International Day Against Female Genital Mutilation (22)
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I agree with Hesse that male circumcision cannot be equated with FGM.
There are several medical advantages of male circumcision: Complica-
tions like phimosis (when the foreskin orifice is so tiny that it
causes a ballooning of the foreskin during micturition and may inter-
fere with egress of urine), paraphimosis (when the foreskin retracts
and 'traps' the glans penis making it to swell and may interfere with
egress of urine), infection of the foreskin etc. are avoided. These
are conditions that require emergency circumcision. The incidence of
cancer of the penis is also reduced in those that are circumcised. In
case of development of cancer of the penis, radiotherapy is easier to
administer in the circumcised. I have not in my years of medical
practice read or seen any medical advantage of FGM. Or has anybody
out there? I am glad that FGM is not practiced in the part of Nigeria
I come from (Jos).
Dr NK Dakum
Urology Unit
Dept of Surgery
Jos University Teaching Hospital
Jos, Nigeria
mailto:dakumn@unijos.edu.ng
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