Abstract
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Clinical Ethics |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2019 |
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Keywords
- gender, culture, male circumcision, hymen (re)construction, Professional Ethics in Medicine
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Gender and cultural understandings in medical non-indicated interventions : a critical discussion of attitudes towards non-therapeutic male circumcision and hymen (re)construction. . / Saharso, S.; Coene, Gily.
In: Clinical Ethics, 2019.Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Gender and cultural understandings in medical non-indicated interventions
T2 - a critical discussion of attitudes towards non-therapeutic male circumcision and hymen (re)construction.
AU - Saharso, S.
AU - Coene, Gily
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - Hymen (re)construction and non-therapeutic male circumcision are medical non-indicated interventions that give raise to specific ethical concerns. In Europe, hymen repair is generally more contested among medical professionals than male circumcision. Yet, from a standard biomedical framework, guided by the principles of autonomy, beneficence, non- maleficence and justice, circumcision of boys is, as this article explains, more problematic than hymen (re-) construction. While there is a growing debate on the acceptability of infant circumcision, in the case of competent minors and adults the surgery is not questioned. In the case of hymenoplasty, usually requested by a competent patient, it is recommended to perform the operation only after extensive counseling and if there are compelling conditions. The article further explores why attitudes of medical professionals towards both surgeries diverge and seeks to explain how this is largely informed by gendered and socio- cultural understandings. The article further raises critical questions on medical paternalism and the role of counseling.
AB - Hymen (re)construction and non-therapeutic male circumcision are medical non-indicated interventions that give raise to specific ethical concerns. In Europe, hymen repair is generally more contested among medical professionals than male circumcision. Yet, from a standard biomedical framework, guided by the principles of autonomy, beneficence, non- maleficence and justice, circumcision of boys is, as this article explains, more problematic than hymen (re-) construction. While there is a growing debate on the acceptability of infant circumcision, in the case of competent minors and adults the surgery is not questioned. In the case of hymenoplasty, usually requested by a competent patient, it is recommended to perform the operation only after extensive counseling and if there are compelling conditions. The article further explores why attitudes of medical professionals towards both surgeries diverge and seeks to explain how this is largely informed by gendered and socio- cultural understandings. The article further raises critical questions on medical paternalism and the role of counseling.
KW - gender, culture, male circumcision, hymen (re)construction, Professional Ethics in Medicine
U2 - 10.1177/1477750919836642
DO - 10.1177/1477750919836642
M3 - Article
JO - Clinical Ethics
JF - Clinical Ethics
SN - 1477-7509
ER -