A new law in New York City reiterated the American mentality that religion trumps both bodily autonomy and public health.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio just reformed some regulations on a Haredi Jewish circumcision ritual that involved the mohel, the circumciser in Jewish rituals, sucking blood from a circumcision wound, known as metzitzah b’peh, or MBP.
Before, parents had to sign a consent form for their baby to partake in this occult-like, vampiric ritual. This was a response to 17 cases of babies contacting herpes because of MBP.
De Blasio scrapped the consent form. In place of it, doctors in the Haredi Jewish community will distribute information regarding the risks of circumcision and the MBP practice.
The mainstream media is praising de Blasio’s requirement. They argued the consent form was ineffective, and this approach is more science-friendly and stresses the risks better.
However, this plan still has one major problem: It doesn’t protect boys from health risks and bodily autonomy.
Babies are obviously too young to consent on their own behalf, so parents make the decision to circumcise for them. Apparently, it’s okay to mutilate babies and expose them to health risks as long as it’s done on the grounds of “sincerely held religious beliefs.”
Let’s tackle the health risks first. As stated above, MBP can spread herpes. Seventeen babies seems like a low number out of context, but when you take into account the fact that circumcision and MBP as a whole is medically unnecessary, 17 suddenly looks like a number that’s too high.
According to Intact America, parents who circumcise their baby boys put them at risk for infection, hemorrhage, scarring and difficulty urinating. They can also lose parts of or all of their penis, and the babies can even die in some cases.
There are some benefits to circumcision, but the cons outweigh the pros. It’s been reported to decrease Urinary Tract Infections and penile cancer. In cases where circumcision doesn’t involve MBP, it can also decrease the chances of Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
According to the American Cancer Society, fewer than 1 in 100,000 men get penile cancer each year. UTIs can be prevented by just washing yourself. As for STDs, we have medication and condoms now that make risks from STDs much lower than before. Medically, there’s no reason to circumcise your son.
Religious leaders don’t care, though. They’d rather risk boys’ health in the name of God than do what’s best for the child, which is keeping him intact.
Health risks aside, performing evasive and medically unnecessary surgeries on anyone before the age of consent goes against the very notion that people have control over their own bodies.
Why is it okay to remove someone’s body part without their consent? It’s illegal to cut off someone’s leg without their consent. What makes foreskin any different?
By removing the foreskin, you’re exposing the head of the penis to elements and constant stimulation, which decreases pleasure for men during sex.
In fact, circumcision became so widespread in America because religious leaders used it as a way to try to decrease masturbation.
Who wants to be part of a religion that decreases sexual pleasure?
And what if the circumcised boy decides to leave Judaism? Then, he’s left with a permanent and unfortunate reminder of his parents’ choice to indoctrinate him.
If someone is over the age of 18 and is aware of the risks that come with circumcision, then let him go through the surgery. That’s his choice; his parents aren’t forcing him to go through a surgery while he’s too young to understand.
However, babies don’t understand religion. They’re too young to be able to make promises with a god. And they certainly shouldn’t be subjected to unnecessary health risks by their own parents.
Overall, de Blasio’s new regulations are a baby step in the right direction. At least parents will be informed of the possible risks. But making unnecessary cosmetic changes on people before they’re old enough to consent is wrong, and babies should be protected from such changes.
Cody Sibley is a 19-year-old mass communication freshman from Opelousas, Louisiana. You can reach him on Twitter at @CodySibley.