probably, is whether circumcision affects a man's sex life and sexual pleasure. Having undergone the operation in adult life, Abraham seems just the perfect man to answer this question.
"Previously the skin of the glans of the penis, which was protected by the foreskin, was far too sensitive to touch," and we can safely assume that the idea of exposing it permanently is what makes most men cringe, yet he continues, "but now the sex lasts longer and certain acts, which could have previously been painful or uncomfortable, are now something completely enjoyable."
"My sexual performance and pleasure have most definitely increased; if I can be frank, circumcision definitely makes you a better lover."
While it is highly improbable that most men will be quick to run to the surgeon on learning this, it is important to also learn that, sadly, this success story is not one every circumcised man can tell. For males with "botched circumcisions" including: skin bridges; shortened shaft skin leading to pubic hair on the shaft, painful erections and difficulty having sex; and - probably the most feared - part of the glans accidentally being removed along with the foreskin, the reality of circumcision is quite different.
An estimated 20-30% of all the world's males are circumcised, meaning approximately 910 million men. These include Muslims, Jews, African tribes, North Americans and other ethnic groups.
WHO estimates that the complication rate may be up to 35% for traditional circumcisions, and 18% for ones carried out in a medical setting in Africa, with sterility being the main setback. Due to the seeming relationship between circumcision and the reduced risk of HIV, WHO have devised ways to reduce botched circumcision incidences to 1.7%.
With a botched circumcision rate ranging from 2-35%, there could be from 18 million to as many as 319 million men living with penis deformation or dysfunction due to circumcision around the world... a deformation which is deemed unnecessary and avoidable by the numerous NGOs fighting against male child circumcision.
"I did sometimes want to give myself an excuse not to go through with it. Furthermore, adult circumcision is a far bigger deal then getting it done as a child: the organ is bigger and will therefore require more stitches, and children have a faster healing ability than adults. However, once it was done and I began to feel its benefits, I felt it was rather the most natural thing to do."
Yet NGOs claim some babies do not even cry due to neurological shock when they get the snip, a trauma that affects them subtly throughout life. Yet Abraham continues:
"We are constantly making decisions regarding the health of our children. With regards to male child circumcision, I feel that parents should be allowed to decide. Having known and experienced both uncircumcised and circumcised life, I truly feel that I would do the same for my son even if we were not Muslims."
Regarding female circumcision, better know as FGM or female genital mutilation, which involves rather different implications, Abraham admits that he is not enough well-informed to give an opinion. After being given a brief outline of various female circumcision procedures performed, he quickly retorts, "I definitely disagree with total female clitoral circumcision: why any human being should live life without experiencing sexual pleasure is beyond me!"
Asked if he would do it again if the clock was turned back, Abraham's reply was an honest one. "I definitely would not look forward to the 4 to 6 weeks post-op, but I would definitely do it again. The way I see it, it's an "ouch-win-win" situation: sacrifice is known to be rewarded with blessing - that is what gave me the courage to go through with it - then all the other benefits mentioned are all great bonuses. Circumcision as an adult is definitely a very painful and testing experience, but to me it was worth every cringe and wince! Probably that is why it is done on children at a young age, as it is far less complicated and painful and offers great rewards to the child throughout his entire life."