As a circumcised male, I find the phrase “intact” as a reference to uncircumcised men to be pejorative and offensive. I have no memories of the procedure. I grew up thinking this is how we look out of the box. An early sex partner mentioned she thought I had a very lovely scar. I was not aware I had a scar, was ignorant of the whole situation. Being circumcised has had no impact on my life at all, as far I can tell.

The new documentary American Circumcision takes what may be the last, most stigmatized subject matter in America and powerfully questions the assumptions and pseudoscience that justify this practice of genital mutilation.

Marilyn Milos one of the film’s subjects says, “When you alter the genitals you alter the mechanics of sex,” which Marotta says refers to the gliding mechanism of the foreskin. “In intact sex, the foreskin glides over the head of the penis, and allowing it to stimulate itself. The penis is actually meant to have moving parts that work together. When we remove these parts, the penis is stimulated through friction, rather than gliding. The man needs longer strokes to cover the same surface area. So the entire mechanics is changed.

Multiple interview subjects in the film suggest the HIV studies are, “Scare tactics by pro-circumcision,” advocates, “Yet millions of dollars are run through these programs. $40 million from PEPFAR, more from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Clinton Foundation… Undoubtedly, there is a story here, one that goes beyond the scope of our film.”