Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="Thomas the Rhymer" data-source="post: 327329" data-attributes="member: 2808">The explanation I received in medical school is that there just happened to be a mania for circumsion from about the 1950's.&nbsp; It was thought to be healthier to be circumcised, and at the time there was a lot of press about the unhealthy side effects of masturbation, and it was thought that circumcision would reduce masturbatory behaviour later in life.&nbsp; That the future masturbatory habits of newborn males were such a concern in the USA just goes to show what a messed up era that must have been.&nbsp; This was an era in the USA where people would shut up and do what they were told and you never argued with your doctor.Anyway, once it became a popular idea in medical circles, the USA basically went into a manic circumcision bubble where everyone joined in the groupthink without questioning the logic or the science behind circumcisions.&nbsp; The bubble popped somewhere in the late 1970's and circumcision rates have been steadily declining since.Anyway, that's what they taught me in school, but I've learn the hard way not to believe everything I've been taught, so take it for what it is - an attempt to historically rationalise an irrational group behaviour.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Thomas the Rhymer, post: 327329, member: 2808"] The explanation I received in medical school is that there just happened to be a mania for circumsion from about the 1950's. It was thought to be healthier to be circumcised, and at the time there was a lot of press about the unhealthy side effects of masturbation, and it was thought that circumcision would reduce masturbatory behaviour later in life. That the future masturbatory habits of newborn males were such a concern in the USA just goes to show what a messed up era that must have been. This was an era in the USA where people would shut up and do what they were told and you never argued with your doctor. Anyway, once it became a popular idea in medical circles, the USA basically went into a manic circumcision bubble where everyone joined in the groupthink without questioning the logic or the science behind circumcisions. The bubble popped somewhere in the late 1970's and circumcision rates have been steadily declining since. Anyway, that's what they taught me in school, but I've learn the hard way not to believe everything I've been taught, so take it for what it is - an attempt to historically rationalise an irrational group behaviour. [/QUOTE]

Verification