Circumcision: A Brief Overview

Currently, the rate of circumcision is declining in the United States (The
Circumcision Reference Library, n.d.). Estimates vary from one in six men circumcised
worldwide (Dunsmuir and Gordon, 1999) to one in three according to a 2008 report
from the World Health Organization. This paper explores the historical roots of
circumcision and where the procedure stands today, from a practical and an ethical
perspective. The current debate over whether to circumcise or not to circumcise young
males is explored through the lens of a prenatal and perinatal psychology student.