Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 May 26;3(1):33-40.
doi: 10.15171/ijhpm.2014.51. eCollection 2014 Jun.

Libertarianism and circumcision

Patrick Testa  1 , Walter E Block  1
Affiliations

Libertarianism and circumcision

Patrick Testa et al. Int J Health Policy Manag. .

Abstract

Despite the millenniums-old tradition in Abrahamic circles of removing the foreskin of a penis at birth, the involuntary and aggressive practice of circumcision must not be made an exception to the natural, negative right to self-ownership-a birthright which should prevent a parent from physically harming a child from the moment of birth going forward. This paper will present a natural rights argument against the practice of male child circumcision, while also looking into some of the potential physical and psychological consequences of the practice. It will compare the practice with that of female circumcision, which is banned in developed nations but still practiced in the third world, as well as other forms of aggressive action, some once-prevalent, while disputing arguments made for parental ownership of the child, religious expression, cultural tradition, cleanliness, cosmetics, and conformity.

Keywords: Child Circumcision; Children’s Rights; Male Circumcision; Natural Rights; Penile Health.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Darby RJ. Medical history and medical practice: persistent myths about the foreskin. Med J Aust. 2003;178:178–9. - PubMed
    1. Darby RJ. The riddle of the sands: circumcision, history, and myth. N Z Med J. 2005;118:U1564. - PubMed
    1. Gollaher D. Circumcision: a history of the world’s most controversial surgery. New York: Basic Books; 2000.
    1. Marck J. Aspects of male circumcision in sub-equatorial African culture history. Health Transit Review. 1997;7:337–60. - PubMed
    1. West JA. The traveler’s key to ancient Egypt: a guide to the sacred places of ancient Egypt. Wheaton: Theosophical Publishing House; 1995. p. 187.

LinkOut - more resources