is that circumcision for males does not leave the penis in an altered state as far as function goes. female 'circumcision' (specifically the clitoredectomy) and subsequent lacerations most certainly do. it diminishes not only pleasure, but also the vagina's ability to self-clean and in general expel bacteria and other foreign substances--a function the foreskin does NOT perform. it's called mutilation for a reason.

also, male circumcision is performed days after a child is born. it can be argued that the baby (and the body) remembers this day, but there is no cognitive understanding of what is happening to him until it's already been done. the girls who are getting 'circumcized' are not babies. they're pre-teens who have already experienced (deliberately or not) what having a clit feels like. there is no sense of loss in the boy like there is for the girl.

finally, as has already been discussed, this procedure is performed to control female sexuality and sexual behavior. there is no such agenda with male circumcision.

//arg.