Well, the UN is now suggesting that heterosexual men be circumcised to lower their risk of HIV infection. I’m not sure if it’s a great idea or not (somehow, it strikes me as overly optimistic that slicing off a tiny flap of skin will make much of a difference in the infection rate of a disease that hasn’t been significantly slowed by education programs, condom usage, and pharmaceutical companies).

But, the last paragraph in the story is pretty scary sounding:

The agencies said the risks involved in circumcision are generally low, but can be serious if the operation is performed in unhygienic settings by poorly trained, ill-equipped health workers.

Can you think of anything scarier than being in a dirty room with an untrained man wielding an unsterilized scalpel around your penis?