Kontakt 2005, 7(1-2):157-159 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2005.031

Some health and ethical aspects of the circumsionBiomedicine

Radovan Boča^1,*, Libuša Radková², Ladislav Šoltés³

¹ Fakultná nemocnica s poliklinikou, chirurgická klinika, Trnava

² Trnavská univerzita, Fakulta zdravotníctva a sociálnej práce, katedra dobrovolníctva

³ Slovenská zdravotnícka univerzita, katedra medicínskej etiky a bioetiky

The authors consider certain aspects of the circumcision in men. They emphasize the fact that at the beginning, the circumcision was understood as a religious, ritual action, however, the reasons for the circumcision in men stepwise varied and the medical standpoint started to prevail. This occurred when the implementation of the circumcision passed to hands of trained specialists - physicians. The reasons for as well as against the circumcision are ever at a level of polemics and their persistence is rather traditional. However, when a man decides to undergo the circumcision, who is quite competent with respect to his behavior, or when the circumcision is indicated due to strictly medical reasons (e. g. phimosis), then its implementation is quite acceptable. The authors, however, do not agree with routine circumcision of newborns based on request of their parents. According to the author, the decision about the implementation of the surgery in this age should be exclusively based on the physician opinion.

Keywords: circumcision in men; ritual; sexuality

Published: June 29, 2005  Show citation