International | Male circumcision

Snip snap

Why more than half of newborn boys in America are circumcised

SEXUAL, health and aesthetic norms do not vary much across the West. Male circumcision is an exception. Over half of American boys are snipped, compared with 2-3% in Finland and Britain. The procedure is justified in America on grounds given little credence in Europe: that it makes genitals cleaner, nicer-looking and more socially acceptable.

This article appeared in the International section of the print edition under the headline “Snip snap”

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