Let’s face it, it sounds harsh: the surgical removal of the foreskin of a baby boy’s penis. But, according to historians, ritual circumcision has been practised in West Africa and the Middle East for more than 4 000 years, and it’s virtually universal in Judaism and Islam, having started with Abraham, who lived around 2 000BCE. So why the fuss?
WHY CIRCUMCISE AT ALL?
“Although we acknowledge that culture is important, it’s essential to consider the medical benefits of some procedures, such as circumcisions in infancy,” says Dr Josephine OtchereDarko, deputy programme head of the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV
