%0 Journal Article
%T Tye & Sardi¡¯s Psychological, Psychosocial, and Psychosexual Aspects of Penile Circumcision*
%A Stefan A. Bailis
%A Stephen Moreton
%A John N. Krieger
%A Brian J. Morris
%J Advances in Sexual Medicine
%P 65-83
%@ 2164-5205
%D 2022
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/asm.2022.123006
%X Tye and Sardi recently reviewed the evidence purporting to implicate male
circumcision, especially when performed early in infancy, in psychological
problems in men. Here we provide a critical evaluation to determine the
veracity of their evidence and claims. Missing from their review were critiques
pointing out fundamental flaws in key studies. We argue that psychological
stress in some men may be caused by anti-circumcision propaganda telling them
that they are victims of ¡°genital mutilation¡±, a term adopted from dissimilar
female practice</span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\">s</span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> in particular
ethnic groups. Sexual dissatisfaction results. We critically discuss claims
about foreskin ¡°gliding¡±, the eccentric foreskin-related sexual practice of
¡°docking¡±, and the use of lubricant in masturbation. We further find that a
study claiming to show numerous differences in socio-affective processing in
men circumcised as neonates stem from statistically flawed and one-sided data
that has been misinterpreted, and in fact shows the opposite of the hypothesis
that psychological problems in some men can be attributed to </span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\">the </span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\">pain of their circumcision
as newborns. Importantly, since the brain regions responsible for empathy,
namely </span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\">subcortical gray matter and
white matter in frontal and parietal regions, were similar in neonatally
circumcised and uncircumcised men, the null hypothesis remains null. In
conclusion, we find no compelling evidence</span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> to
support newborn circumcision pain being responsible for psychological problems
in neonatally circumcised men. Men who come to believe that they are victims of
their infant circumcision are in actual fact likely victims of false claims
perpetrated by activist community groups with trenchant opposition to
circumcision.
%K Sexual Function
%K Psychology
%K Male Sexual Health
%K Anti-Circumcision
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=118904