The definitions that the WHO, UN, and United States Department of State provide for
FGC all characterize it as a practice of some foreign (black or brown), misguided “other.” None
of these institutions recognize male circumcision, genital surgery on intersex infants, or Western
elective cosmetic genital procedures as forms of “genital mutilation” that warrant the label of
“human rights’ violation,” yet the motivations and risks of these procedures are comparable to
those of practices defined as FGC.
Parents often decide to circumcise infants assigned male at birth for religious and cultural
reasons—Islam, Judaism, and many sects of Christianity mandate the removal of the
foreskin—or to promote the penile hygiene of their child—though little evidence suggests that
circumcision actually impacts hygiene in any meaningful capacity. The procedure can cause
many complications, including bleeding, infection, urinary issues, penile necrosis, and death.8
Double Standards
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