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Landmark new study reveals the mental harms of circumcision
Why it’s time we break the silence and listen to survivors
Circumcision is often presented as a routine medical procedure, a harmless cultural or religious rite of passage. But what if it weren’t so simple? What if for some it left a scar deeper than the one on their body? A new study by Leeanne Morris published in Culture, Health & Sexuality, challenges society’s silence on the mental harms of circumcision.
Through a series of in-depth interviews, Morris amplifies the voices of men who have experienced mental health impacts from medically unnecessary childhood circumcision. Her findings reveal experiences of grief, trauma, and struggles with identity, which many circumcised men find difficult to articulate, let alone find support for.
The ‘unspoken grief’ of circumcision
Morris identifies three overarching themes in her research, with the first and most profound being disenfranchised grief. When acknowledged by society, grief allows people to process loss. But for these men, their grief is unrecognised, silenced, and at times ridiculed.
Some tried to speak to their families about their circumcision only to be met with dismissal or even laughter.
Others found media and cultural narratives minimised their experience and reinforced the idea their pain wasn’t valid. They described feeling stuck in an endless cycle of searching for meaning. Why was this done to them? Why wasn’t their body left intact?
These men feel isolated because society doesn’t acknowledge the harms they’ve experienced. How could it when we almost never speak about circumcision? Its sexual and religious undertones don’t exactly make for easy conversation. But as difficult as it might be, it’s a conversation we have to have if these men are ever to find closure.
Betrayal and spiritual divorce
The second theme explores the impact circumcision has on relationships. Many participants experienced spiritual divorce — an emotional severing of ties, particularly with their parents, whom they saw as having failed to protect them. One man recalled confronting his parents about his…
