By
Jonathan A. Allan
October 2023
Print Version
What you need to know
Puberty is a confusing time. There are lots of mixed messages, especially about what is or is not normal. Books about puberty provide young readers with information about their bodies and do so in a way that seeks to ensure that all bodies are normal bodies. While circumcision is being debated and scrutinized, these books assure readers that they—and their penises—are normal.
The Normal Foreskin: Circumcision Debates in Puberty Books is published Open Access by Boyhood Studies.
Why this research is important
To circumcise or not to circumcise? Oftentimes, parents debate whether or not to circumcise their neonates, and one fear that parents repeatedly mention is that their child will be teased in the locker room. This project set out to study discussions of the foreskin and circumcision in puberty and sex ed manuals for teenagers. These books are important for sexual health and wellbeing and contribute to a greater understanding of self and the body, as well as ideas of what is “normal.”
How this research was conducted
This research was conducted by reviewing about a dozen puberty manuals, most of which were published in the United States of America, where routine neonatal circumcision is normative. However, in recent years, there has been a steady decline in circumcision, and there are growing concerns about what is normal. As such, this project studied how puberty manuals address the foreskin and circumcision. Analysis was both at a textual and a visual level.
What the researcher found
Perhaps surprisingly, perhaps not, this study found that nearly all puberty manuals address the foreskin and circumcision. Moreover, the books all work to alleviate any worries the readers may have about their penis by assuring them that all penises are normal. Neither a circumcised nor an intact penis is better than the other. Some books provide reasons for why circumcision is performed, usually noting that it is cultural or religious, though some mention hygienic reasons for circumcision (such as smegma). Importantly, the location of the publisher often impacted the discussion. For example, American publications tend to privilege the circumcised penis, whereas publications in the UK and Canada will note, as Growing Up for Boys did, that “every boy is born with a foreskin.” This is a subtle, but important, difference.
Importantly, circumcision debates (or debates about the foreskin) are not limited to just scientific literature, but rather are found in books about sex education and puberty (in addition to other spaces, such as news media, letters to the editor, sex columns, etc.). These books are important for both young readers and adult readers alike as they provide information about the care of the penis, the foreskin, and circumcision.
How this research can be used
The results of this research demonstrate the importance of accurate information about not only the penis, but also the foreskin and circumcision, particularly for pubescent readers. These books need to be collected and made available to young readers who may have questions about whether or not their genitals are “normal.” Importantly, these books also provide parents and educators with language about the foreskin and circumcision.
Acknowledgements
This research is supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Canada Research Chairs Program.
About the Researcher
Keywords
- body
- circumcision
- foreskin
- puberty
- sex education
Publications Based on the Research
Allan, J. A. (2023). The normal foreskin: Puberty, adolescence, and growing up. Boyhood Studies, 16(1), 1–17. http://dx.doi.org/10.3167/bhs.2023.160102
Editor: Christiane Ramsey
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