We share these organizations' concerns that media repetition of these unproved claims has the dangerous potential to mislead the public into a false sense of security about circumcision as a form of AIDS prevention, and is counter-productive to AIDS education efforts. It is not known when, or if, these effects disappear. It is currently unknown how this imprints the rapidly developing nervous system's processing of painful stimuli and its subsequent long-term deleterious impact. Topical anesthetics may reduce, but they do not eliminate, circumcision pain. To avoid subjecting children to unnecessary pain, a more ethical position for physicians would be to refuse to subject unconsenting children to non-therapeutic circumcision.
Infant circumcision removes a large portion of the penile skin.
It is probably a conservative estimate. This percentage is likely to increase as more men become aware of how this surgery inherently damages the physiological functioning of the penis. This is especially so among those who know others who were allowed to remain intact. In the Spring of 1997, hundreds of circumcised men shared their stories of damage in letters to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Denial of harm and other psychological coping mechanisms among circumcised individuals often makes it difficult for them to approach this subject in a rational and unbiased manner.