Do False Beliefs Predict Increased Circumcision Satisfaction in Men?

Abstract

Medical male circumcision has been adopted by the WHO, and other professional public health and medical bodies, as a vital weapon in the fight against HIV. This has prompted a large body of research into the acceptability of the procedure, attitudes to it, and barriers to it. A systematic review of these studies found that satisfaction with circumcision is strongly associated with having accurate knowledge about it. A survey-based paper by Earp, Sardi and Jellison entitled "False beliefs predict increased circumcision satisfaction in a sample of US American men" is the only one to find the opposite. It therefore merits scrutiny. The present article presents the results of a critical examination of the study. Serious flaws were discovered. Half of the small number of 10 "true/false" statements used in its survey are questionable. All the large body of literature that contradicts the findings of Earp and co-workers is ignored. Importantly, the crucial question about whether dissatisfied circumcised males hold false beliefs about circumcision is not considered. Unlike most of the research on the acceptability of circumcision, the study is not motivated by a desire to evaluate the likely effectiveness of a public health measure, or how best to implement it. Rather it appears to be an attempt by a prominent anti-circumcision activist and his associates to generate a body of literature that they can then cite to further their cause. Considering this, and the serious flaws it contains, the study should be dismissed as misleading, biased and undermining public health.

WITHDRAWN: Neonatal Circumcision: Public Health Necessity or Ethical Dilemma? – Systematic Review

“…Curiously, instead of accepting the ndings at face value, the authors suggested that circumcised men held false beliefs by refusing to accept that they had been harmed by their NMC. Multiple aws in the study were identi ed [213].…”

Critical evaluation of contrasting evidence on whether male circumcision has adverse psychological effects: A systematic review

“…Thus, men with normal sexual function who believe the fallacies may think that their sex life has been diminished by their NMC, causing anxiety and resentment of their parents’ decision to have them circumcised 93 . Over 40 studies have shown consistently that the more well‐informed men are about MC the more positive they are about it 94 . We contend that it is misinformation that breeds negative psychological consequences, not MC itself.…”

“…93 Over 40 studies have shown consistently that the more well-informed men are about MC the more positive they are about it. 94 We contend that it is misinformation that breeds negative psychological consequences, not MC itself.…”

The Contrasting Evidence Concerning the Effect of Male Circumcision on Sexual Function, Sensation, and Pleasure: A Systematic Review

“… 113 But instead of accepting the findings as had been reported by the men, Earp et al suggested that the men had adopted “ false beliefs ” to “‘ justify ’ their genitally altered state .” In a critique, Moreton pointed out serious flaws in the study, including that (i) half of the 10 “true/false” statements used in the survey were questionable, (ii) all of the extensive literature contradicting the findings was ignored, and (iii) the pivotal issue regarding whether dissatisfied circumcised men have false beliefs concerning MC was ignored. 114 Moreton concluded that because of the serious flaws he identified, readers should dismiss the study as misleading.…”