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Comment by EliRivers | Hacker News Reader

I'm sure there are a lot of physical mutilations we could make to people that would reduce the chances of various diseases. Nonetheless, I think there's a moral issue in slicing up children (or adults) for this reason. Do our bodies belong to ourselves, to the government, to someone's god, or to the people around us?

Not that I'm saying you're advocating it; just continuing the train of thought.

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And to follow the train of thought all the way - do children's bodies belong to themselves or to their parents? Parents (or Guardians) do have to make some decisions for their children, but perhaps should defer irreversible decisions on elective surgery until the child is old enough to have an opinion - boys and girls both. And if the thought of asking a 13 year-old girl if she wants to have her genitals modified gives you pause, perhaps consider how circumcision is any different?

I'm sure there are a lot of physical mutilations we could make to people that would reduce the chances of various diseases.

Mastectomy or oophorectomy to avoid cancers in infants with BRCA1/2 mutations comes to mind.

Nonetheless, I think there's a moral issue in slicing up children (or adults) for this reason. Do our bodies belong to ourselves, to the government, to someone's god, or to the people around us?

This feels like a platitude that overlooks the complexity of the issue. What rights do parents have over their children? Are they allowed to prescribe a religion? Are they allowed to prescribe a culture? Are they allowed to take their children to the hospital if they're sick?

Personally, I don't think male circumcision is that big of a deal, because it has little to no negative impact on a male child. Female circumcision, on the other hand, is different.

> it has little to no negative impact on a male child.

Really? Please link a study, published in a respectable publication, that compares physical and subjective sex performance parameters of the two type of men.

Great point.

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