Circumcision, a common practice in certain cultures needs to be carefully reevaluated. New Research shows that it can have negative effect in boys as they continue to evolve and turn into men. Below are certain facts to consider before making such a critical and lifechanging decision.

Circumcision Causes Immediate Harm
Circumcision is often performed on infants without anesthetic or with a local anesthetic that is ineffective at substantially reducing pain (Lander et al., 1997).

Pain from Circumcision in Infancy Alters the Brain
Research has demonstrated the hormone cortisol, which is associated with stress and pain, spikes during circumcision (Talbert et al., 1976; Gunnar et al., 1981). Although some believe that babies “won’t remember” the pain, we now know that the body “remembers” as evidenced by studies which demonstrate that circumcised infants are more sensitive to pain later in life (Taddio et al., 1997). Research carried out using neonatal animals as a proxy to study the effects of pain on infants’ psychological development have found distinct behavioral patterns characterized by increased anxiety, altered pain sensitivity, hyperactivity, and attention problems (Anand & Scalzo, 2000).

Infant Circumcision has Psychological Consequences for Men
Studies of men who were circumcised in infancy have found that some men experienced symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder, depression, anger, and intimacy problems that were directly associated with feelings about their circumcision (Boyle, 2002; Goldman, 1999; Hammond, 1999).

Psychological Effects On Children And Adolescents
Medical Procedures in Childhood are Often Experienced as Traumatic
The CDC fails to consider that many medical procedures, even those that are described as routine, are often experienced as traumatic by children and adolescents (Levine & Kline, 2007).

Procedures Involving Children’s Genitals Produce Negative Psychological Effects
The psychological consequences of medical procedures are even greater when they involve a child’s genitals. The studies found that these procedures often produce symptoms which are very similar to those of childhood sexual abuse, including dissociation and the development of a negative body image.

Circumcision Causes Significant Psychological Harm in Children and Adolescents
Circumcision in childhood and adolescence has significant negative psychological consequences. Following a traumatic event, many children experience anxiety, depression, and anger; and many others try to avoid and suppress these painful feelings (Gil, 2006).

The Majority of Boys Circumcised as Children and Adolescents Meet Diagnostic Criteria for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
The most comprehensive study available that assesses the psychological impact of circumcision on children after infancy was conducted by Ramos and Boyle (2000) and the study’s authors determined that 51 percent of these boys met the full diagnostic criteria for PTSD.

By Encouraging Circumcision, Medical Professionals are Shaming Boys’ Bodies
If the CDC guidance is followed, medical providers will be communicating a psychologically damaging message to boys with intact genitals—that their penises are somehow “bad” or inferior.

Anthony Losquadro is the founder and Director of Intaction (intaction.org). He founded the organization in an effort to give children a voice over their body autonomy, and to raise awareness on the importance of an intact body.