I'll start by telling you a little about myself: I'm a professional man in my 40's . My concern about circumcision began during my mid teenage years when I had vaguely heard about circumcision at school. I wasn't entirely sure what it was, but had assumed that it was just one of those barbaric things that had been abolished probably 20-50 years prior; I think I realised some religions (eg Judaism) may have still practised it, but that was about it.

When I was in my early twenties and went to the 'free sexual health clinic' for a check-up, the examining doctor said aloud to the student doctor "white male...circumcised.." - I was stunned! At that moment, I felt a profound sense of having been violated, and humiliated.

I wonder if this is how a woman who's been drugged and raped might feel; considering that she does not even remember the actual rape. I suppose with a circumcision you also have a physical scar as a daily reminder of what happened, every time you bathe or use a restroom.

I struggled with these feeling for many years; well over a decade. I did, from time to time, find comfort from anti-circumcision websites, and the odd book from the library. I tried talking to some friends about it but most people seemed to think I was making a big deal over nothing (I was living in North America at the time). Actually, I find many people here in Australia feel indifferent about it too. I sometimes feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone, screaming "What's the matter with you people, can't you see you're depriving someone of the most basic human right?!?!".

My family was not very close, and my parents never discussed sex with me, however, I did finally confront my mother and ask if I'd been circumcised. She said 'No'. As it turns out, I just have a naturally short foreskin and hadn't been circumcised. I recently obtained confirmation under the Freedom of Information Act from the hospital where I was born (so that original doctor was in error - as have girlfriends been in the past).

Nevertheless, I cannot forget how profoundly upset & humiliated I felt.

I also feel devalued by society because it really means that society does not recognize a man's right to his own body.

The government offers no protection; in fact, it will even pay for arbitrary circumcisions through Medicare!! The Australian government does, however, protect dogs from cosmetic tail docking by making it illegal. Do you see the irony in this?

Here is an excerpt from the RSPCA:  "Cosmetic tail docking has also been banned in a number of countries including Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Finland, Germany and Denmark. Several other European countries including Cyprus, Greece, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Austria have also ratified a European Convention that prohibits the cosmetic docking of tails. In the United Kingdom tail docking can only be carried out by a registered veterinary surgeon. The practice is opposed by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons which describes it as an 'unacceptable mutilation' "  ...but somehow, an unnecessary mutilation of a boy's penis is acceptable???

By the way, are you aware that docking a puppy's tail literally takes only seconds to perform; whereas a circumcision takes approximately 10 minutes. It involves first restraining the child. The foreskin is then torn away from the glans (head of the penis). The foreskin is then clamped in order to crush the tissue to minimize bleeding. After a period of time it is then cut. It is then clamped and crushed again, but in another place. After another period of time it is then sliced away. How would you like the skin between your fingers clamped and crushed in a vice for a period of time, to begin with?

People still speak of circumcision as if it's the parent's right, option, or obligation (?!) to decide whether or not to do it. I find this alarming - it's not their decision to begin with - you may as well ask parents whether to tattoo their newborns or not. Frankly, I would rather be tattooed any day over circumcision (tattooing wouldn't alter any of my body function or sensation, and it could probably be reversed/removed later anyway). Recently I had even heard a radio program which was inviting callers to phone in to say what 'they would decide for their son' - again, this to me is so absurd as to ask who will be tattooing their kids and who won't.

Another ridiculous argument I hear is that circumcision will save the boy time from having to keep himself clean 'down there'. Would you consider removing your children's teeth to prevent tooth decay? It would certainly remove the need to teach them to keep their teeth clean and all the hassles of making sure they brush. Think of all the time you would save the children and yourself! I can tell you that the additional 5 seconds to wash a foreskin is a total non-issue. What about the many hours per day that so many men spend trying to restore their foreskins? What about the men with ongoing psychological issues because of their circumcisions? I've spent more time just in preparing this website than it takes to keep a foreskin clean for a lifetime! (which is less than 40 hours).

Why is it that we readily recognize a woman's right to her own body but do not even recognize a man's right to his own genitals? (yes, boys do grow into men).

In summary, if I can in any way help to prevent this heartache for some yet-to-be-circumcised (without consent) male in the future, then it will be well worth my time and effort.

If you would like to help ban this practice then please click here.