Did you circumcise your son?

I am not circumcised, I would not circumcise my son. Would you circumcise your daughter? Is one any more cruel than the other. In my opinion (not medical by any means, so I can not speak to that) the practice of circumcision is barbaric and needless. I wouldn’t subject myself to that at this age, so there is no way I could justify doing it to an infant.

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JATL, I know that there is a huge difference between the circumcision of a male and a female, and i did not mean to imply that they were in any way similar. Female circumcision (or more aptly named genital mutilation) would never be acceptable to me. However in both cases, you are performing what amounts to an unnecessary operation on the genitals of a child. The fact that with males it is done earlier and with lidocaine, is barely justification let alone a reason. Would you accept or even feel slightly better about female circumcision if it were performed under the same circumstances? I wouldn’t. I personally feel that any kind of body modification to young children for the reasons given, too fit in, religion, not to be made fun of are not reason enough. If there is a medical reason for the operation, then maybe I would change my mind, but from the sound of the study, and I have not read it, the cost of not circumcising could be offset with the use of condoms. Would any other operation on a child as young as this be as accepted solely for the purpose of image be acceptable? what about the Chinese custom of foot binding, the Thai practice of neck stretching with rings, the ancient practice of cranial binding? Yes these are all extreme examples, but they were done for many of the same reasons that we circumcise male children, aesthetics. Not reason enough for me.

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We had both our sons circumcised. One of our main reasons was health related. After circumcision, the genitals are much easier to clean. Also, I knew of a case where a man in the Army had to have cicumcision as an adult because of potential health issues in the environment where he was being deployed. I definitely did not want either of my sons to have to endure that type of surgery as adults.

It is not nearly as involved as any of the other procedures Fred mentioned. It is removing a minor piece of unnecessary skin. It is over in seconds unlike those other customs that take years.

As far as replacing circumcision with condoms, if I’m not mistaken many men think condoms reduce their pleasure and therefore do not use them. So, in those countries where AIDS is rampant if a short operation could reduce the risk of disease, it is certainly worth it.

I really thought is was a no-brainer for us. They don’t remember it, it is easier to take care of and there are no adverse side effects. The risk of a botched surgery is a bit scary but I trusted our pediatrician. Botched ones are rare and it sounds like, in the case mentioned, could have been reversed if it had been attended to promptly.

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Circumcision issues suffer from fuzzy thinking.

To make him look like his daddy. Because most of the men I know had it done. To make it look “better.” These are not legitimate, clear headed reasons to perform surgery on a child’s penis, and force him to accept the risks.

A little lower rate of this disease or that? Supposedly easier to clean? Put into context, these arguments don’t hold up. It’s well established that any small benefits to disease transmission are offset by risks of the procedure, which include disfigurement (beyond what was intended) and death. Just imagine how many screw-ups there are which are not as bad as this one with the $2.3Million verdict, or which we simply don’t hear about because it’s settled out of court.

And even if evidence emerged that the clinically measurable medical benefits outweighed the clinically measured risks… that is demonstrably insufficient justification. Just run it through the female test. Would these potential benefits justify removing any genital tissue from a female? There cannot be two standards when the same potential benefits and risks are at issue. If there is, then there’s a cultural bias to be rectified.

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I had both of them circumcised, but because my husband insisted. I did not care for it. Around most of the world this is not done with the exception of Jewish people, but here in the US is common.

I guess I am kinda glad we did it after reading these articles, but it still seems a bit of a barbaric practice to me.

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No Penguinmom, you are indulging in a culturally popular falsehood. Some genital tissue is comparable between male and female. Clearly, whether the parts removed are missed is also a cultural perception, and not shared by all in a culture.

As to HIV, it’s nonsense to consider circumcision in Africa. This is a place where people can’t even get clean water or $1.00 worth of antibiotics to save a life from a curable disease. The huge sums of money spent studying and implementing mass circumcisions would be much better spent on these basic things, but American researchers are more interested in justifying their cultural obsession with mutilating the penis. Saving countless lives by constructing a system of sanitation, or providing a basic level of healthcare will not help re-ignite the lunacy of circumcising American boys which has been so fortunately waning.

Every person circumcised without an immediate medical necessity should be able to get damages from the doctor, because losing any part of boy’s penis is harmful and a violation of basic rights.

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Birak, your mention of a lack of clean water brings up another major flaw with the pro-circ argument. How many Africans will die from infections from their circumcisions? It could end up being worse than taking their chances with AIDS.

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Regarding the “looking like daddy” comment, I know of NO child who has a thingy that looks like daddy’s – with all that hair. lol

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A couple more comments:
The looking like daddy thing is not a valid argument. What if the child has blue eyes and dad has brown? Children do NOT look exactly like their parents.

When I was pregnant for my first child, I heard a circumcision being done (My OB was Jewish). I was in the waiting room and saw them carrying in the circ board. Then, I heard the screaming. There is NO WAY that this procedure is not excruciating for a newborn baby.

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WOW big bunch of crazy out here today!

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Apparently we can’t post links, but you can find all these medical society quotes at their own websites:

Canadian Paediatric Society
“Recommendation: Circumcision of newborns should not be routinely performed.”
“Circumcision is a ‘non-therapeutic’ procedure, which means it is not medically necessary.”
“After reviewing the scientific evidence for and against circumcision, the CPS does not recommend routine circumcision for newborn boys. Many paediatricians no longer perform circumcisions.”

Royal Australasian College of Physicians
“After extensive review of the literature the Royal Australasian College of Physicians reaffirms that there is no medical indication for routine neonatal circumcision.”
(those last nine words are in bold on their website, and almost all the men responsible for this statement will be circumcised themselves, as the male circumcision rate in Australia in 1950 was about 90%. “Routine” circumcision is now *banned* in public hospitals in Australia in all states except one.)

British Medical Association
“to circumcise for therapeutic reasons where medical research has shown other techniques to be at least as effective and less invasive would be unethical and inappropriate.”

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The record payout for a botched circumcision is $22.8 million. It was said at the time that the victim “will never be able to function sexually as a normal male and will require extensive reconstructive surgery and psychological counseling as well as lifelong urological care and treatment by infectious disease specialists.”
Sure, cases like that are very rare, but why should they happen at all? If you look up the galleries of botched jobs, one thing that may surprise you is just how many jobs were botched cosmetically, rather than medically. Skin tags and skin bridges and hair growing half way up the shaft are not normal, but would not be counted as medical complications.

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An uncircumcised penis is gross.

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Actually, I didn’t circumcise my sons, a very capable surgeon did it.

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Outlaw it? Seriously?

Sure as soon as abortions are outlawed then you can outlaw circumcisions.

The same people arguing that it is wrong to circumcise a child think that it is ok for his mother to choose to kill him.

Libs I will never understand you.

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I did not have my son circumcised. I had listened to/participated in the conversations as a teenage girl about uncircumcised penis being ugly, etc. and always thought I would. Then as an adult I read about it and talked it over with his dad, who was circumcised and has scar tissue under his glans. I learned that cutting off the protective skin of the penis desensitizes the glans over time and does significantly reduce the feeling and pleasure an intact adult male will feel there. (I even read one article where the author suggested that this reduced sensitivity may contribute to one common American male approach to sex as banging and slamming into women as the way to achieve orgasm! Not sure how you’d prove that, but it was not even something I had considered)

I also learned that there is very wide variation from doctor to doctor in the their skill and the amount of tissue removed and a parent has often has little or no say in how much is taken off. I found out that it is often done without anesthesia and can send babies into shock – so they aren’t crying, but they sleep through the next day or two to recover and can have a harder time with breastfeeding.

From what I could find it seemed that the increase in the popularity of the practice in America happened either to curb masturbation or after GIs returned home from war with STDs and it was mistakenly believed that circumcision could “solve” these problems. I have read in other HIV prevention study results that said when men retract their foreskins and clean themselves before and after sex this has the same effect as having had part of themselves cut off. So we are teaching our son about hygiene – it takes about as much effort for him to clean himself as it does for our daughter to clean her genitals. Then of course, there’s the methods that have been proven effective if used – ABC abstinence, being faithful, and condoms.

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Out of respect for my son, who would be utterly humiliated if I discussed his genitalia on-line, I will not disclose what we did!

But I will observe that I am absolutely fascinated by the amount of attention a small flap of skin seems to receive. Apparently, if you don’t have one, you’re “clean”, and if you do have one, you’re “dirty”. People don’t seem to be as worried about girls keeping themselves clean down there, and it seems to me there’s a lot more skin to keep clean that’s harder to get to for girls than for guys. So I pretty much discount the cleanliness issue.

Do it or not. I have no strong opinions either way. I’m a girl, it makes no nevermind to me!

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“After circumcision, the genitals are much easier to clean. Also, I knew of a case where a man in the Army had to have cicumcision as an adult because of potential health issues in the environment where he was being deployed.”

Retract, rinse, replace–hardly a burden.

Yeh, it was needed IN AMERICA–land of the foreskin ignorant–in foreskin educated countries, it is a different story..

First of all, for a man who was not circumcised as an infant the chances of him having to get circumcised as a adult are extremely rare. In fact it’s only 6 in 100,000. (0.006%)

Health officials of each Scandanavian country were queried about adult circumcision.. None of the health officials could provide precise data, because the numbers were so small that they weren’t worth compiling. Each official stressed that foreskin problems were present but said they were largely treated medically-surgical solutions were extremly rare.

“in Oslo, Norway, over a 26-year period in which 20,000 male babies were cared for, 3 circumcisions were performed-a frequency rate of 0.02%.

In Denmark. 1968 children up to the age of 17 were examined over a period of several years. In this group, 3 circumcisions were performed-a frequency of 0.15%. In this study, in retrospect, the physicians believed that all three operations might have been avoided. Both of these studies related to the infrequency of circumcision and puberty, they did not deal with the issue in adulthood.

Wallerstein, Edward, Circumcision: An American Health Fallacy. pg 128

In Finland — a non-circumcising country — the operative rate is only a tiny fraction of this percentage. A male’s risk of being circumcised for any reason during his entire lifespan is less than one in 16,000.

http://www.fathermag.com/health/circ/circumcision/circumcision4.shtml

The Finnish National Board of Health provided national case records for the year 1970 for both phimosis and paraphimosis. A total of 409 cases was reported for males 15 years and older,which represents only
2/100ths of 1% (0.023%) of the total male population in that age group. This means that 99.97% did NOT develop a problem. Moreover, according to Finnish authorities, only a fraction of the reported cases required surgery– a number too small to reliably estimate.
Wallerstein, Edward, CIRCUMCISION: AN AMERICAN HEALTH FALLACY p.128

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=269

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Best point in this blog…those who have no issue with abortion but do think circumcising should be a decision made by adults. Who stands up for the unborn babies who are much more complex than a foreskin?

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Just another of my two cents -again, I really don’t care if people choose to circumcise or not, but if you do it’s YOUR business. We chose to circumcise our sons (and pediatricians don’t do this -gynecologists do because they’re trained in surgical procedure), and those of you who seem to think we’ve done something tantamount to child abuse are whack jobs. YES, I observed (very carefully) both little penises the week after they were circumcised, and yes they looked red and painful -HOWEVER -if my babies were in constant pain, they would be crying and fussing continuously, which neither of them did. I was actually surprised at how it didn’t seem to phase them. Also, if the foreskin is SO very important to sexual feeling, how do so many circumcised males enjoy sex so much? My husband is circumcised and VERY sensitive there. And finally -if a kid’s eyes or hair looks different than his dad’s, it’s not the big deal that the penis is. As a society we are HYPER aware of our genitalia from a pretty young age, and pre-pubescents and adolescents are VERY concerned about their penile appearance for the most part. I don’t think kids who aren’t but have fathers who are have horrible problems or anything, but there is some comfort at that age in looking like everyone else you know “down there”. If a girl makes fun of a boy’s penis because he’s not circumcised, THAT is scarring -and it’s sad that she would feel that way, but it happens. I believe in living in reality. I have two VERY happy, cheerful, smiling boys who obviously haven’t been horribly damaged by being circumcised.

As for those who want to start some abortion debate -I happen to be FINE with circumcision AND very pro-choice and liberal. Not everyone is the same, and I’m sure a bunch of these bloggers who seem to be a little too impassioned about being anti-circumcision are not the left-wing granola crunchers some of you think they are.

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Mystery poster, I am sorry if my point was unclear…other posters are saying that a male should make his own decision whether or not the foreskin of his penis is removed ( no one should make it for someone else) but unborn children do not get a say as to whether they are terminated, adults are making that decision for them.

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Wow! Such strong feelings. I personally say, if you want to circumcise then do so. If not , then don’t. BUT, since there are such strong words/points being thrown out there, I feel compelled to play the devil’s advocate.

Several points to make… 1. My husband is circumcised and he seems to have all sensations “down there”. 2. Those who disagree with circumcision are probably the first ones that get their little girls ears pierced. 3. a pediatrician or the woman’s OB/GYN can do the circ. I personally chose my OB/GYN to do this since A. he was a surgeon and B. he is male oh and C. I work with them.

A few more points to make… I think the circ comes down to personal preference. Although obviously there have been “botched” circs, please do a little doctor searching first. There are always a few quacks that happen to get by med school barely passing. DO YOUR HOMEWORK FIRST.

Also, female mutilation is NOT even in the same ball park as male circumcision.

**JD**- just curious. Why were you circumcised at 20? Could you not clean yourself properly? (just using the logic the anti-circ folks are using). I had rather my son have this done while he was young and would not remember ( not to mention have a quicker recovery) than when he is older if he had to. JMHO.

Hey Mark- we are not in Canada. I agree with another poster who mentions that those who oppose circumcision due to the “mutilation” are probably the same ones who do not have a problem with abortion. If you think cutting a little flap of skin is rough- try having your brains sucked out an a fetus.

It’s interesting how social norms/opinions change with the times. Even schools of though within the medical field are not immune.

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OK, I forgot to mention about the STD’s and circ. Certainly circumcision should not be done for the sole purpose of preventing STD’s. However, circumcision, in addition to using condoms, could greatly decrease one’s risk. I think that is why the research was done in the first place. I’m betting that Africa was chosen as the research site due to the AIDS epidemic (and not so because researchers thought this would be the first line of defense against AIDS).

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http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/3/prweb512999.htm

Study Confirms Male Circumcision is Genital Mutilation

A new study in the British Journal of Urology International shows that men with normal, intact penises enjoy more sexual sensitivity — as much as four times more — than those who have been circumcised. Circumcising slices off more of a male’s sensitivity than is normally present in all ten fingertips.

(PRWEB) March 22, 2007 — In every site tested, intact men have as much or more fine-touch skin sensitivity on their penis and foreskin than a man who has been circumcised. Circumcision removes the most sensitive portions of the penis.

This new study demonstrates what we have suspected for decades, that circumcision’s result — if not its intent — is reduced sexual pleasure for men. As such, it is a violation of a male’s right to bodily integrity. In large part, female circumcision does the same; even the mildest forms remove the most sensitive portions of the female genitalia. Females in the USA and many other countries are protected by law from all forms of genital cutting.

The mistaken belief behind circumcision is that it is cleaner, healthier, protects against disease, and will make males more tractable in a society.

Because circumcision has such a drastic effect on sexuality later in life, no infant or child should ever experience a non-therapeutic circumcision.

Parents should not be allowed to control their son’s level of sexual sensitivity because of personal bias or prejudice, just as no parent should be allowed to request for their son or daughter any other sensitivity-reducing surgery; for example, eye surgery that would limit vision from color to black-and-white.

In addition, circumcised men, with one-fourth the sensitivity of intact men, might decline to wear further-desensitizing condoms. Some may consider themselves “safe” because of circumcision, adding to their determination to have sex without a condom.

Adult men who want circumcision for themselves should be advised per proper informed consent that penile sensitivity will be reduced on average by a factor of four. Men should also be advised that circumcision will not prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS.

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http://www.urotoday.com/42/browse_categories/erectile_dysfunction_ed/finetouch_pressure_thresholds_in_the_adult_penis.html

Fine-Touch Pressure Thresholds in the Adult Penis l

Thursday, 14 June 2007
BERKELEY, CA (UroToday.com) – The most common medical procedure in the US is infant male circumcision.

The long-term-health impact of neo-natal circumcision has received little study while the consequences of circumcision on sexual function in the adult male have received even less attention.

A recent study by Morris L. Sorrells and colleagues from the National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Center and Michigan State University mapped the fine-touch pressure thresholds of the adult male penis in circumcised and uncircumcised men and compared the two populations. The study is published in the April 2007 issue of BJU Int.

Adult male volunteers were evaluated with a 19 point Semmes-Weinstein monofilament touch-test to map fine-touch pressure thresholds of the penis. Circumcised and uncircumcised men were compared using mixed models for repeated data, controlling for age, type of underwear worn, time since test ejaculation, ethnicity, country of birth, and level of education.

Analysis of results showed the glans of the uncircumcised men had significantly lower thresholds than that of circumcised men (P = 0.040). There were also significant differences in pressure thresholds by location on the penis (p < 0.0001). The most sensitive location on the circumcised penis was the circumcision scar on the ventral surface. It was remarkable that five locations on the uncircumcised penis that are routinely removed at circumcision had lower pressure thresholds that the ventral scar of the circumcised penis.

This study suggests that the transitional region from the external to the internal prepuce is the most sensitive region of the uncircumcised penis and more sensitive than the most sensitive region of the circumcised penis. It appears that circumcision ablates the most sensitive parts of the penis.

Sorrells ML, Snyder JL, Reiss MD, Eden C, Milos MF, Wilcox N, Van Howe RS

BJU Int. 99(4):864-69. April 2007
doi:10.1111/j.1464-410X.2006.06685.x

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Amen, nurse&mother. There are many things happening to children that appall me but honestly there is nothing I can do about and Robert neither can you. What about those who decide to immunize or not…that is up to the parents, correct?

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I’m about as far from a granola crunching liberal as you can get, and as a man, I would strongly consider not circumcizing my son, for the simple fact that it is not medically necessary. I’m getting a kick out of all the women on here who put so much importance on looking like their dads or the other boys in the locker room. NEWS FLASH! As a guy, I have never made a habit of checking out the packages of my dad nor those of the other boys in locker rooms.

If you read the data that some have posted, this generation of boys is approaching 50/50 on either side. In fact, if you exclude the Jewish folks, who are surely still 100% in favor of circumcision out of strong religious tradition, the rest of the population of newborn boys may already be 50/50. It seems unlikely that either configuration would be considered strange for this generation.

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C I agree with that locker room thought. I have a habit of making sure my glasses are off soon after I walk in and don’t put them back on until I am ready to leave. 20/100 vision has its advantages. And you’re right it’s getting to the point where everyone will be aware of both configurations and I suspect the rates will continue to fall, most younger people I’ve spoken to about this situation know it’s a lemon and don’t see the point.

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I’m pregnant now with a boy and while I could go either way on the issue, I’m more inclined to follow the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” school of thought. My insurance covers circumcision but I just don’t think I want to put the baby through a procedure that isn’t really necessary. If anything went wrong I couldn’t forgive myself.
Interesting info…I have a neighbor who is a nurse and she did circumcise her boys. My brother in law (sister’s husband) is a pediatrician and says no way in he!! would he circumcise his son (they are pregnant but don’t know the gender yet). He says there isn’t any health reason to do it and most of the boys where he practices (Oregon) aren’t circumcised anymore. I think it’s unusual that medical professionals are spit with what they do or don’t do, much like the general public.

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Enter your comments here

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Sorry Joe didn’t mean to insinuate that you couldn’t read, I just wanted make sure you guys saw my post as it was late and sometimes people do not look back.

I certainly can see the cons on circ, but I still stand by my opinion that UNTIL it is illegal it is none of anyone else’s business. So for those of you who have such a strong negative opinion on circs then lobby your congressmen/women to make it illegal (if you feel so led).

BTW, I asked my husband last night what his thoughts were. He immediately said he would circ our son again. I told him some of the nay sayers arguments and he was very surprised. Also, he claims that he has PLENTY of sensations “down there” and doesn’t have a problem, if you know what I mean.

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JD still didn’t answer my question.

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“BTW, I asked my husband last night what his thoughts were. He immediately said he would circ our son again. ”

I am curious what rational and logical reasons did he have for this position?

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Nurse, I have better things to do than stare at a blog. And I was mutilated as a baby. If I got my hands on the doctor who did it, I might circumcise his throat.

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Nurse&Mother you are of course right on your first point it is unfortunately legal but as I pointed out earlier there are people looking at that situation in a few other countries. As for myself, I do lobby for that to change but I am focusing on Medicaid funding at this moment. In fact, I got a reply just yesterday from my state director who agrees in principle but doesn’t think it can be done politically yet. Though he did point out that there were fewer and fewer procedures performed. Hopefully, this is something I can work with.

I also wouldn’t deny an adult the right to seek out that procedure any more than I would try and prevent someone from getting a tattoo but except for some clear medical reason it is unethical to circumcise a child in the same way nobody would allow a parent to tattoo their child.
As to your husband, I have little doubt he feels that way. I can’t argue with his subjective evaluation. However, I see no compelling reason why each individual can’t be permitted to make that decision on their own. There is no rush to circumcise it is in no way critical to a child’s health or well being. It is difficult to imagine that there is no loss of sensation or feeling as the foreskin is the most sensitive part of the penis but that doesn’t mean men who knew no different won’t like what they are left with. Think of it like listening to a good classical piece of music performed by a great orchestra. I could remove the string section and it would probably still be a good performance and if I had never heard the piece before I might really enjoy it but that doesn’t mean I got everything out of it that it could be.

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“BUT, until the law changes, it is not your business whether I circumcise my son or not. Period. To do so otherwise, would be considered harrassment.”

Oh, to feel so protected from the concept of HUMAN Rights, by hiding behind what is allowed, but perhaps NOT legal after all..think 14th Amendment and FGM law.

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Sorry that you don’t agree with me Robert. I might be persuaded to your argument, but you are too damn abrasive. You actually make me want to defend my stance. And I really can see both sides. People like yourself irritate folks like me riding the fence. I think annoying folks actually kill their cause. That’s a shame. JD actually is better at persuading. You need to let HIM take up your cause.

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No, I would never circumcise my son or daughter. For those of you who think that FGM is not like male circumcision, you don’t understand female circ. There are 3 degrees of female circ. 1st degree is the removal of the clitoral hood (not the clitoris) A removal of the actual clitoris would be a botched circ. The clitoral hood is the part that becomes the foreskin on a male. These tissues are exactly the same only in a male they become larger and develop into a penis. 2nd degree is the removal of the clitoral hood and labia. 3rd degree is the removal of the clitoral hood, labia, and the vagina is sewn up. The 3rd degree is obvious the most severe and has the most consequences. The 1st and 2nd degree are more commonly practiced with the 1st degree probably compromising most female circ. (FC). Total removal of the male foreskin is actually more invasive and impacts the male sex organ more than 1st and 2nd degree FC. As for the studies about HIV and STDs… there are equal studies proving otherwise. You won’t see these studies printed in our papers though, hmmm. Our track record in the US should tell parents that this is a pile of crap! In the US we have the highest rate of STD transmission of any country and the circ rate among sexually active men in the US is still at around 86%. Over 500,000 circumcised, American men have died of AIDs. These “studies” about the “benefits” of circ are released every so often to keep Americans in fear of the wicked foreskin so that money from the sales of foreskin can continue. Every child regardless of gender, age, nationality, culture, religion, or race has the right to decide over their own genitalia. This is a human right we must protect.

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My husband was circ’ed as an infant and we thought of this as something everybody does, and were going to do it. The irony was the none of us wanted to participate in the procedure and we were arguing with each other who was going to bring the baby to get him mutilated. Guess what! I was lucky enough to found ‘INTACTIVISTS” and all the info I needed to learn that my boy was going to born perfect and didn’t need cosmetic surgery on his penis. My husband didn’t approve but after not a long discussion, videos, articles, studies, etc. He was convinced that he didn’t want to have his baby boy mutilated. I wish I was there when many of friends got their sons circ. I wish I was there to stop it, but I can only help future sons and you Nurse&Mother, I really hope, in the bottom of my heart, that you educate your sons/daughters for when they become parents themselves to not circumcise their sons (your grandsons).

Peace…

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“Sorry that you don’t agree with me Robert. I might be persuaded to your argument, but you are too damn abrasive.”

So, the facts would be more palatable if I put some sugar on them?
PLEASE act ethically and morally!
There, Does that make you accept them more readily?

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I absolutely did not circumcise my son! I do not believe that it’s my right to decide to chop off a healthy, functional part of my child’s body just because he happened to be born a boy. Considering that my son is not sexually active as an infant or child, the HIV studies had no bearing at all on my decision. If he decides, as an adult, against all my teachings, that he wishes to lead a sexually promiscuous lifestyle and forgo the use of condoms, he can always choose to be circumcised then. I will not encourage him in the pursuit of that lifestyle by having him circumcised against his will as an infant.

My husband is also intact (not circumcised) and has never had any issues. Both he and I are very grateful to my in-laws for leaving this very personal decision up to HIM and not taking it away from him before he could voice his objections. Just because circumcision is legal, doesn’t mean that it’s ethical. Cosmetic (or prophylactic based on specious, potential future medical reasons) surgery on a perfectly normal, healthy part of a non-consenting minor’s body is certainly not ethical, in my opinion nor in my husband’s.

As far as the “matching father” argument goes, my husband doesn’t “match” his circumcised father and is extremely grateful for it! Having changed the diapers of both intact and cut boys, I can say unequivocally that the intact boys were much easier to clean as well.

There’s just no secular or Christian reason to have it done as an infant unless it’s diseased or perhaps abnormal in some other way. I will not speak for religions I am not intimately familiar with.

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I allowed my newborn son to have the procedure done with great hesitation after discussing it with my delivering obstetrician.I was very relieved to have him returned to me still sleeping peacefully after 10 minutes.I am certain he was not traumatized by the experience. Grow up you bunch of crybabies.

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My son was circumcised for medical reasons. We had decided not to do it but he had a serious problem urinating because his foreskin was very tight. So we had this done at two weeks instead of three days. It was more tramatic for me that it was for him. :)

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Before my son was born in 2004, my husband and I talked about it before a decision had to be made. After giving birth to a baby you are faced with so many questions, decisions and a baby to raise. It should be discussed before hand so the parent (s) do not feel overwhelmed. We did seek the Lord first before deciding against circumcision. We would make the same decision if our current pregnancy turns out to be a boy.

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Robert, kudos for trying your best to inform the uninformed or just ignorant among us. Scanning down through these postings, it seems you are the only one who comes to the table with facts and you are totally up front with reference information for those who wish to be educated on the true medical findings.
Unfortunately, it’s also clear that many of the pro-circ posters here are from the “I’ve already made up my mind, don’t confuse me with the facts” mentality.

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Thanks all you wonderfull parents for not circumcising your boys. All of us in the gay world love uncircumcised men when they become of age. I say no more circumcising ever – it just taste better.

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Fred, we need to stop looking at the medical reasons for circumcision. If you read your bible circumcision is covenant with “GOD”. Genesis 17:10-17.If you are a male and not circumcised you have broken your covenant.

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lol. JD is a liar. He doesn’t remember something that happened to him within a few days of birth. Give me a break.

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Robert has a funny looking penis. Loser.

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To anyone who is asking a grown man who has been circ’d since birth, please explain to me how he knows what sensations he may be missing? My husband chose to have a partial circ as a mid-thirty something to “solve” a UTI issue. The doctor was sure that would take care of the problem. Guess what, it didn’t. And my husband who was well aware of his sensations before definitely felt the difference. This is an elective and barbaric practice that mutilates baby boys.

For those comparing abortion to circ, WTH??? If God predestined the pregnancy, what makes you smarter than him about the the predestined physiology of that child. When parents stop mutilating baby boys in this country due to “medical” reasons, we may have some happier men who don’t miss the sensations God felt necessary to give them.

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Thumbs up to Circumcision. It’s not Barbaric. It has health benefits.
Yes it started as a religous practice. It’s like the Jewish dietary laws,most of the items on the list are bad on your health.God was trying to give us help and protect us.

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We as a country have more to argue about then stupid circumcision. Can this blog get the economy together, people jobs, or our homeless rate from growing? Come on people stop being petty. If you want a circumcision for your child then do it, if you don’t agree with it don’t do your child. There isn’t an agurment.

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Well, no. I had the doctor do it. Probably better that way.

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I think it is highly inappropriate and arrogant for any female to make comments like “it just looks better” or “it doesn’t hurt much” or “it is a simple operation”. You cut off parts of your genitals and tell me how simple it is, ok?

Circumcision is barbaric and cruel, whether it is male or female. It only shows your ignorance to think otherwise.

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Aren’t there health benefits for the female partners of circumsized males? Seems like I have read the results of studies on that, too. Something about HPV transmission maybe?

My take on it: I had my son circumsized. I was aware of the debate, even back then. I would have my grandsons circumsized. There are valid points both ways. My evaluation of the cost/benefit is positive to having it done. However, it is a personal decision made by the parents, and none of anyone else’s business unless it impacts them directly.

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Actually, the circumcision covenant in the Bible was for the Jewish people, not for followers of Christ. Paul makes this very clear in Galatians chapter 5:

“5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified [1] by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.”
~English Standard Version

“If you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.” “You are severed from Christ…”

Those are very strong statements and not something that I took lightly when making my decision. As a Christian I clearly have no religious obligation to circumcise, and in fact, have a religious obligation NOT to circumcise my son after I had determined the medical claims to be specious at best.

Christians who circumcise for religious reasons are apparently misinformed or have not bothered to read the New Testament carefully in its entirety. This is not the only NT passage that speaks poorly of the OT covenant of circumcision either.

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CatLady you have heard of Gardasil right? 90-100% effective against HPV in women, 90% effective in men? And it is a personal decision but don’t you think it should be the personal decision of the guy to whom the penis is attached. Look at this boy in the article, he will now have to LIVE with his parents PERSONAL decision the rest of his life. All circumcised boys do but this one had the privilege of getting more damage than expected.

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“Thumbs up to Circumcision. It’s not Barbaric. It has health benefits.”

Can you provide a single scientifically credible “health benefit”? No non-NA medical organization recognizes any. Why do they only exist in America?

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I am not circumced and didnot get my son to have it either.Its natural thing given by god and its not like hair or nails that you can cut it off.Acually its there to protect the tip of the penis and its sensivity.If its really good for health ,then females should have theirs too circumcised.Its just matter of hygien,just pull back your foreskin over the tip and wash it when you have bath.Majority of the people of this world ,Europe,Asia,South America,Africa,Ausraliaand maybe canada for North America arenot circumcised and have good health.

praise the Lord for all the creations he has created,and please only cut something that can grow back e.g trees,hair nail,e.t.c

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some of you people are really nuts.

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Sorry, Bob, I was referring to you.

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I wasn’t circ’d as a child, and grew up with repeated infections. Pubic hairs were often trapped inside the foreskin, I caught the tip in my zipper all the time, and sprayed wildy whenever I forgot to pull it back first. Once I got circ’d in the Army, I was cleaner and trouble free. The health benefits may be limited, but are real. My sons are all circumcised and spared the irritations I grew up with.

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Interesting article on the last page of the current Time issue…A dad struggles with the decision to circumcise his son or not. Anyone read it?

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Safe, effective neonatal circumcision prevents vulvar cancer, which is actually more common than penile cancer. Removing the useless clitoral hood prevents the buildup of smegma, which smells atrocious. An uncircumcised vagina looks funny – ewww! There’s no medical study proving that uncircumcised women have more sexual sensation. It has been performed for thousands of years – almost exclusively by women – so if it were really harmful it wouldn’t have persisted. It’s a parental right, and everybody knows it’s healthier.

I’m sick of these labia-fetish women who think there’s something wrong with being circumcised. I’m not missing anything. I’m glad my parents had me cut, and I plan to give the same benefit to my daughter.

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After reading all the comments on here I have chosen to not have my son’s circ done. I will offer it to him when he is old enough to decide for himself. my bf isnt and when I brought up the subject, said it was up to me. I have read that its easier to clean if a circ is done, but when you bathe a baby shouldn’t you take extra care cleaning their parts anyway? so either way, you will spend some time make sure its clean. just my thought on it. i think its everyone’s personal preference but i can’t bear to put my child through pain that is unneeded. he can chose for himself. i wont dictate his life, at least in that matter.

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Wow, some people here need to chill out and butt out of other people’s business.

Any children I have will be circ’d! As a man myself, I know how slobby hetero men are about their hygiene, especially when they’re kids . . . oh the horror of cleaning dirty, stenchy little hooded weenies!

I don’t care what those uncouth Europeans do. Why, when I was in Paris I saw so many girls with nasty armpit hair. Clearly they know nothing of civilized grooming. Sadly, this Eurosnob influence is infecting America.

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I do have a son and I never considered having him circumcised. Its a very unnatural thing to do to a baby. Its sad that so many healthy babies are subjected to such a horrendous thing…what a cruel way to welcome a baby to the world. I am angry at the people who allow this atrocity. Shame on the medical personell who are suppose to ‘First Do No Harm’ Shame on those who advocate for, solicit, perform, and profit from infant circumcision. No non consenting individual should have healthy genital tissue taken from their body.

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My son is INTACT. If one day he wants to be circumcised, then it’s HIS choice to make. His body, his choice.

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I was once one of those women who thought all men should be circumcised, and it took someone else to inform me of what the foreskin really is It is not “just a piece of skin” and the circumcision is not “a simple painless procedure” nor is it “just a snip and it’s done.” It’s removing nerves and protection to expose what should be an internal organ. That “little bit of skin” will someday grow and expand to account for a large portion of a man’s penis. Luckily, I learned all this before I had my son, so thankfully he remains intact. And it will be up to him should he decide later on to have his foreskin removed.

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@Andinsmommy – that’s awesome!

Also, I wanted to add that an intact penis takes no extra care to keep clean. The foreskin is fused to the head of the penis, offering a natural protection/barrier from germs, etc. No need to scrub or pull the skin back, just simple washing with water, and he’ll be fine.

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I would urge people to do their homework. Even if these studies regarding HIV are accurate, the truth of the matter is that females are ALWAYS at higher risk for contracting diseases of all kinds. We do not cut off parts of our girls, we teach them to respect themselves, limit sexual partners, and practice safe sex. The best way to prevent STD transmission is a condom. End of discussion. And for those of you who question the barbarity of the procedure I would ask you to watch one. The videos are readily available on youtube. “Botched” circ’s are more common than people know. Wake up and realize that it’s a business…they need consumers for their product. Use your heads, mommas. Do your homework.

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“That I do not regret, ‘not’ following my instincts” I meant to say.

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@Erin – I was a bit scared at first too, especially since some people in my family were pressuring me against our decision. But I’m so glad I stood my ground. Instinctively, I knew that the vast majority of intact men worldwide who weren’t lining up the halls of doctor’s offices due to supposed foreskin problems had to mean there was something us Americans weren’t ‘getting’. It feels good to be vindicated!

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