...Ontario boy dies after complications from circumcision A one-week-old Ontario infant died from complications after undergoing a circumcision in a provincial hospital. The baby, whose name has been withheld by the parents, passed away after his kidneys became enlarged to seven times their normal size. The child was born at an unidentified Ontario hospital and the doctors said that he was born sometime in the last three years and the family wants to keep it anonymous. According to the Pediatric Child Health article, the boy was “bottle-fed” and was reported to be doing well when he was circumcised. Five hours later, the parents returned to their family doctor with the infant, who had become “irritable and had blue discoloration” below the belly button. Doctors noticed the discoloration and slight swelling of the penis, but sent the child home. Fourteen hours after the circumcision, according to the parents, the child was brought to another hospital where doctors noted he was extremely irritable with marked swelling of the penis and bruising to the scrotum. The child was then transferred to a pediatric centre, where his bladder was diagnosed, doctors said that it was even or eight times its normal size. “If the Plastic Bell had been taken off five hours after he got there, he would be alive,” said Doctors. The child’s death was attributed to septic shock — “an overwhelming infection, leading to multi-organ failure.” The case was brought to Cairns’ attention because the circumstances...
Words: 1087 - Pages: 5
...* Cross culturally, where, when and how is circumcision performed on males and females. Include information on its legality and actual practice, and the medical implications of this for women and men. * How should the United States respond when female circumcision is practiced in our country? * How should the United States respond to female circumcision that is practiced in other countries?( review information on values such as "cultural relativisim page 7 of your text, do you think it does or does not apply) * What are your views on other practices regarding changing the appearance of the genitalia, such as the Brazilian wax or labiaplasty? Should we leave the genitalia alone or is there something to be said for "enhancing" the appearance? Any research on this? * What are the medical, physical, or mental consequences for any of the procedures Male circumcision and female circumcision have some similarities. For the males, they are born with a fold of skin located over the head of the penis. This is called the glans or foreskin. In the circumcision this is surgically removed and is usually performed 48 hours after birth but can be done 2-3 weeks after birth as well. This procedure does not necessarily have any medical benefits. It can possibly prevent penile cancer and infections and possibly reduce the spread of infectious diseases. Circumcision for males is usually done as an American tradition and is thought to be easier to keep clean. The survey...
Words: 478 - Pages: 2
...Female Circumcision Human Rights? We all have them, don’t we? That is the question I had to ask myself repeatedly while reading about this controversial issue. How far can or should you take the issue when dealing with cultural traditions? Over the past 3 weeks, I have done a lot of research on this topic and have found many things that I did not know. At first, when I read the two articles, honestly, I was more grossed out than anything. I did not really care; I just thought how weird it was going to be to try to write a paper on this topic. The main thing that ran through my mind was, “Why do people even care, men get circumcised every day.” However, after doing research and learning more, I decided it was so much more than that. Marrilee H. Salmon, a professor of science, states in her article how unmoral and degrading the process of female circumcision is. I strongly agree with her opinion and the opinion of many other feminist anthropologists, who are desperately trying to help eliminate this procedure. Salmon also goes on to tell how female circumcision is an act of power more than anything, giving men power and/or authority over women. And it truly is, I mean how is this beneficial to women at all? Every one is entitled to their own opinion and mine is expressed exactly in Marrilee’s article when she says, “it’s also called genital mutilation!” That is exactly what this is, “MUTILATION,” and I definitely agree with putting a stop to it. I also feel...
Words: 1949 - Pages: 8
...Topic: Is Infant Circumcision Really Necessary? Circumcision, (in Latin circumcidere, means "to cut around"), “is the surgical removal of the foreskin of the penis” ("Circumcision," 2013). This is a practice that may be performed to an infant baby boy after birth or to a boy who is just approaching adolescence depending on the cultures or beliefs of the parents. There are many arguments concerning the best time for boys to undergo this procedure, and whether or not they should undergo this procedure. And like many surgical procedures, there are risks and benefits that may result from going through with this surgery. I believe in doing what is important and what is best for the child, meaning; catering to the boy’s interest is what I advocate. “There is compelling evidence that male circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men by approximately 60%” ("Male circumcision for," 2012). World Health Organization also describes the efficacy of circumcision as proven beyond reasonable doubt, but states that provision of circumcision should be consistent with medical ethics and human rights principles. ("Male circumcision for," 2012). WHO and UNAIDS stated that “Informed consent, confidentiality and absence of coercion should be assured. . . . Where male circumcision is provided for minors (young boys and adolescents), there should be involvement of the child in the decision-making, and the child should be given the opportunity to provide assent or consent...
Words: 1382 - Pages: 6
...The Significance of Circumcision In an article from the Journal for the Study of the Old Testament in June 2000, Dr. John Goldingay writes about circumcision. Dr. Goldingay is currently the David Allan Hubbard Professor of the Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary. He is also an author, writing several novels to include Men Behaving Badly and After Eating the Apricot. Dr. Goldingay also holds a membership on the Society of Biblical Literature and serves on the editorial board for the Library of Hebrew/Old Testament Studies (Fuller). In his article, Dr. Goldingay discusses the troubling issues behind circumcision. Why did the Lord choose to make this one sign of belief exclusive to men? Most signs of the covenant can apply to everyone, but circumcision can only apply to men. There have been many attempts to justify the significance of gender-exclusive submission. One states that when two people become “one flesh” (Gen2.24), only one individual needs the mark of the covenant. This speculation has not been convincing (Goldingay). There have been several reasons to justify the use of this practice. Possibly the reason the Lord chose this act of dedication was to ensure further offspring for his followers. By removing the foreskin it promotes fertility. With fertility, the Israelites can hope to gain economic power, status and greater achievement. Other traditional motivations include cleanliness or hygiene, it helps to avoid infection, and it symbolizes the individuals...
Words: 813 - Pages: 4
...There is much debate on whether newborn males should be circumcised or not. For many, it is a decision made by parents and is sometimes linked to religious or cultural practices. While religious or cultural reasons for circumcision remains debatable, there is much evidence supporting significant long-term health issues for the individual associated with not being circumcised, and there are public health concerns as well. In fact, the cost of circumcisions and treating their complications are only a fraction of the cost of treating future health disparities for individuals as well as the public health issues associated with uncircumcised individuals (Baker). It has even been estimated by Dr. Brian Morris, M.D., in a Mayo Clinic article that,...
Words: 973 - Pages: 4
...There has been lots of controversy and questions surrounding the circumcision of a male penis and the effect that it has on his health and well-being. But the most concerned thought of this procedure is the effect that the medical procedure has on the reduction of the HIV virus. The HIV virus is very easy to spread throughout the body and could cause people to get AIDS. This is why the medical procedure is highly important to males. On some occasions, parents have done this procedure to their sons for religious and social reasons. Several studies have shown that the removal of the foreskin has lowered rates on the reduction of HIV viruses on men and caused them to have a healthier lifestyle, but does not have the same effect on the reduction of HIV virus in general. Penile circumcision is when they remove the foreskin from a man’s penis with surgical procedures. The foreskin is the surrounding skin that covers the top of a man’s penis, where it tends to gather most bacteria into the body. The removal is usually done on a newborn boy before they leave the hospital. In the Jewish religion for example, people plan a ceremony for the ritual circumcision’s of their boys which is known a bris. As they follow their religion beliefs, they circumcise their sons after their...
Words: 581 - Pages: 3
...Circumcision is recognized worldwide as a trespassing of women’s human rights. It reflects the inequality between the males and females, and demonstrates the extreme form of discrimination against women. In addition to the physical, psychological and sexual complications, this act also violates a woman’s right to physical integrity, wellness, safety and the right to be free. Female circumcision highly done all over the world, has now decreased very little, only illegal in few countries like Egypt and Sudan. Despite all the medical health awareness, circumcision remains with the cultural social pressure. Rather than acknowledge this mistake, society ignore this issue and produce non ending scientifically claims to protect the bias. However, to tackle this problem, Western countries along with human rights associations need to put more effort to collapse the wall of silence and dictatorship that menace the Arab World in order to boost the notion of human rights....
Words: 461 - Pages: 2
...Female circumcision is a harsh procedure practiced mostly in Africa and the Middle East. It is when a female’s genital organs, such as the labia and clitoris are removed. This ritual continues to be practiced because of the religious and traditional reasons, however there are more reasons behind it. The practice is unfair and wrong and it needs to be stopped. In Waris Dirie’s “The tragedy of female circumcision”, she discusses why female circumcision is practiced. She also shares her personal experience with circumcision, how it affected her, and how she survived and overcame the mental and physical devastation this terrible procedure left behind. Dirie is now doing everything in her power to prevent this from happening to anymore girls. The practice of female circumcisions is not performed in a sanitary environment nor are they done by professionals. Dirie states “The woman who did it called herself a “professional cutter but she was just an old gypsy who traveled around with her bag” [Dirie, 177]. The woman who did her circumcision wasn’t a qualified professional of any kind to perform such a procedure. Also this woman didn’t use sterile tools to perform this operation. Dirie stated “The old woman held a dirty razor with someone else’s blood residue on it [Dirie, 177]. This is unsanitary and raises health issues. Dirie could have been exposed to someone else’s germs and blood when she was circumcised. This is a very unsafe practice. It can result in infection and severe...
Words: 1150 - Pages: 5
...Fatima Said, of Americas Top Model, defiantly put female genital cutting in the minds of Americans and people around the world. She opened up a topic that many people had no idea about, and now are very interested in knowing more about. This essay will give a brief history of Somalia (Fatima’s home country), and then it will go into female genital cutting in Somalia. Somalia is a country in eastern Africa. The countries of Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya surround it. Somalis are thought to have been decedents from Africans and Arab people. The main languages in Somalia are Arabic, Italian and English. Islam is practiced through out the region. The majorities of Somalis are livestock herders and cultivate the land that they have. (www.cia.gov). Somalia became independent and its own country in 1960, when it got independence from England and Italy. Somalia has not had a stable government between 1991 and 2000. However, during 2000 a parliamentary government was formed but later on expired in 2003. In 2004, a new parliament was organized and a president was elected- Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed. Since 1991, Somalia has been overwhelmed with chaos and anarchy. Somalia had gone through a difficult time in 1992 when a drought happened in Africa and was combined with a civil war. Somalia went through an intense famine that killed approximately 300,000 people. (www.cia.gov). There were many efforts done by the United Stated and the United Nations to help Somalia get through the drought and...
Words: 1587 - Pages: 7
...David R. Tomlinson Resource limited area in Africa Circumcision Removal of the distal part of the foreskin WWII We first invaded north Africa Men that were not circumcised would get balanitis and posthitis Men with these conditions wouldn’t fight Eisenhower said from here on out, only circumcised men could go fight WWII is the reason why so many men in America are circumcised Egypt 2000 BC One of their advances was circumcision Egyptians were some of the first epidemiologists They removed the foreskin for health benefits One of the hypothesis is the schistosomiasis organism that meant uncircumcised men were more easily infected 1981 first case report of HIV, which was reported to the WHO 33 million people are currently infected with HIV HIV Virus Doesn’t infect red cells, but infects white cells Infects the system that’s supposed to defend the system AIDS Auto immune deficiency system Victims die of many different causes because they are susceptible to many different types of invasions Affects adults and leaves the very young and the very old which doesn’t help stimulate the economy HIV Fourth leading cause of mortality world wide Number 1 killer in SSA 2007, 12 million kids were orphaned by AIDS the numbers keep growing people need antiretroviral drugs for life and need to change the types of drugs Uncircumcised men had a much higher rate of vascularized STDs, such as syphilis One of the first physicians to make the connection...
Words: 1177 - Pages: 5
...WOMEN IN ISLAM AND THE MIDDLE EAST CHAPTER SEVEN SUMMARY ASSIGNMENT AN EARLY LEGAL COMPENDIUM INTERNET CIRCUMCISION ARTICLES HIDDEN FACES OF EVE Instructions: Read Roded chapter 7 and the two readings entitled “Internet Circumcision articles” and “Hidden Face of Eve”. Decide if the chapters or articles are neutral, in support of, or in opposition to the practice of female circumcision. Fill out the first two lines stating the position defended (pro, con, neutral) and time period of the stance taken (modern or traditional). Then write at least 10 sentences stating the rationale behind it and details concerning it. Under the evidence section, give any supporting evidence mentioned in the reading wherein they use factual sources, studies, statistics, Quran verses, Hadith, or other kinds of evidential proof. Give the references or citations provided for this proof (do not just mention it- give the actual statistics and data with the source citations). Finish by stating your own opinion regarding the reading. There is no answer key for this assignment. Note: Roded 7 doesn’t really go into the topic in depth, but has a detailed view on the topic of purity on the whole. Include the entire topic in your summary of that chapter below. 1. Roded Chapter 7 a. Position defended: Pro b. Time period: traditional c. Rationale/details: Purity is very important. Many of the older women were considered to be unclean. During mensuration a woman was to wrap a cloth tight...
Words: 1394 - Pages: 6
...Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and male circumcision are two procedures that are practiced in several cultures, and do not always give the male or female a say in the matter. There is a big debate regarding which practice, FGM or male circumcision is worse for the individual to endure. Even though there is much speculation, both continue to be implemented across many cultures. For example, in Africa, especially in Sudan, FGM is practiced and other cultures such as Judaism, practice male circumcision. Although many cultures require these practices, it is necessary to establish that there are many health risks associated with both. FGM has four ways it can be performed, while male circumcision is the removal of the foreskin and there is only one way to go about it. Although female genital mutilation and male circumcision are typically performed...
Words: 494 - Pages: 2
...Rites of Passage: Female Genitalia Cutting Cultural Anthropology ANT101 Rites of Passage: Female Genitalia Cutting Have you heard of Female Genitalia Cutting or FGC? It is not an unknown practice here in the United States, but laws prevent it from occurring here. In other cultures in other countries Female Genitalia Cutting is being performed to children as young as 5 years old. In Cultures like Maasai in Tanzania and Shendi in Sudan these procedures are being performed on children as young as three. Is this a form of mutilation? Or is it the right thing to do to a child? Growing up in these cultures they are taught that this is the right thing that must be done, to show that they are fertile, to show their fidelity. A tradition that goes back over a hundred years and their “stubbornness” to end tradition keeps this rite of passage going. Female Genitalia Cutting is the cutting of the female external genitalia, there are four forms of female genitalia cutting according to the World Health Organization also known as WHO. Clitoridectomy, excision, infibulation and other which is any harmful procedure done for non-medical reasons such as piercings. All of these procedures are normally done by a person who has no medical training and can cause death or infection to the person it is being practiced on. Clitoridectomy is cutting the clitoris as what the name says, the excision removes the clitoris and labia minora and the most invasive is the infibulation which...
Words: 1577 - Pages: 7
...Female Circumcision in Africa Amber Triplett June 23, 2015 Diversity: Dr. Saleem Introduction There are an estimated 130 million girls and women alive today whose human rights have been violated by female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). This harmful practice not only affects girls and women in Africa and the Middle East, where it is traditionally carried out, but also touches the lives of girls and women living in migrant communities in industrialized countries. Although collaborative advocacy has worked over recent decades has generated widespread commitment to end this practice, success in eliminating FGM/C has been limited, with some significant expectations. This harmful practice is a deeply entrenched social convention: when it is practiced, girls and their families acquire social status and respect. Failure to perform FGM/C brings shame and exclusion. Understanding how and why FGM/C persists is crucial for developing strategies that are most likely to lead to the abandonment of the practice. FGM/C affects far more women than previously thought. Recent analysis reveals that some three million girls and women are cut each year on the African continent (Sub-Saharan Africa, Egypt, and Sudan) (Yoder, 2004). What is female circumcision? Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) includes a range of practices involving the complete or partial removal or alteration of the external genitalia for nonmedical reasons. The procedure may involve the use of unsterilized, makeshift...
Words: 1717 - Pages: 7