“There Has to Be a Reason for Doing It”

The practice of male circumcision inspires strong opinions but is not well understood. To explore how emerging adults perceive male circumcision, 34 students enrolled in a university human sexuality course wrote narrative responses about their perceptions of circumcision, how they talk about circumcision, and whether they would circumcise their sons. Despite having little education on circumcision, participants formulated four explanations for circumcision: cleanliness, tradition, aesthetics, and the idea that circumcision is normal and natural. Participants recognized the risks of male circumcision and overwhelmingly wrote that they would circumcise their sons to align with cultural norms. The importance of social acceptability indicates that circumcision decisions are not merely intellectual but are emotional and intertwined with emerging adults’ social experiences. If young adults were to receive more thorough education on circumcision, they might be able to better balance informational considerations with emotional or social ones when making future decisions about circumcision.