Earlier this month, New Hampshire House Bill 94, known as the “Children’s Body Autonomy Act,” passed the New Hampshire House of Representatives by a single vote: 184-183.
The proposal would cut non-medically necessary circumcision from the state’s Medicaid program as the state looks for places to tighten its fiscal belt. Estimates indicate the move could save the state $100,000 annually.
Bill advocates say dropping circumcision coverage from Medicaid is long overdue, with one describing the procedure as “male genital mutilation,” a relic of medical quackery of the past. But circumcision proponents say that the bill is an affront to the religious freedom of Muslims and Jews, and inadvertantly sends a message that those communities are not welcome in New Hampshire.
Will elective circumcision get the snip?
Trimming the Budget
This isn’t a circumcision ban in New Hampshire. Bill advocates say that those seeking to circumcise their children for religious or personal reasons are more than welcome to do so on their own dime. Rather, this bill bars the procedure from being funded by the state's Medicaid program, which is primarily utilized by those with limited income. “Why are we paying to diminish the sexual pleasure of poor people?” pondered the bill’s primary sponsor, Rep. Julius Soti.
Bill co-sponsor Rep. Jason Osborne says that New Hampshire taxpayers simply shouldn't be on the hook for what he calls a “medically unnecessary, irreversible surgery.”
Anti-circumcision advocates argued the procedure has no modern medical basis, and cited studies showing that removing the foreskin reduces sexual pleasure for both sexes.
“This bill does not ban circumcision, but simply says that the government should keep its hands off where they don’t belong,” said Rep. Donald McFarlane, speaking in favor of the bill. “We Americans can and should make female orgasms great again.”
RELATED: Meet the "Intactivists" – Leaders of the Anti-Circumcision Movement
A Medical Necessity?
Circumcision advocates say that Medicaid coverage is necessary for newborn males because of the possible medical benefits, and that circumcision is easiest – and cheapest – on infants. State Rep. Joe Schapiro said that there is “ample research showing potential medical benefits such as reduction in penile cancers and reduced rates of HIV transmission."
The American Medical Association agrees. A 2023 report from the AMA argued that “the procedure’s benefits outweigh the risks,” including reduced chance of contracting HIV, UTIs, and penile cancer.
However, even the medical benefits of circumcision are controversial; Both the Canadian Paediatric Society and the British Medical Association concluded such medical benefits are marginal at best and alone do not medically justify the procedure, and the United States is the only country where circumcisions are widely performed for non-religious reasons.
Snipping Away at Religious Rights
The controversial bill elicited strong reactions from pro-circumcision politicians, some of whom said that the bill could be an affront to the religious freedom of faith communities which commonly practice circumcision, including Jews and Muslims.
“This sets circumcision apart from all the others. It does send a message,” stated Rep. Paul Berch, who opposes the legislation. “It hangs out a sign that Jews and Muslims not quite as welcome in New Hampshire as others. Some may not see that sign, but Jews and Muslims will.”
Others cosigned that statement. “What possible purpose could it have other than to show a profound disrespect of our Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters?” asked one resident, Campbell Harvey.
However, sponsors say the bill should be passed explicitly because of the religious connection. "This cosmetic procedure originated as strictly a religious ritual, and of course taxpayer money should not cover religious rituals,” argued co-sponsor Rep. Ellen Read. “But now has transformed into simply a cultural cosmetic phenomenon that we all unquestioningly accept, despite the harm it causes men.”
The bill moves next to the State Senate, where lawmakers will decide if New Hampshire should join the 17 other states which don’t offer Medicaid coverage for elective infant circumcisions.
Where do you stand? Should elective infant circumcision be paid for by the state's Medicaid program? And does barring the procedure from receiving taxpayer funds seriously send a message to Muslims and Jews that they're not welcome in the state of New Hampshire?
On the other hand, couldn't circumcision's lengthy religious history be a reason to deny funding? Should the state be funding a procedure frequently performed as a religious ritual?
Circumcision funded by taxpayers: Cut it or keep it?
68 comments
-
Reverend Andrew
you know i am kind of ok with this . I mean we are one of the few places in the world that forces male mutilation. I refused to have my son mutilated and he is happy and healthy and in his thirties with no issues at all. If I could go back and stop my parents for mutilating me I would .
-
ServantOfJudgement
Life got better with penicillin.
Here's a partial list of diseases that are easier to transmit if a man still has his foreskin: HIV, HPV, HSV-2, the famous Sir Phillis, Various Bacterial infections, Urinary Tract Infections and so on.
That said, we have penicillin and stronger antibiotics as the nasties adapt to our medicines. Today it probably doesn't matter much. At the time of the Bible's writing however the ancients didn't have the luxury of a shower and meds after a rough night out so it was snip snip ahead of time, no pun intended.
One day they'll not have the need to pull teeth anymore and think us barbaric for the practice.
Religiously, im only aware of Jewish and Islamic folk being held to the practice, Christians sure aren't.
-
Lady Mutt Cat
By that sort of logic I should have my breasts cut off so I won’t get breast cancer. No, thanks. I’ll take my chances.
-
Gary L. Bernard
There's been studies that showed the opposite that not being circumcised actually keeps HIV and other diseases from taking hold as there's an enzyme that build up under the foreskin that kills diseases, but I think these studies are biased either way and most likely the bias is for or against and whether it's been dine to the male researcher or not, as o stated in an earlier post .any women think its necessary for a male to be circumcised to be, "clean", which isn't so true if the male child is taught to clean hus private area. You women who believe in circumcised males probably don't teach a boy to clean himself like you would yourdaughter, some of you not all. Both sexes need to be taught hiw to properly clean that area from the time they are little and do so for themselves, prior to that it's a responsibility of the parents to do this until the child can properly clean themselves. Not so hard, but sadly so many won't touch to clean their children. Sadly so much common sense has given way to so much BS and division in our so called, "Modern, civilized society", when in fact in many ways we digress!
-
ServantOfJudgement
Angelina Jolie did just that Lady Mutt Cat back around 2010 I think. Cut her breasts off to avoid breast cancer. I was stunned when I read that but to each his own.
The glaring difference here is once the breasts are gone, they're gone. Babies will still show up just the same as one no foreskin as one with it.
I'm neither for it or against it. I know why the ancients did it but it doesn't really matter anymore.
-
-
-
-
Nicholas J Page
Circumcisions is only a justified medical procedure when a child has problems with pushing back his foreskin. To clean underneath if it's tight and he has problems then medical intervention is needed it should never be performed as a religious excuse.
-
Rev. T.L. Hurd
Circumcision is an elective procedure; it should not not be paid for with public money.
-
Colleen McAllister
Since I am one who believes that men should have no say in decisions that effect woman's bodies I shall stay out of this discussion as together or not circumcision is good or bad. HOWEVER I will say that any religious act should not be paid for by government funds.
-
Rev. BH
Reasons to consider circumcision include:
• Reduced risk of cancer of the penis • Lower risk of sexually transmitted infections • Presence of large or multiple genital warts on the foreskin • Lichen sclerosus, an immune condition that contributes to infections • Reduced risk of urinary tract infections
From Urology Medical Group https://www.urologymedicalgroup.com/blog/is-circumcision-necessary
-
Lionheart
Simple hygiene is all that is needed to be taught to all children as I did with mine, and as my parents did with me. In general, most don’t need it unless medically proven necessary. I actually don’t know of ANYONE of my friends in England that needed it, and they had no problems into adulthood.
🦁❤️
-
Rev. BH
Lionheart,
How do you know about your friend's foreskins? Asked? Peeked? Weird either way.
-
Lionheart
LOL, 😂
Funnily enough, a friend of mine (heterosexual and married, as am I) told me last year that he had to have the operation due to an abnormality that could only be corrected by circumcision.
🦁❤️
-
-
-
Lady Mutt Cat
I did NOT mean to upvote this statement. It’s absurd.
-
Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
Absurd in that you dispute the findings or absurd because you won’t cut your breasts off?
-
-
-
Douglas Robert Spindler
And they don't care about women and Female genital mutilation.
-
Elizabeth Jane Erbe Wilcox
This bill does not ban circumcision, but simply says that the government should keep its hands off where they don’t belong,” said Rep. Donald McFarlane, speaking in favor of the bill.
He’s right! Oh wait! The gov’ment got its hands all over drag queens and the LGBTQ+ human beings.
-
Patricia Sydney Solis
Besides, the public cry they don't want to pay for abortions, why should the public pay for religious genital mutilation?
-
James Riggle-Johnson
While it’s a little late for me in life to argue about the good or bad of circumcision, medical professionals have been saying it’s unnecessary for a very long time. I don’t think the government should pay for things like this unless the child’s life is threatened. On a side note, the picture posted in this article is just wrong… in so many ways. LOL!
-
Mrknowitall
Leave my Penis alone, God created man perfectly, foreskin is there to protect the head of the penis...If your a woman and don't like foreskin than move on cause it's not for you it's for me !
-
Patricia Sydney Solis
Children have rights against genital mutilation. The world's problem is that sexual pleasure is so taboo. But violence is glorified!. The cut is to force the kid's somatic experience from the genitals to the head. The mind body split keeps kids in a thinking state, alienated from the body and nature--- human nature. Let's bring back sacred sexuality. It will solve everything.
-
Rev Ned
Why is male genital mutilation considered religious freedom? People are horrified by the Muslim religion’s female genital mutilation.
-
Gary L. Bernard
Circumcision is an unnecessary procedure these days and most of Europe doesn't do this mutilation to male babies. I understand why some do it, but even Biblically it was only to be dine to Abraham's family to identify them as family. Historical lyrics Circumcision was performed to keep put infections as washing wasn't always available. A group in Colorado years ago fought to stop, "female genital mutilations", but that group wouldn't even consider stopping male genital mutilation, very sad that a group fighting to prevent clitectomy wouldn't also get a law passed to stop male genital mutilation in our modern society. Very one sided and not very right minded! All genital mutilation for any child should be stopped! There is no medical reason to do this in our modern world. And besides we are not all dependents of Abraham!
-
Rev. BH
Let's get real. The long term effects of male "genital mutilation" are far different than female genital mutilation.
"In adulthood, girls subjected to FGM are more likely to suffer infertility or complications during childbirth, including postpartum hemorrhage, stillbirth and early neonatal death." UNICEF.
"and can result in severe bleeding and problems urinating, and later cysts, menstrual difficulties, infections, as well as complications in childbirth and increased risk of newborn deaths." WHO.
And lastly: "Circumcised men reported increased penile sensitivity and enhanced ease of reaching orgasm. These data indicate that integration of male circumcision into programs to reduce HIV risk is unlikely to adversely effect male sexual function." NIH
-
-
Gary L. Bernard
Imagine your eye lids being removed at borth?! Horrible to take away a protective portion on skin on a male at any age. Personally I think the trauma a male baby experiences .ihht affect their whole life and attitude! Thank God I'm as God made me, I have never had any health issues, nor have my son's, nor my father, or his father, it wasn't necessary when my grandfather was born, nor when I was born, in fact being born premature the Doctor told my parents I'd likely have bled to death being born in premature and in the 1950s, so thank God for leaving me and my family intact. All genital mutilation of any kind being dine on children/babies is a horrible way to come into the world! Sadly many women will want to do this to their son's, but would never allow mutilation to be dine to their daughters and a majority of women I've known think it's unclean to not be circumcised! What backward thinking! Those areas for both sexes need to be cleaned!
-
David M Hines
If other “religious” medical procedures are covered, this should be covered too.
If other religions have to pay themselves to get their bodies mutilated in accordance with their religious traditions, so should Muslims and Jews.
-
Patricia Ann Gross
Forgive me if I'm missing something, but the circumcision for Jewish children are done at a religious ceremony called a "bris" on the child's eighth day of life. Most of the time, the child is already discharged from the hospital and is done by a Rabbi. I presume the same holds for Muslim children, as it was handed down by the same tradition from Abraham and I assume it is performed by an Imam. This is not something that would be covered by Medicaid as I don't see Rabbis or Imams as official Medicaid providers, so I don't see the religious problem. Can someone tell me what I'm missing? Circumcision for other males is elective and generally done before the child leaves the hospital.
-
Melissa Freet
No the government shouldn’t be allowed to pay for this choice. Women can’t even get life saving medical care. Church and state separation.
-
John P Maher
YES AS USUAL, THE GOVT. WANTS YOUR TAXES, SO AS TO SCUANDER the MONEY on HIGH LIFE for THEM,THEY DO NOTHING REALLY FOR US, ITs ALL B S !
-
ServantOfJudgement
Less and less is covered by insurance. You know your headed for trouble when insurance companies own hospitals and sign the checks of its doctors.
To quote the sleazy insurance guy in Monty Pythons Flying Circus skit The Bishop, "It states quite clearly in your policy, no claim you make will be paid"
-
Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
It’s a religion-base procedure. Shouldn't)t be covered.
-
-
Robert Gagnon
It was done for hygienic purposes in the by gone days. If you don't want to do it, don't do it. Does this mean they won't cover unnecessary mastectomies and other cosmetic procedures disguised as affirmative care? Or is this just another anti Catholic/Jew assault by the Protestants and Atheists.
-
Ari Joseph Bertine
Gender-affirmative care is life-saving medical intervention. Circumcision is a religious sacrifice.
-
Robert Gagnon
Not life saving, body mutilation to appease a mental disturbance. And it is elective surgery that should never be covered by insurance.
-
Michael Hunt
Are you a medical professional who has studied these procedures and patients and that is how you have come to this conclusion? Or are you a layman on the subject projecting your beliefs as truth despite modern science disagreeing with you?
-
Robert Gagnon
Simple observation. Known some trans since the 80's, the real ones are delusional. Some are just going through the motions because they find the identity attractive. Realty is real and anything else is poorly interpreted or delusion. Not all medical professionals (modern) agree, in fact less than the majority. Cass report? You are promoting a cult that has infiltrated the medical community. Once this craze is over it will be filed away for academic study like Jim Jones. You pick your facts like the bible thumpers.
-
-
-
-
-
Henry Buehler
"$10 million for male circumcision in Mozambique."
President Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 4. Politics Read NPR's annotated fact check of President Trump's address to Congress He's referring to one country but USAID — the United States Agency for International Development — has funded male circumcision programs in a number of countries in southern and eastern Africa through the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program.
Public health experts and HIV prevention advocates agree that voluntary medical male circumcisions — a procedure where a medical provider removes the foreskin of a penis from a volunteer patient — are a highly effective prevention for HIV. The procedure has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of HIV transmission from women to men and is a cost-effective HIV prevention intervention in countries with high infection rates.
I am more concerned about ceasing grants from USDA for "Local food purchase assistance program" and the "resilient food systems infrastructure program" Local farmers paid for growing food for local food banks.
-
Lady Mutt Cat
And cutting off your breasts prevents breast cancer. What an absurd reason for chopping off a part of one’s body.
-
Lionheart
Exactly, not to mention brain cancer, which I’m thinking some people on here might already have had that removed. 😂🤭😜🤣
🦁❤️
-
-
Mrknowitall
USAID has done more to harm the world than you could ever imagine. Also no money has ever reached and recipients, just take a look at Haiti, look at some real time pictures, where's all the friggin money !
-
Lady Mutt Cat
It was known to be a CIA front back in the 60s.
-
-
-
Lady Mutt Cat
I am glad to see that at least one state has come to its senses. Circumcision is a barbaric practice, and most definitely not one that our tax dollars should pay for. Mutilating babies for religious or any other purpose should be a crime anymore
-
Roy S. Thorpe
Medicad should not be used for circumcision! Medicaid was originally made to help poor people with little money to pay for health services! The poor should not be having children they cannot afford and adding them to the welfare roles!
-
Steven Ferrell
Most countries with national healthcare will not cover for an infant to be electively circumcised. If people want national healthcare which in many ways is what Medicaid is, this is the types of things it’s going to mean.
-
James Trenton Smith
If such were discrimination, would it not pertain to Christians also? It's important to note that if it applies to all its hard to make a discrimination complaint. Anyway...This is not discrimination; it is a government informing the populace that it will no longer pay for medical procedures that are of a "religious" nature. However, you are still free to circumcise your children if you want to pay for it yourself.
-
Michael Ray Lane
Circumcision is part of the birthing procedure or after 8 days whatever the Jewish law requires. Medicare is insurance it should cover it. I think it's just another way to slam Jews brought by the radical left.
-
Alex Joseph Stephens
New Hampshire is a mostly blue state. Stop with hate for those who don't see things your way.
-
Colin Jeffrey
Err... How on earth do you see this as something enacted by the "radical" left?!
This is a dictum DIRECTLY from the tRump administration. That is - something that the RIGHT has brought into being, COMPLETELY independently from ANY input from the left.
Given the lies spewed daily from the MAGATsphere, I wouldn't be surprised if you believed that black was white and up was down if your beloved Cheeto-in-chief told you so!
-
-
Ari Joseph Bertine
The government should not be paying for a religious ritual. It makes as much sense for them to pay for circumcision as it would for them to pay to tattoo or brand a religious symbol on someone.
-
Ari Joseph Bertine
Oh and to the editor and writer(s) of this article specifically:
You're not funny, with your little "snip" jokes and your graphic. Hundreds if not thousands, of children have died from this procedure. Around 100 in the USA alone, per annum. For decades. This is too grim a topic to be punning about, and that was inappropriate.
-
Colin Jeffrey
This affects Muslims and Jews. Muslims and Jews aren't Christians. The racist, bigoted, homophobic, kleptocrats that make up tRump's government only want Christians to benefit, because that keeps their base appeased.
EVERYTHING tRump and his henchman do is cruel, horrid, and evil because they are cruel, horrid, and evil, and because the MAGAT morons that follow them like it that way.
-
Alex Joseph Stephens
You have a lot of hate in you. New Hampshire is a very blue state so your accusation is purely hate driven. So sad that people who disagree with you are looked down on by you.
-
Amy Varela
You may be correct that he has a lot of hate in him, but the second part of Colin's post is 100% correct.
-
Colin Jeffrey
Alex - You take truth as hate, because that's what you've been told to believe. You've been told that anyone who doesn't agree with tRump's lies is an enemy, someone to be hated - "If you ain't with us, you're against us."
I have no hate - only reality, and you just don't like it.
-
-
-
Man of God
Our God, the one who sent his Son Jesus. Ordered circumcison!!! Study the Word of God in the Pentecost and find it.
-
Amy Varela
The word of your god was written by Bronze or Iron Age goat herders who had no idea about the earth's relation to the rest of the cosmos. The number 1 example of that being in Genesis 1:16. If the greater light to rule the day is the sun, what is the lesser light to rule the night? It can't be the moon, since the moon is not a light. Wouldn't an all-powerful, all-knowing creator of the universe know that, or was he being purposefully obtuse?
-
-
Kevin Joseph Kervick
This is an unnecessary and maybe even harmful Jewish ritual that was forced on non-Jews primarily to make Jews feel less identifiable and stigmatized after World War 2.
-
Amy Varela
A penis with a foreskin is only different from one without a foreskin when flaccid, so it makes no difference to a woman's experience of intercourse. And I doubt a man could tell the difference since he's either with or without, not both. And it's irreversible, so if he got cut, then discovered it was better with, he's out of luck.
-
Julie Armstrong
It is cosmetic procedure. Not a necessity. It wouldn't be there if GOD didn't want it there. It serves a purpose. Let it be or pay for it on your own
-
Danielle Elizabeth Ostach
I look at it this way, Jewish folks would not use medicaid and state hospital to do it anyways. It is done by a Moyle and is religious ceremony. I suspect the same is for Muslims.
If I want other churches and religious requirements out of government in other areas, I have to support removal of "non-medically necessary" procedures from Medicaid. Medicaid should not be paying for procedures based on religious requirement or we might see children of Chinese requesting money to bind their children's feet and who knows what.
It is NOT a ban on the procedure, just on using public money for something not needed medically.
Thank goodness, this is long overdue. I hope other states soon follow suit. It’s always been a barbaric stupid procedure here in the US, unless it’s medically necessary. We can now fall in line with all other primates that have never needed it. 🤭
🦁❤️
It's male mutilation. And a form of child abuse
It certainly is, Sir Andrew. 👍
🦁❤️
Uncircumcised men get more diseases and infections then circumcised men. Women who have longterm partners that are uncircumcised are more prone to cervical cancer.
As other primates don't have the same problem with hygiene of this area. It just goes to show that Modern Man is obviously way behind in intelligence of teaching their offspring than sub-human primates. It doesn't say much for us does it?
Having said that, there are on average 100 deaths a year from circumcisions of infant males. So, if your story is true, diseases related to poor hygiene education is far better than death....right?🤷🏼
If we were born in the express image of a god, it doesn't say much for the god giving us these imperfections. Presumably, god has a foreskin...right?🤣
🦁♥️
I agree with everything you said except calling nonhuman primates subhuman. In a lot of ways we are the subs.
I think you may well be right, Lady Mutt Cat. 🤭
🦁♥️
Uncircumcised males have a 'slightly' higher rate of UTIs than circumcised males howevre it appears that this is largely a hygene problem that can be avoided by prober cleaning of the area involved.
I won’t dispute your data. HOWEVER… By more diseases and infections, at what rate?
Maybe at the same rate of increases in skin cancer/skin diseases from not wearing black latex gloves when changing the car’s oil?