Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Filipino boys subjected to non-therapeutic ritual or medical surgical procedures: A retrospective cohort study

In the Philippines, non-therapeutic genital cutting is viewed as a culturally sanctioned rite of passage from boyhood to manhood. Strong social and peer pressure is exerted on boys aged between 8-16years to submit to destructive genital cutting, despite the fact that many men who have been subjected to genital cutting during infancy or childhood often describe their experiences in the language of violence, torture, mutilation, and sexual assault. Among a group of 505 Filipino boys subjected to ritual genital cutting (Tuli), 69% fulfilled the DSM-IV criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD, while among 1072 boys circumcised by medical operators or their assistants, 51% exhibited PTSD symptoms. Pursuant to ritual genital cutting, almost 3 out of every 4 boys exhibited PTSD-like symptoms.