Ethics of circumcision

Male circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin (prepuce) from the human penis.[1]

There is substantial disagreement amongst bioethicists and theologians over the practice of circumcision, with many believing that the routine circumcision of neonates for health purposes is a cost-ineffective and ethically-problematic intervention in developed countries, while circumcision on a consenting adult is generally viewed as a morally permissible action. Positions taken on the issue are heavily influenced by prevalence in the given area, religion, and culture.[2] Some medical associations take the position that circumcision is an infringement of the child's autonomy and should be deferred until he is capable of making the decision himself. Others state that parents should be allowed to determine what is in his best interest.[3][4][5]

  1. ^ Sawyer S (November 2011). Pediatric Physical Examination & Health Assessment. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. pp. 555–556. ISBN 978-1-4496-7600-1. Archived from the original on 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
  2. ^ Bedzow, I. (July–September 2020). "Male circumcision as an example of bioethics as (immaterial) social ethics". Ethics, Medicine and Public Health. 14: 100519. doi:10.1016/j.jemep.2020.100519. ISSN 2352-5525. S2CID 225629172.
  3. ^ Diekema DS, Mercurio MR, Adam MB, eds. (2011-09-08). Clinical Ethics in Pediatrics: A Case-Based Textbook. Cambridge University Press. pp. 43–48. ISBN 978-1-139-50183-5. Archived from the original on 2021-04-23. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  4. ^ Task force on circumcision (March 1999). "Circumcision policy statement. American Academy of Pediatrics. Task Force on Circumcision". Pediatrics. 103 (3): 686–93. doi:10.1542/peds.103.3.686. PMID 10049981. Archived from the original on 2015-12-29.
  5. ^ Non-Therapeutic Circumcision of Male Minors Archived 2012-05-13 at the Wayback Machine. Utrecht: Royal Dutch Medical Association, 2010.