Philippine city holds mass circumcision for youths

[HappyInHawaii 6]

From NPR

Philippine city holds mass circumcision for youths

Hundreds of boys in a Philippine city turned out Saturday for a daylong "circumcision party" to provide a safe, free procedure for a rite of passage that most local males undergo as preteens.

Some boys cried in their mothers' arms while others bit their shirts to stifle sobs as doctors carried out the surgery on dozens of makeshift operating tables inside a sports stadium in Marikina city east of Manila. Outside, other boys lined up to await their turn.

"I'm a big boy now," one boy who had just finished the surgery bragged.

Officials said the event — touted in a press statement as a "circumcision party" — aims to promote safe circumcision and to offer to poor residents free surgery that would otherwise cost at least $40 in private hospitals.

As of mid-afternoon, nearly 1,500 boys aged 9 years and up had been circumcised while many were still waiting in line, city health officer Dr. Alberto Herrera said.

In the Philippines, preadolescent and adolescent boys traditionally are circumcised during summer school break from March to May. In rural areas, the surgery is sometimes performed by non-doctors using crude methods.

The city also hopes to establish a world record for the number of people attending a mass circumcision.

"We applied for the Guinness Book of World Records and we are recording everything so we can send all the data to them and hopefully it will be recognized," Vice Mayor Jose Fabian Cadiz said.

Marikina, the country's shoemaking capital, was recognized by Guinness in 2002 for creating what was then the world's biggest pair of shoes.

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

It was a bris day, no doubt.

[TheFantastics09 19]

...o_O...

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

...o_O...

Only one eye was involved.

[Darnell 8,478]

Guiness? oh my.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

The poor lads have to go home wearing a dress, so as to not irritate the wound. They continue to wear that dress for a week, or more, until area is no longer sensitive. It is an example of sick Abrahamic mutilation at its worst.

[Ban Hammer 13,340]

in other news, sales of playboy magazine dropped dramatically.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

so wrong to do that to a child who understands what's happening to them

Supposed to do that when they are a baby!

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

so wrong to do that to a child who understands what's happening to them

Supposed to do that when they are a baby!

It should not be done at all, until the child becomes an adult, and can make an informed decision on whether or not to desensitize the head of his ####### by removing the protective sheath the Creator put there for a reason.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

It should not be done at all, until the child becomes an adult, and can make an informed decision on whether or not to desensitize the head of his ####### by removing the protective sheath the Creator put there for a reason.

eh, it's more beneficial for the child overall in life and no grown adult would ever do that to themselves.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

it's more beneficial for the child overall in life

And how do you know this?

[Obama 2012 1,714]

And how do you know this?

you're 'cleaner' and the risk of STDs is lower as well.

[rika60607 215]

Utterly barbaric. I am sure most of the boys would rather willingly take a shower a day for the sake of hygiene. There are also better ways to protect oneself from STDs. ANY other protection method is better.

you're 'cleaner' and the risk of STDs is lower as well.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Utterly barbaric. I am sure most of the boys would rather willingly take a shower a day for the sake of hygiene. There are also better ways to protect oneself from STDs. ANY other protection method is better.

overreaction much?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

you're 'cleaner' and the risk of STDs is lower as well.

I don't think the risk of STD's for preteen or infant males is significant enough to warrant genital mutilation.

Edited May 8, 2011 by Some Old Guy