Monday, January 27, 2014

STOCKHOLM: Swedish doctors want tighter rules for circumcision

Information (Denmark)
26. januar 2014

Svenske læger vil skærpe regler for omskæringer

Det kirurgiske indgreb burde erstattes af en symbolsk omskæring, mener lægeforening. Minister er afvisende.

Den svenske lægeforening mener, at omskæringer kun skal udføres efter samtykke fra drengen.
Anbefalingen støttes af samtlige medlemmer af foreningens etiske udvalg, skriver Svenska Dagbladet.

Hvis politikerne vælger at følge forslaget, vil det være en skærpelse af de nuværende regler for at omskære drengebørn.

Lægeforeningen begrunder sin indstilling med, at risikoen for bivirkninger ved det kirurgiske indgreb er urimelig høj.

Drenge skal tidligst blive omskåret i 12-13 års alderen. Indgrebet, hvor forhuden bliver fjernet, skal foretages på et hospital og først efter, at der er givet information om smerten og de eventuelle risici, som det kan medføre, mener rådet.

At gå så vidt helt at forbyde omskæringer, hvilket diskuteres i Finland, anses ikke for at være realistisk her og nu, skriver Svenska Dagbladet.

Men grundlæggende mener Läkarförbundet, at det kirurgiske indgreb bør erstattes af en symbolsk omskæring. For eksempel i form af en ceremoni af en eller anden slags.

Den mulighed vil lægerne nu drøfte med med jurister og muslimske repræsentanter.

- Vi er ikke religiøse eksperter, men af medicinske grunde kan vi ikke give vores opbakning til et indgreb, hvor man fjerner væv på kønsorganet, når der er så stor en risiko for alvorlige komplikationer, siger Thomas Flodin fra foreningens etiske råd.

Dansk forskning viser, at der opstår komplikationer i fem procent af samtlige omskæringer - også selv om indgrebet er foretaget af sundhedspersonale på hospitaler.

- At en ud af 20 personer lider af en infektion eller blødninger, er en alt for stor risiko. Især når indgrebet ikke er udført af medicinske grunde, siger Thomas Flodin.

Integrationsminister Erik Ullenhag fra Folkpartiet mener, at den gældende lovgivning er tilstrækkelig.
- Jeg har aldrig mødt en voksen mand, der oplevede omskæringen som et overgreb, siger han til avisen.

(Microsoft translation)
26 January, 2014

Swedish physicians will sharpen rules for circumcision

The surgical procedure should be replaced by a symbolic circumcision, doctors believe. Minister is dismissive.

The Swedish Medical Association believes that circumcision [should be] performed only after consent from the boy.

The recommendation is supported by all the members of the Association's Ethics Committee, Svenska Dagbladet writes.

If politicians choose to follow the proposal, it will be a tightening of the rules currently in force [concerning] circumcising of baby boys.

The Danish Medical Association justifies its recommendation [on the basis] that the risk of side effects from the surgery is excessive.

Boys may be circumcised [at] 12-13 years of age, at the earliest. The procedure, in which the foreskin is removed, must be carried out at a hospital and only after [parents are] given information about the pain and the possible risks it can cause, according to the Council.

To go so far as to completely prohibit circumcision, [being] discussed in Finland, is not considered to be realistic here and now, Svenska Dagbladet writes.

But the Medical Association fundamentally believes that the surgery should be replaced by a symbolic circumcision, for example, in the form of a ceremony of some sort.

They will now discuss the option with doctors, lawyers and Muslim representatives.

"We are not religious experts, but for medical reasons, we cannot give our backing to an intervention where one removes tissue from the genital organ, when there is such a high risk of serious complications," says Thomas Flodin from the Association's ethical Council.

Danish research shows that there will be complications for five percent of all circumcision, even if the procedure is carried out by health care professionals in hospitals.

"For one in 20 people to suffer from an infection or bleeding is too great a risk, especially when the surgery is not performed on medical grounds," says Thomas Flodin.

Integration minister Erik Ullenhag of the Liberal Party believe that the existing legislation is adequate.

"I have never met an adult man who experienced circumcision as an assault," he told the newspaper.

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