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Introduction
Both male and female circumcision provokes the long-standing disputes among the members of different communities. The previous research findings reveal substantial controversies in views on the value and ethics of the procedure some researchers suggest that circumcision provides medical benefits for both genders while others consider that it is ethically unacceptable and should be forbidden. Moreover, different nations regard male and female circumcision unequally.
As Shweder (2013) observes, in some African countries, people tend to perceive circumcision as a customary procedure which is morally equivalent for both genders while, in the USA, the citizens mostly accept male circumcision yet do not tolerate female circumcision. Another source of the procedure-related controversies is the fact that most of the genital surgeries are administered during the neonatal period when the responsibility is laid on the caregivers of a child. The differences in opinions demonstrate significant social and ethical implications of this medical procedure.
Arguments against circumcision
The North American and European societies continuously advocate against female genital surgery emphasizing its harm to girls physiological and psychological well-being. According to Shweder (2013), the US and European activist organizations also attempt to put male circumcision to an end because, from their point of view, it is a form of genital mutilation and child abuse (p. 349). They consider that similarly to female surgery, male circumcision violates human rights by depriving children of a right to self-determination and physical integrity (Shweder, 2013). The problem is that the majority of customary surgical procedures are involuntary, and the adolescents or small children are often forced to undergo painful surgeries against their will.
Consideration of the childs best interests
The critical argument used by the opponents of neonatal and child circumcision in the debates is childrens inability to give informed consent (Jones, 2003, p. 59). However, the researchers continue to find evidence for long-term positive impacts of male genital modification on the physiological health and well-being of individuals, such as higher HIV resistance and less susceptibility to various infections.
According to Benatar and Benatar (2003), parents should decide to circumcise an infant taking into account the childs best interest. However, when speaking about circumcision, there is no apparent need for a child to be circumcised as the procedure is usually not required by the medical records, and its administration is not dictated by any critical health conditions. In this way, caregivers may only consider the consequent benefits (or harmful effects) of the surgery.
As Jones (2003) argues about neonatal male circumcision, the procedure neither promotes nor threatens a childs physical well-being, and the parents can make decisions only based on their perceptions of welfare, their values, and cultural identities (p. 60).
According to the theoretical framework of childs best interests introduced by Benatar and Benatar (2003), in case any risks of procedure-induced health complexities occur, i.e. the lack of a surgeons expertise, poor safety control in a medical setting, or a child/adolescents strong reluctance, caregivers need to decide against circumcision even if it is required by their customs and religious traditions. However, a large number of mutilations and mental distress due to involuntary exposure to surgery demonstrates that childrens welfare is frequently neglected.
Conclusion
It is possible to say that voluntariness may be considered an ethical foundation of circumcision. For example, when an adult woman wants to undergo the procedure to maintain her ethnic identity and uphold cultural traditions, it is logically consistent to allow her to do it although other people may consider circumcision unnecessary and wrong. The situation with childrens circumcision is far more complicated. And it is clear that caregivers and physicians should not be primarily driven by the motivation to determine a childs cultural identity but should take into consideration many health factors, and especially the potential risks that may negatively affect individual well-being.
References
Benatar, M., & Benatar, D. (2003). Between prophylaxis and child abuse: The ethics of neonatal male circumcision. The American Journal of Bioethics, 3(2), 3548.
Jones, C. M. (2003). Neonatal male circumcision: Ethical issues and physician responsibility. The American Journal of Bioethics, 3(2), 59-60. Web.
Shweder, R. A. (2013). The goose and the gander: The genital wars. Global Discourse, 3(2), 348-366. Web.
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