Generally, the most persistent controversial and heated issue at Daily Kos is the Israel/Palestine issue. One of the reasons this issue leads to such heated remarks and has had such a hard time being resolved is that the two sides agree on only one thing: circumcision.
However, despite their agreement, some may remember that circumcision itself caused an uproar here in the past, with regular, stiff opposition from a certain user. That user's posting privileges were eventually cut off. Since then, Daily Kos has been relatively circumcision free.
Well, not any more
In a study of more than 5,000 uncircumcised adult Ugandan males, researchers found that after circumcision, the rates of infection with the virus that causes herpes went down by 28 percent, and the transmission of human papillomavirus (HPV) -- the virus that can cause cervical cancer and genital warts -- was reduced by 35 percent.
In a previous study, the same researchers found that circumcision reduced infection with the HIV virus by 60 percent. Two other research groups -- one working in Kenya and the other in South Africa -- have also had similar findings.
The study was done by a rather large number of researchers: Aaron A.R. Tobian, M.D., Ph.D., David Serwadda, M.Med., M.P.H., Thomas C. Quinn, M.D., M.Sc., Godfrey Kigozi, M.B., Ch.B., M.P.H., Patti E. Gravitt, Ph.D., Oliver Laeyendecker, M.S., M.B.A., Blake Charvat, M.Sc., Victor Ssempijja, B.Stat., Melissa Riedesel, M.P.H., Amy E. Oliver, B.A., Rebecca G. Nowak, M.P.H., Lawrence H. Moulton, Ph.D., Michael Z. Chen, M.Sc., Steven J. Reynolds, M.D., M.P.H., Maria J. Wawer, M.D., M.H.Sc., and Ronald H. Gray, M.D., M.Sc.
The full study is available in tomorrow's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, but here's an excerpt pontificating about why exactly circumcision seems to reduce the risk of contracting STDs.
The biologic mechanisms for the reduction in rates of HSV-2 and HPV infections by means of circumcision may involve anatomical factors, cellular factors, or both. The retraction of the foreskin over the shaft during intercourse exposes the inner preputial mucosa to vaginal and cervical fluids and can also result in microtears during intercourse, particularly in the frenulum. The moist subpreputial cavity may provide a favorable environment for the survival of HSV-2 and HPV and consequent epithelial infection. Both HSV-2 and HPV replicate in epithelial cells of the epidermis and dermis, and the inner mucosa of the foreskin is lightly keratinized, which may facilitate the access of HSV-2 and HPV to underlying epithelial cells in uncircumcised adolescent boys and men. After circumcision and keratinization of the surgical scar, the risk of such epithelial infection is probably reduced.
I'm not entirely sure if I understand some of the words used there, and I'm not going to try to talk about it. I will say that these medical researchers do a damned good job at taking all of the naughtiness out of the issue being discussed. A healthy dose of technical verbiage combined with clinical detachment seems to do the trick.
Instead, I'm going to bring out some further excerpts from an article written by master humorist Dave Barry about some men who were so upset about having been circumcised that they took surgical measures to counteract it.
One minute a baby is lying happily in his little bed, looking at the world and thinking what babies think (basically, "Huh?"), and suddenly along comes a large person and snip WAAAAHHH the baby is dramatically introduced to the concept that powerful strangers can fill his life with pain for no apparent reason. This is excellent training for dealing with the Internal Revenue Service, but it's no fun at the time.
Most of us guys deal with this unpleasant experience by eventually erasing it from our conscious minds, the way we do with algebra. But some guys never get over it. I base this statement on a San Jose Mercury News article, written by Michael Oricchio and mailed to me by many alert readers, concerning a group of men in California who are very upset about having been circumcised as babies. They have formed a support group called RECAP. In the interest of good taste I will not tell you what the P in RECAP stands for, but the "RECA" part stands for "Recover A ... "
According to the article, the members (sorry!) of RECAP are devoted to restoring themselves to precircumcision condition "through stretching existing skin or by surgery." I swear I am not making this up.
This whole topic reminds me of a classic Jewish joke involving circumcision. No, I'm not talking about the lame, overplayed one involving the mohel saying "Oops." I'm talking about this one, from "The Big Book of Jewish Humor", edited and annotated by William Novak & Moshe Waldoks.
Triebwasser, a twine merchant from New York, was trying desperately to sell some of his goods in Louisiana. But wherever he went, he kept encountering anti-Semitism. In one particular department store, the buyer taunted him: "All right, Jake, I'll buy some of your twine. As much as reaches from the top of your Jewish nose to the tip of your Jewish prick."
.
.
.
Two weeks later, the buyer was startled to receive a shipment containing eight hundred cartons of Grade A twine. Attached was a note:
Many thanks for your generous offer.
Invoice to follow.
Signed,
Jacob Triebwasser (residing in New
York, circumcised in Kiev).