Where is the outrage?

The days when children's tonsils were whipped out at the first sign of tonsilitis are mercifully behind us. Yet unnecessary circumcision is still performed on about 15% of Australian boys. In the USA the figure is greater than 60%. How is it possible that unnecessary removal of part of a healthy organ is allowed to continue?

According to Marilyn Milos, a nursing sister who was fired from a USA hospital for refusing to assist with circumcisions:

"The reason that circumcision is not an issue, is that men don't want to hear that they have a diminished penis, parents don't want to hear that they are implicit in the abuse of their child, and doctors don't want blood on their hands".

According to psychologist R.P. Goldman, there has not been enough research into the adverse effects of circumcision. He says that researchers are reluctant to study a group which includes themselves - many of the investigators have themselves been circumcised and they might prefer not to know what the long-term effects are. He also suggests that researchers are worried about offending religious groups who practice circumcision - notably Jews and Muslims, and that infants are often not considered to be "real people yet". He says that "Circumcision is a medical procedure, and the medical community is generally not trained in or sensitive to psychological perspectives. Conversely, mental health professionals generally do not look at routine medical procedures in infancy as a cause of adult psychopathology".

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