Doctors Re-examine Circumcision

by Thomas Ritter, M.D. and George Denniston, M.D., University of Washington

December 2004

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Thomas J. Ritter, M.D., has practiced general surgery for over three decades, and is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Dr. Ritter is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery. The father of six children, he lives with his wife in Pennsylvania.

George C. Denniston, M.D., M.P.H., is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and the Harvard School of Public Health, and is associated with the Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington. He lives with his wife in Seattle.

CONTENTS

1. Circumcision Inflicts a Diminished Penis on Your Newborn Baby Boy
2. Circumcision Is Really Foreskin Amputation, and Is Abusive
3. Circumcision Is Very Painful and Traumatizing--A Terrible Way to Welcome Your Newborn
4. Circumcision Produces Psychological and Emotional Pain and Anguish to Sons and Parents
5. Circumcision Creates Unnecessary Surgical Risks and Complications
6. Cleanliness and Hygienic Reasons Mandate That We Do Not Circumcise
7. No Extra Care Is Needed for an Intact Infant or Young Boy
8. Your Son Will Learn How Simple It Is to Keep Himself Clean
9. The Foreskin Is Normal and Natural
10. What Looks "Funny" to Some Is Natural and Normal
11. When Unaroused, the Glans of the Penis Is Meant to Be an Internal Organ, Like the Clitoris
12. The Foreskin Enhances Sexual Pleasure!
13. Circumcision Robs the Male of His Birthright--A Fully Functioning Penis
14. It Makes Just As Much Sense to Circumcise Baby Girls
15. Circumcision is a Disservice to Both the Male and Female--Especially in Later Life
16. Europeans and Asians Do Not Circumcise Their Sons
17. The "I'm Circumcised and I'm Fine" Syndrome
18. Circumcision Removes a Lot More Than a Little Snip of Skin
19. Your Son's Penis Does Not Have to Look Like His Father's
20. Men Circumcised as Infants Are Even Now Restoring Their Foreskins
21. Males with Foreskins Will Have a Lot of Company in the Locker Room
22. Males Masturbate Whether They Have Foreskins or Not
23. The History of Circumcision is Filled with Hysteria, Bias, Misinformation, etc.
24. Christianity Does Not Require or Promote Circumcision
25. Some Jewish People Are Even Changing Their Minds on Circumcision
26. Don't Be Fooled, Most Books, Including Medical Textbooks, Contain Inaccurate Information
27. Don't Accept, at Face Value, What Your Doctor Has to Say About Circumcision
28. Most Physicians Are Circumcised Males or Female Doctors Whose Husbands or Sons Are Circumcised
29. Make No Mistake, There Is Money in Circumcision
30. Circumcision Does Not Prevent Premature Ejaculation
31. Penile and Cervical Cancer Are Not Valid Reasons for Infant Circumcision
32. The Uncircumcised Penis Is Not More Prone to Urinary Tract Infections
33. The Uncircumcised Penis is Not More Likely to Spread STD's, Including AIDS
34. No, He Probably Won't Have to Have It Done Later Anyway
35. Intact Men Are More Likely to Use a Condom
36. Major Medical Associations Say Circumcision Is Unnecessary
37. Some Insurance Companies and Programs Are No Longer Paying for Routine Infant Circumcision
38. Many Noted Physicians and Others Have Spoken Out Against Circumcision
39. If You're Not Sure--Don't Do It!
40. Say No to Circumcision!
    Glossary
    Physician's Guide to the Normal (Intact) Penis
    Notes and Selected Medical References
    Infant Circumcision Surgery in Photos