Emerging Adults’ Perceptions of Male Circumcision in the United States: Facts, Fictions, and Future Plans

Abstract

Societal perspectives on male circumcision and its implications are not well understood. In this exploratory qualitative study, participants (N = 34, 7 male, 27 female) enrolled in a human sexuality course were asked to share their perspectives on male circumcision through the development of a written response to open-ended questions. Written responses were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis to determine the ways in which participants perceive male circumcision, as well as to explore the arguments, contradictions, and rationalizations emerging adults use to justify it. Participants were largely in support of circumcision and believe it to be beneficial in terms of hygiene, esthetics, social acceptability, and tradition. Participants acknowledged the risks of circumcision and rationalized them, indicating they were in favor of the procedure and would circumcise their own sons despite limited knowledge of the benefits and drawbacks. Findings indicate emerging adults do not often discuss male circumcision and do not carefully consider the procedure, perhaps due to the widespread belief that circumcision is a social norm that should not be questioned. Despite this lack of discussion or formal education on the topic, most of the emerging adults did express strong opinions in favor of circumcision based on their personal experiences and social interactions.