Ritual male circumcision and the manifestation of religious belief in English medical law
Clayton Ó Néill in Religion, Medicine and the Law, 2018
Circumcision is defined as surgery that involves the removal, or partial removal of foreskin covering the glands of the penis being removed. Recognition is given to the importance of circumcision as a manifestation of religious belief or identity and a person with capacity can legally be circumcised in accordance with ritual procedures that are in line with specific healthcare standards. A minor must not be circumcised until he has capacity to make such a decision and has voluntarily consented to the procedure that he understands fully, due to the information that has been disclosed and comprehended. Legal capacity shall be determined in light of the new test summarised above (see chapter 5 for more detail) and the wishes of such a patient with legal capacity shall not be overruled by parents/guardians or the courts. However, anyone who carries out a circumcision or assists in the procedure when a child is regarded as lacking capacity shall be liable to prosecution. Circumcision for therapeutic contexts is permissible where procedures are carried out in accordance with good practice medical guidelines. Failure to comply with the terms of the Act will result in such consequences as deemed appropriate by the relevant authorities.
Consent to treatment
Marc Stauch, Kay Wheat in Text, Cases and Materials on Medical Law and Ethics, 2018
The second main category of surgical procedures of borderline legality concerns circumcisions carried out for cultural or religious reasons. In most cases, the recipients of such surgery will be infant minors, who, lacking capacity, are unable to consent for themselves. The question of whether their parents may consent for them depends on how far the surgery may be regarded as in their interests; so the question here is whether, in principle, it can be? Dealing first with female circumcision, this is often a drastic procedure, which results in pain, discomfort, sexual and child-birthing difficulties. As a result of a number of well-publicised cases, this was criminalised by the Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985, a provision subsequently re-enacted with increased penalties (of up to 14 years’ imprisonment) by the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003.
Circumcision and disorders of penis
Brice Antao, S Irish Michael, Anthony Lander, S Rothenberg MD Steven in Succeeding in Paediatric Surgery Examinations, 2017
Currently in England, approximately 21 000 circumcisions are performed annually for medical reasons in children (compared to 1.2 million in the United States). It is estimated that 6%–7% of boys are circumcised before their 15th birthday, which is significantly less than the 24% reported in the 1950s. In Scandinavian countries, particularly Sweden, the circumcision rate is the lowest among Western cultures. The prevalence of routine neonatal circumcision in the United States has dropped from close to 90% in the mid-1960s to an estimated 64% in 1995. The American Academy of Pediatrics taskforce report on circumcision (1999) supports a growing trend away from neonatal circumcision. This taskforce report acknowledges potential medical benefits to neonatal circumcision; however, it concludes that routine circumcision in neonates is not necessary.
Emerging Adults’ Perceptions of Male Circumcision in the United States: Facts, Fictions, and Future Plans
Published in American Journal of Sexuality Education, 2020
Michelle M. Murray, Katherine R. Allen
The young men and women in this study defined male circumcision as a widely practiced surgical procedure in which the foreskin is removed (“cut off”) from the tip of the penis. In general, they claimed to have received very little formal education or scientific information about the practice. Their narratives included brief reflections about the material learned from the course textbook and lectures on male and female anatomy and sexuality but were mostly comprised of personal stories about their own experiences with seeing (or having) a circumcised penis and with cultural lore passed down by family and friends about risks, side effects, and the pervasive concern with social acceptability. The fear of being teased for looking different from other boys was the main concern at the center of the narratives regarding male circumcision.
The Effectiveness of Jet (Needle-Free) Injector to Provide Anesthesia in Child Circumcision under Local Anesthesia
Published in Journal of Investigative Surgery, 2022
Circumcision is often applied for religious and traditional reasons, and sometimes because of health problems. Almost all of the men in our country are circumcised and most of the circumcisions are performed under local anesthesia. Since circumcisions are mostly done for religious reasons, families want the child to be aware that it is circumcised. For this reason, preschool period is often preferred as an age for circumcision. Circumcisions performed during this period when the child discovers his sexual identity can lead to negativities in terms of psychosexual development. The needle used for injection of local anesthetic significantly increases anxiety of children. Although topical anesthetic creams are used to reduce children's anxiety, needle anxiety has not been resolved. In a study, Tadio et al. reported that 63% of children in the USA are afraid of needles [10].
Post-circumcision penile skin loss: reporting the outcome of one-stage anterolateral scrotal based flaps in children
Published in Arab Journal of Urology, 2023
Abdelqawey Yousef, Salah Nagla, Mohamed Fathy, Mohamed Negm
The penile skin is a unique form of skin because it accommodates penile erections and sexual frictions. Moreover, the normality of external genitalia is important for male self-esteem [1]. Circumcision is still practiced by non-experienced persons, especially in underdeveloped countries [2,3]. Many complications may occur after circumcision, including different degrees of penile skin loss. These complications occur due to improper surgical planning and undiagnosed penile anomalies, especially buried and webbed penis [4,5]. Penile skin loss after circumcision mandates a substitution, whether with a graft or flaps. Many authors have reported their results with split and full-thickness skin grafts, while others have used one- or two-stage skin flaps [6–8]. In the literature, few studies have reported using scrotal skin flaps for compensation for penile skin loss after circumcision in a pediatric population. This study presents our experience in modified one-stage bilateral anterolateral scrotal-based skin flaps to compensate for penile skin loss after circumcision in children.
Related Knowledge Centers
- Anesthesia
- Elective Surgery
- Forceps
- Phimosis
- Stress
- Pathology
- Medical Procedure
- Foreskin
- Penis
- Preventive Healthcare