Circumcision Trend Cut Short Professor David J. Demko, PhD AgeVenture News Service What is that phrase? The path to hell is paved with good intentions? Here's a case in point, so intriguing, I just had to share it. It's a story about a good idea gone bad. And, it starts about one hundred years ago. Now, before you get all sleepy-eyed and start to nod off on me because history bores you, let me point out that this one hundred year old practice just might hold the key to some of the sexual dysfunctions facing Baby Boomers today. The one hundred year old practice I'm talking about is male circumcision. According to a report by the American Council on Science and Health, author and pediatrician, Dr. Robert S. Van Howe, the early trauma of circumcision may extend all the way into mid-life and beyond. Van Howe argues that "the adverse affects of circumcision on self-esteem and body image appear to increase with age, as circumcised men entering their forties and fifties increasingly express dissatisfaction (with sexual performance)." Circumcised men, says Van Howe, report suffering from premature ejaculation, impotence, and painful intercourse. Although he admits that his own evidence is largely anecdotal, Van Howe cites a University of Chicago study that appears to support his contention of significant differences in the health status of circumcised and non-circumcised males. In that study, circumcised men engaged in masturbation and oral sex more often then did noncircumcised men. That could seem like a bit of a stretch to some, so let's look at the total picture that's causing red flags to be raised. Circumcision, says Van Howe, was introduced as a "routine medical practice a century ago to eradicate (a number of health hazards)". Ironically, many health problems appear to disproportionately affect cultures where the practice of circumcision is pervasive. For example, in the United States, where 80-90 percent of the males are circumcised, there exists one of the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and HIV infection. It doesn't seem like circumcision is much help with STDs. And, if you consider other health factors like cancer, Van Howe points out that penile cancer is far higher in the United States then in countries where fewer than two percent of the males are circumcised, such as Denmark, Japan, and Norway. The report suggests that circumcision is not the preventive health practice once claimed over a century ago. In fact, the report estimates that the aftereffects of the practice in the United States may be extracting a long-term medical and psycho-sexual trauma costing the United States between $500 million and $800 million annually. "Until the full range of harm is known," says Van Howe, "prudence demands a moratorium on the surgery". BACK TO TOP Copyright © 1974-2006, David J. Demko, AgeVenture News Service. All rights reserved. Copyright Terms and Restrictions