Two men who say they were injured by the procedure as infants want Colorado’s law forbidding female genital mutilation to also prohibit male circumcision.
Tristan Huff, of Fort Collins, and Adam Schwartz, of Denver, filed a lawsuit in Denver District Court on Tuesday, arguing that banning female genital mutilation but allowing circumcision amounts to sex discrimination.
They have asked a judge to issue an injunction requiring the state to also prohibit the circumcision of male children.
Since 1999, Colorado has defined removing the external genitalia or clitoris from female children as misdemeanor child abuse. The law exempts procedures performed for medical reasons.
The American Academy of Pediatrics hasn’t taken a definitive stance on male circumcision, such as religious teachings. Circumcised boys have a lower risk of urinary tract infections in infancy and of acquiring HIV or other sexually transmitted infections as adults. Risks include possible bleeding, infection, or scarring.
The academy opposes female genital mutilation because of a lack of medical benefits and risks of increased urinary infections and childbirth complications.
The plaintiffs said they experienced pain, scarring and lower sexual sensitivity, which they attributed to circumcision.
A 2020 review of the available studies , with some showing better sexual functioning in circumcised men, and some showing it was worse. The authors speculated that this could reflect differences in how the men perceived themselves, and how their communities viewed circumcision.
