Say NO! to circumcision!

There has been a lot of news floating around about the supposed benefits of circumcision.  Research has shown that it is effective in reducing rates of infection for a variety of sexually transmitted diseases, and is generally considered a more hygienic way of being.  However, it turns out that much of this research has been poorly conducted, and are likely WRONG. It is a classic case of scientists not controlling variables, and having confounded data as a result. For example, they compared circumcised (Jewish) with uncircumcised (gentile), and found lower infection rates.  It turns out that Jews and gentiles behave differently (who knew?).  Jews were less promiscuous than the gentiles, and this screwed the data (so to speak).

Perhaps we should adopt a general approach to questions like this.  If having a foreskin was actually harmful, shouldn't evolution have done something about it?  From now on, let's agree that anything that exists in nature, from mosquitos to e. coli, must serve some purpose in the ecosystem as a whole, and should not be dispensed with offhand. Just sayin'

Back to circumcision.  Now there is another reason to keep the mohel away from your boys.  It turns out that the prepuce (another word for the foreskin), is incredibly valuable.  Unlike any other piece of skin, the prepuce can be stretched almost infinitely, and used to replace the damaged skin of burn victims.  When taken from an infant, before the immune system kicks in and makes transplants difficult, the prepuce can be stretched to the size of several football fields by growing the cells on a polymer fabric in a nutrient solution. If you don't believe me, here is the article.

So, rather than just hacking off this part of our most vulnerable males, perhaps we should leave things as nature intended.