Moment of truth: Can you think for yourself?
Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 02:30:15 PM PDT
The second wave of media bombardment is upon you, dutifully reporting the full release of results that were already massively hyped to you months ago, but now with more emphasis: There can be no question, you are told, that adult males massively reduce their chances of contracting HIV from heterosexual intercourse by undergoing a circumcision.
With hundreds of news outlets repeating this story (compared to zero reporting that adult circumcision reduces sexual satisfaction), the echo chamber creates what you are to believe is unquestionable certainty.
What is an intact adult male to think of all this, especially if applying the scientific method is not his profession? Should he be swayed that choosing to become circumcised will reduce his chance of contracting HIV?
If you live in Sweden, or Belgium, or Norway, or Britain, for example, you're not likely to schedule surgery to remove most of the mobile and sexually sensitive skin from your penis based on this data. If you're a European who is swayed by this data to get a circumcision, please post a comment.
If you are an adult man living in an African country, you are to believe that it's very important to your heath that you have penis surgery. Many African cultures already circumcise their males as part of transition to manhood. The cultural pressure to sacrifice your foreskin may take the form of being kicked out of school.
But even in those cultures where being intact beyond a certain age makes you an outcast teased by your peers, some will resist. Hang in there 50 cent. If someone westerner comes offering a circumcision, ask him if he has a box of condoms he could supply instead:
January 5, 2007
I have just read a ‘research’ that purport to equate male circumcision with HIV reduction and I don’t buy that argument.
I am a proud of my manhood and I swear I will never place my **** in a doctors table and see my manhood being defiled.
Reporter Kuumba Chi Nia shares words of caution from a member of the International Association for Statistical Education:
"It is important that, while circumcision interventions are being planned, several points must be considered carefully. If the experiment fails, Africans are likely to feel abused and exploited by scientists who recommended the circumcision policy. In a region highly sensitive to previous colonial exploitation and suspicious of the biological warfare origin of the virus, failure of circumcision is likely to be a big issue. Those recommending it should know how to handle the political implications." - James P.M. Ntozi.,
These perspectives remind us that the message being sent here employs the Medicalization tactic (discussed here). Why is the male foreskin the only body part whose amputation is studied for potential medical benefit? Why is female circumcision not studied for potential benefit in reducing HIV transmission? Is bodily amputation an appropriate medical treatment for prophylactic prevention of disease transmission, or could the same resources be more effectively and less invasively applied?
Now that these trials have finally been published, peer-review criticisms will begin to emerge. An attempt has been made to intellectually inoculate you against the dissenting views: Criticism has already been cast as absurd in the face of such overwhelming evidence.
The beautiful thing about science is that the truth will eventually shine through. As a prudent skeptic, you know that not everything which glitters is gold. As an uncircumcised man, efforts may be made to persuade you to trade your bodily integrity for some gold.
Until we have a vaccine, HIV prevention depends upon behavior modification, and that depends on education. You know what I think will drastically reduce the spread of HIV in Africa? Save the dollars that some would have spent on providing minimally risky facilities and services to circumcise adult African men, and buy them a $100 laptop instead. It'll facilitate network access by creating a mesh network, and can run without grid power. Given the ability to electronically communicate with humans all over the planet, the understanding we need to combat HIV will spread faster than the virus itself. The answer is education, not mutilation.
If you are so kind, help maintain non-trolled tags:
Tags: circumcision,Africa,HIV,AIDS,OLPC
