Circumcision Facts Based on Professional Literature
- Circumcision is extremely painful and traumatic, causes some infants to go into shock, results in behavioral and neurological changes, and no anesthetic effectively prevents circumcision pain. See Infant Responses to Circumcision.
- Circumcision is associated with over 100 different potential complications and risks including heavy bleeding, infection, surgical injury, and in rare cases, death. See Circumcision: Over 100 Known Complications and Risks.
- The foreskin on the average adult male is about 12 sq.in. of highly erogenous tissue which protects the head of the penis, enhances sexual pleasure, and facilitates intercourse. See Functions of the Foreskin.
- No national medical organization in the world recommends circumcision. Fourteen international organizations have policies that oppose circumcision. See Circumcision Policies of International Organizations.
- Circumcision is associated with erectile dysfunction in the medical literature. A preliminary study found that circumcised men were 4.5 times more likely to use an erectile dysfunction drug. See Circumcision Removes the Most Sensitive Parts of the Penis and Studies on Circumcision (study title: “Circumcision is Associated with Adult Difficulty in Identifying and Expressing Feelings.”
For more important facts about circumcision, see Male Circumcision Information Summary
Psychological Factors
The claims and beliefs of potential “benefits” of circumcision are affected by psychological and cultural factors, including what circumcision information is communicated to American parents and what circumcision information is withheld; what statements are made by American policy committees and what statements are ignored; and what circumcision information is reported in American media and what information is withheld from the public.
Circumcision Video
(procedure starts at about 2:00 into video)
Hear Interviews with Ronald Goldman, Ph.D.
NPR – Talk of the Nation, 6 min
KGO Radio – Pat Thurston Show, 27 min
WBZ Radio – Jordan Rich Show, 14 min
See Videos of Ronald Goldman, Ph.D. on Circumcision Harm and Communication.
Circumcision: Over 100 Known Complications and Risks
Circumcision Effects on the Brain
Help Prevent Circumcisions. Please send us your donation.
Special Article
How Male Circumcision Harms Women
Learn about the hidden negative psychological and sexual effects of circumcision and how these effects harm women in relationships with men. This article is based on research reports in the medical and psychological literature. Also see Male Circumcision: A Factor in Violence Against Women?
Personal Essays
Confessions of a Circumcised Man
A revealing account of how color-blindness relates to circumcision, and recognition of sexual loss leads to a difficult path of self-discovery.
A Mother Discovers Her Strength Talking to Her Husband about Circumcision
This website helped open her eyes.
A Mother’s Story: My Son Cried, “I Want My Foreskin Back!”
She held him and affirmed his feelings.
