Every day in America, in mimicking a ritual dating back to ancient Egypt, the genitals of thousands of unwilling newborns are placed into clamps and irreparably severed.

This is a process known as male circumcision.

Male circumcision, specifically “routine circumcision” is a widely practiced American cultural norm which, according to the World Health Organization, impacts 76-92 percent of men in the country.

This trend should not persist.

The most common points in support of circumcision argue that it improves cleanliness and helps prevent diseases.

However, these reasonings are faulty and do not justify the procedure.

Most of the developed world has shifted away from circumcisions. According to the World Health Organization, the majority of European countries circumcise less than 20 percent of their baby boys.

Keeping it all clean is not a problem for the many millions of men who live in those countries.

One of the only diseases circumcision is proven to reduce risk for is penile cancer, a disease which is so rare that the complications from surgery aren’t worth it.

No surgical operation is free of risk.

Severing such sensitive tissues is painful and traumatic.

Infections are common and can cause permanent damage to the recipient’s sexual satisfaction later in life.

According to the Canadian Medical Association, more often than anything else, the procedure is carried out for vague personal reasons which have no medical basis.

The most important thing to consider is that even if being circumcised is the right choice for a person, that choice can be made later in life when they can consent to the operation.

In a statement on circumcision, the 2013 Nordic Association of Clinical Sexologists said, “We are concerned about the human rights aspects associated with the practice of non-therapeutic circumcision of young boys.

The decision to alter the appearance, sensitivity and functionality of the penis should be left to its owner, thus upholding his fundamental rights to protection and bodily integrity.” 

Requiring consent for the removal of sensitive genital skin is something most of the modern world already supports, and America should catch up.

Parker Wells can be reached at [email protected]

Note: Opinion columns are signed opinion pieces meant to generate campus-wide discussions about topics. They are usually written by students, but they may also be written by faculty, administrators or readers. These signed opinion columns are the opinions of the authors and do not reflect the opinions of TLR, ASLC or Linfield College.