Do You Believe in Karma?
Swedish researchers examined data on Hypospadias—a condition that causes baby boys to be born with deformed penises—and found that the problem now afflicts 8 out of every 1000 boys. The figure used to be only 4.5 out of every 1000, The Local reported.
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Experts from Stockholm’s Karolinksa Institute looked at factors that may cause the defect, such as low-birth weight, being born a twin, and being born via IVF treatment, but they could not affirmatively link the rise in deformities to any known cause.
So, instead, they concluded that an unknown factor was behind the trend.
Hypospadias can cause the foreskin to be gathered at the back of the penis with none at the front.
Other deformities associated with hypospadias include a dislocation of the hole through which urine passes, so it is not at the tip of the penis; and the penis bending during erection, according to the National Health Service.
Hypospadias is not life threatening, but it makes it hard to urinate standing up, and makes having sex quite difficult.
These deformities can be fixed by circumcision to remove the foreskin.
Remember the lovely folk song “There’s a Hole in the Bucket, ” made popular by Harry Belafonte and Odetta?
It turns out only last January the medical associations in Sweden and Denmark recommended banning non-medical circumcision of boys.
In fact, in Sweden, as the Svenska Dagbladet daily reported at the time, the recommendation came in a resolution that was unanimously adopted last week by the ethics council of the Sweden Medical Association — a union whose members constitute 85 percent of the country’s physicians.
It recommended setting 12 as the minimum age for the procedure and to do it only with the boy’s consent.
Of course, Jewish ritual circumcision is performed eight days after birth. Which made the resolution, whether intentionally or not, an assault on religious Jewish practices in Sweden.
Yes, Karma is a dish bets eaten cold. With bagels and cream cheese and some whiskey…
