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Parents have no right to slice up their baby boys. A generation ago, half of all males born in Canada were circumcised. Since then, the neonatal circumcision rate has plummeted, and is now estimated at around 11 per cent. That's still too high. A small percentage, particularly those in the Jewish and Muslim communities, are circumcised for religious reasons. But most are snipped for no good reason at all. Four months ago, my wife gave birth to our first son. He has wide, steel-blue eyes, healthy pink cheeks and a lone tuft of light brown hair that falls across his forehead. He is a beautiful, beautiful boy. We did not consider, not for a second, asking a doctor to cut into our son's flesh. Why would we? He's perfect. The medical community has not considered circumcision justifiable, health-wise, for a long time. In 1975, the Canadian Paediatric Society stopped supporting circumcision for infant males. In 1996, it took an active stance against the practice, stating that "circumcision of newborns should not be routinely performed." In fact, most provinces now view it as a cosmetic procedure, and, except for Manitoba, no longer cover it under medicare. When my wife was pregnant with our daughter, three years ago, we attended a prenatal class with five other couples. Some of the soon-to-be-moms in the class, who knew they were having boys, debated the merits of circumcision. "We're definitely having our son circumcised," one of them said. "We want him to look like his dad." I fail to see the logic of this line of reasoning, which I've since heard many times from other parents who support circumcision. Most men, I'd venture to guess, have no memory of seeing their fathers naked. I know I don't. I remember, on occasion, seeing my dad shuffle toward the bathroom wearing only a pair of droopy, powder-blue briefs. But if he walked around the house in the buff when I was a toddler, I don't recall it (thank goodness). So, I have no idea if my father is circumcised. I'm fully intact, and I assume my three brothers are as well. (Although, I can't be sure: the topic has yet to surface.) Of course, we are from Newfoundland, the only province without a single circumcision to report the last time a measure was taken, in 2003. Adult men have many physical characteristics not shared by their children. Should bearded fathers ditch their whiskers? And I don't know about you, but I've yet to see a one-year-old with chest hair. A little boy will not suffer psychological damage because some of his parts don't look just like Dad's. Other parents I've met advocate circumcision because, they say, it simply looks better. Apparently, a circumcised penis is more aesthetically appealing than the hooded version. First of all, this is merely opinion; beauty is subjective. It is also subject to change. What if, someday, forked tongues become the de rigeur form of body modification, or, even worse, future trend-setters decide ear lobes are eyesores? Would you allow a doctor to split your children's tongues or lop off their lobes? Besides, I can't think of a single circumstance where the attractiveness of a man's genitals will provide him any advantage. If such a circumstance does exist, I don't want to know about it (neither, I suspect, would that man's parents). The circumcision debate has been going on for years. Advocates claim it reduces the risk of urinary tract infection and penile cancer. Opponents say the benefits are negligible and don't outweigh the costs, which, they claim, are both mental (permanent psychological trauma) and physical (reduced sexual sensitivity). Some refer to circumcision as genital mutilation. I'm no zealot. I don't think parents who choose to circumcise their sons are cruel or are scarring them for life. But I do think they are wrong. I can't accept that we are born requiring instant repair, like some wonky clock radio rolling off a faulty assembly line. I believe all our bits and pieces are there for a reason. I also believe nobody has the right to prick, pierce, slice, slash, cut, carve or otherwise alter someone else's body, unless there is an undeniable medical reason, without that person's permission -- not even that person's parents. When my son grows up, he can tattoo his back, pierce an eyebrow or, if he wants, choose to be circumcised. It's his body. I'll let him decide what's done to it. |