Malaysian Psychotherapy Association president Edward Chan explained that masculinity was determined by the testosterone level in one’s body and the level might drop if the penis was not functioning well.
“Once a man cannot masturbate and is unable to have sexual fantasies and engage in sexual acts, the libido goes down,” he told FMT.
“The boys may turn out soft because the testosterone level has dropped,” he said, responding to the recent cases of circumcisions gone wrong.
Chan said an injury to the penis would have a big psychological impact on the victim. “It will have an impact on the man’s confidence, affecting his ability to experience sexual pleasures.”
He said some would suffer severe depression for the most part of their lives. Because of that, he added, parental support was crucial for the child to cope with the grief.
“But they will need professional help,” he said. “They should visit a psychologist to talk to because some of them may never be able to accept the tragedy.”
Last month, a 10-year-old boy’s penis was severed during a circumcision, but it was surgically reattached at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
However, a nine-year-old was not so lucky in another recent case. His severed penis could not be reattached.
On Jan 8, the health ministry confirmed a third case of a boy whose penis was damaged during a mass circumcision ceremony at a surau last Nov 25.
He was taken to hospital for treatment after the parents noticed bleeding from the circumcision wound and urine flowing from a false opening on the lower part of his penis. The ministry said investigation into the case had got under way.
In the first two cases, the procedure was carried out by conventional doctors. It has not been confirmed whether a doctor or a traditional practitioner was involved in the third case.