Circumcision... to do or not to do? what do you think?

Question

my hubby didn't bring it up til yesterday...I'm due Saturday! he thinks that uncircumsised is gross and unhygienic. he himself was circumsized. I'm not sure.. I don't see the need, and my first born wasn't circumsized (different father) and his father wasn't either. We haven't talked about it at all and I have to wait til he gets off work to discuss it more. but I'm not sure what to say? I don't see anythign wrong with being uncircumsized.

Answer 1

Take it from me...go thru w/ the circumcision!!!!!! My husband never was until he ended up getting a really bad infection under the f******n and the infection was severe enough that his urologist told him if we have s*x while it's infected, he'd run a very high chance of passing it to me and it would cause me cervical cancer!!! The doc said that they could do 1 of 2 things...he could get circumsized OR he could burn off all the growths that were a result of the infection. (They looked like warts, but they tested for STDs and it wasn't anything like that. Thank God!) The problem w/ the burning was that there was no guarantee that the infection wouldn't come back and it was extremely painful. So, at the age of 22, he got circumsized. NOT fun!!!!!! Poor thing limped around for 6 wks! My dad winced every time he saw him walk.

In his culture, it's very common for males to not be circumsized, so after experiencing that, he was adament that our son be snipped. His dad was NOT happy about that, but who cares? We didn't want our son to experience that and it's better to get it done when they're babies than as an adult! Besides, it wasn't his son to make the decision, it was ours. (According to my m/i/l, she wanted to get Jose circumsized as a baby, but my f/i/l was completely against it. Now look where that got him!)  

Answer 2

I think you answered your own question - I also think it is unnecessary.  

Answer 3

I was circumcised as an infant, it destroyed my s*x life.    I had more than the usual loss of sensitivity from the nerve damage.

I've come to the conclusion, from personal experience that circumcision is male genital mutilation.

I was strapped down, assaulted and sexually abused, mutilated without my consent.     I hate my parents for allowing the butchers to ruin my sexual ability.    I hate the medical profession for promoting this senseless and barbaric practice.

Is that what you want for your child?    Hygiene?   That's totally ridiculous--look at Europe, Scandinavia, Asia, South America where males are allowed to remain whole, natural and intact.    Obviously they're not dying by the thousands because of having a f******n.

Circumcision doesn't prevent HIV, if it did, the US wouldn't have a higher rate of HIV transmission than any other country that doesn't mutilate males.

Appearance?    Well, since the American culture has been so pro-circumcision in the past, the uncircumcised and normal p***s can look strange to individuals who are only used to seeing penises that are scarred and mutilated.

I'm always amazed at the women who give natural childbirth, are so careful about their diets, want to breast feed naturally, and then WHAM, the first thing they do is to artificially lop off half of their newborn's p***s---unnaturally.

I am adamantly opposed to circumcision, being a victim of it.

Women would be more "hygienic" if female circumcision was performed on the--eliminating the crevices in the labia and clitoral hood, but it's illegal to perform female circumcision of minors in the US, but males don't have the same protection under the law.

Sexist!!!  Unconstitutional!!      Yet the doctors and the religious minority groups that the doctors are frequently members of have disproportionate influence and promote this mutilation on others.

I call circumcision a violation of the basic human right to a whole and intact body.      Doesn't the child have rights?       Sure it's a choice, but it should be his choice; his body.

A f******n is not a birth defect; it is a birthright.

Answer 4

Not to do unless it is necessary for religeous reasons.

In Europe it is unheard of unless it is for religeous (or emergency medical) reasons.

Until I came on this site I thought that you were only allowed to have it done for religeous reasons.

It would never had entered my head that anyone would put their baby boy through a procedure like that for purely cosmetic or the out dated belief that it is more hygienic.

I find it very disturbing that a Developed, educated country would still allow this practice for those reasons.

''New Zealand has education programs in place for parents regarding care for their babies, the f******n comes loose on its own by 3 years of age, should never be forced open, it is attached like your finger is to your nail, parents are taught that washing under the f******n is a normal part of a childs hygienge like anything else, they pass this onto to their child, and children learn how to care for their bodies again in puberty classes and s*x edcuation. You never hear about circumcision or any need for it, education prevents unnecessarcy medical intervention''

Answer 5

A natural p***s (intact) is the design for the male p***s, and it works awesome believe it or not! ... I know that it comes as a surprise that nature gets anything right! We humans seem to need to fix any and everything that nature has achieved! Probably a good thing, because we had too many species of creatures anyway, and the globe does need a bit of warming doesn't it?

Every part has a specific purpose and guarantees the best result for feeling the most pleasure and being able to perform and function optimally during making Love.

I have a natural p***s, and because the head of my p***s is a membrane with nerves on the surface, I have huge sensation with the experience of slippery, instead of the nerve receptors being under a barrier of several layers of actual skin.

The color of the head is more of a blue color, with kind of a purple color around the crown. As for looks, ladies have been pleased and intrigued by that look instead of dried up wrinkly skin. As for looks, I would expect to win the contest with my attributes.

I don't put down any Dude's p***s, but you happen to asking about the type that I have, and I thank my Mom and Dad so much for that.

When mine is erect, the f******n retracts on it's own al looks just like any other p***s except for the above description. Oh for looks, I forgot to mention that it's shiny as well because it isn't dry, or skin.

My Lady gets huge excitement because of what she is able to do to me thought the amazing feelings level that I have.

I have good control, because with good feelings, I can track exactly where I'm at and increase or decrease stimulation to last long for her best benefits. I can also feel in detail and lightest touch, when I have reached her cervix, so as to be able to make that kind of contact most pleasurable to her instead of scary or painful.

There are those who will ding me a thumbs down because they don't like to hear what I have or the experience that it gives me. Hey ...Nothing to do with Me!...that's just the way that it is!

As for the clean arguement ..totally dumb! Come on!!!! Like wash! Hahaha! A circumcised Dude needs to wash the same. pee runs over that head too.

A Lady has intriquit places that won't slide open, and needs special cleaning attention! Can they smell bad too! Ya think?

Not down on the Ladies... love them! I am down on a cleaner than thou attitude!... For obvious reasons! I have always been a particular Dude.

That gives it!

Me! :- )

Answer 6

I could see both sides. it is medically unneccesary and causes pain to your baby no doubt. but most boys in the U.S. seem to be circumcised. So you have to think about later on...will he get made fun of in the locker room, by a girl, or be embarrased about it??? All things to consider, but ultimately it is the parents decision. Good luck.

Answer 7

Circumcision, whether you agree with it or not, is a potentially risky and intrusive procedure. I don't know how anyone, even if they choose to do it, can argue with that. Because of this, I really think your husband has the burden of proof here. In other words, it isn't good enough to just say "an uncircumcised p***s is gross or unclean." I think that he needs to provide some valid and well-documented evidence to support that claim. If he can't, then I don't see how he can rationalize accepting the risks involved with the procedure. It just doesn't make any sense to subject a child to a medical procedure without having some kind of legitimate MEDICAL reason for doing so.

That's just my opinion, obviously. But the reality is that however annoyed your husband might be at NOT getting the baby circumcised, you will feel much worse if you DO get him circumcised despite your desire not to.

Answer 8

I got my son circumsized.  They did it when he was one day old.  I made this decision by asking my other family members who have boys and researching the topic online.  The reasons I decided to do it were to reduce the risks of infection, it is easier to clean the area, and so he did not need it done as an adult like my uncle did.  He said it hurt like h**l!  (Not to say that it does not hurt as a baby because I am sure it did I could hear my little guy screaming!)  This is something that you and your husband need to decide together.  If I had one boy uncircumsized then I do not think I would do it to the other one either.  I do not know if I made the right decision because all the new research says that it does not reduce the risk of infection etc. and I still remember hearing him scream.  The doctor told me that they did not think it would hurt him so much because they rub a pain releiving cream on the area.  Well how come I could hear him screaming through about three closed doors?  If I had the decision to make over again I do not think I would have had it done.

Answer 9

Tell your husband that circumcision isn't necessary and is at best cosmetic surgery, at worst non-consensual genital mutilation.

Explain that the f******n isn't vestigial, that it has a purpose and a function and that while you love him just as he is, you do not want to inflict circumcision upon your newborn.  Point out that you wouldn't be willing to lose your clitoral hood (prepuce--same as the f******n) and that you wouldn't cut a baby girl.

The Penn&Teller Bullsh!t episode on circ is pretty good.  Maybe your local video rental place has it.  Go check!

Answer 10

Whether to circumcise a son is a question all parents face, but nowadays more and more are opting out of it.



Here are some facts I suggest you consider:

- According to a Gov't study, only HALF of baby boys are being circumcised in the US nowadays (compared to 80% a few decades ago) and worldwide only 20% are.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_1...

- Circumcision is now seen as medically unnecessary. The AAP does not recommend routine circumcision anymore. They say "it is not essential to the child's current wellbeing."

- The f******n is not just a useless flap of skin. It holds many protective, sensory and sexual functions, and since the invention of the shower, its real easy to keep clean.

http://www.noharmm.org/mothering.htm



- An baby's uncircumcised p***s requires NO special attention. You don't need to clean under the f******n after every diaper change! He'll discover his f******n whenever he's ready (which won't be retractable until the age of 5-10) and then its a case of simply educating him about his own personal hygiene.

http://www.circumstitions.com/Care.html

I think you should leave your son's p***s intact — He’ll be a bit of perfection when he’s born so 'if it aint broke dont fix it'!

I am so glad my parents didn't circumcise me. My f******n has only ever brought me pleasure and entertainment, never a single infection or hygiene problem. Your husband might want his son "to look like daddy", but its not going to even slightly resemble his dad's much bigger and hairy one!

Answer 11

There isn't anything wrong with being left in the natural state.  In fact, many people (about 80% of the world's population of men, and obviously, a huge population of women, mostly outside of America), prefer it.

As for your hubby thinking it's "gross" and unhygienic, he needs to do some research.  First off, "gross" is completely subjective, and since the p***s isn't his, then what his son's p***s looks like shouldn't matter.  I also find it highly offensive that he thinks his stepson's p***s is "gross".  Secondly, the female genitalia is the dirtiest, most disgusting, stinkiest thing on the planet, if it isn't washed daily.  Urine, natural vaginal fluids, bacteria from the r****m, sweat, etc. all collect inside and outside of the labia.  It is one huge smorgasbord of icky.  Do we cut off  parts of our baby girls' genitalia?  No, we most certainly do not!  And in those parts of the world where they do (because of cosmetic and hygienic reasons, the same ones we use to justify mutilating baby boys without their consent), we scream human rights violations.

Your son deserves to have his body respected as it is, in its natural state.  If he chooses to be circumsized as an adult, he can do so.

Edit:  Most boys in the US are NOT circumsized.  It's split about 50-50 right now, with circumcision rates dropping rapidly.  By the time your son is old enough to be in the locker room with other boys, about 1/2 of them will be intact, and all kids will consider it the norm.

Answer 12

You're right.  There's nothing wrong with being intact.  I think the only reason most people believe that the uncircumcised p***s is "gross and unhygienic" is because they've been told that it is.  It's kinda like brainwashing.  You hear it enough and you'll believe it.

Your husband needs to learn as much as he can about circumcision and the f******n so he can understand that it's not gross and that there are real benefits to being intact.

http://www.mothersagainstcirc.org/

Answer 13

Well you need to work this out between yourselves. Your man has an opinion based on what he has been told and since he is cut, it has some bearing on his opinion.

I was circumcised as a child as are most men in Australia that are my vintage. When it came to my sons, now 20 and 18, we wondered whether it was appropriate too. In the end we didn't do it. I just figured that we might as well wait and solve a problem if one arrises... not try to interfere now to prevent something that may not happen.

As it turns out, we made a good decision. They've had no problem to solve with respect to f******n. We didnt do anything special with respect to their f******n, we just left it alone! Never pull back a babis f******n! However, we did soak our little babies in the tub every day, letting them kick until the water got too cold and this seemed to stave off any infection.

When they got older, we put toys in the bath and we had to drag the kids out of the bath every day... lol. Again the soaking did them wonders.

Little boys fiddle. So when they were old enough to understand, you know about 6 or 7... we told them to wash behind their ears and wash their glans.

As teenagers, "that talk" involved some maintenance advice. I mean, to be completely candid, even though I'm cut, I like to take a shower you know.. after a hard days work my junk gets funky.. being uncut is no different. You gotta wash every day.. and.. if you are going to have a hawt date a working man's gotta take a shower!

Answer 14

My son is circumcised as it was a personal decision because his father is as well. I will tell you that b/c of the circumcision, part of the f******n healed to his p***s and he had to have surgery when he was four. It was very minor, but I wish that I would have been more informed when he was a baby. It's up to you and your husband b/c it's your son. I would just research it, you don't really have much time to decide. It's completely a personal choice.

Answer 15

my son isn't and there has never been a problem...a lot of ppl are stuck on the whole unhygienic thing...but as long as you take care of yourself and wash regularly you will be fine

Answer 16

Would you want a huge chunk of your genitals cut off? h**l no. I think circumcision is totally unnecessary. If you teach your kid to wash his junk correctly he'll have no issues with keeping it clean. And they aren't gross.

Answer 17

I didn't get my son circumsized I don't see a reason for in my culture is not that common. He's never had a problem my husband is not circumsized and he has never had a problem as well as every guy in my family. As long as your clean and you clean and teach your kid how to clean his parts there wont be any problem. Your baby will be as clean and healthy in that aspect as you teach them. As for being made fun of in the locker room I don't think so why would my son be showing his stuff to other guys? I mean all and most locker rooms I've been in the showers are separate now days.  As for girls making fun of him about him not being circumsized I see it this way if a girl is so superficial to the point of picking on my son about such a thing shes not worth being in my sons life. How shallow can you be to pick on a guy about something he really didn't have a choice about it's was the parents choice at birth. Also if and when he grows up he wants that done I will be behind him 100% percent I just didn't see this necessary. hmmmmm also that was proven wrong that being circumsized can prevent a men from getting std's. If that was true aids wouldn't be as big of a problem as it is now days. No offence but I wouldn't true any scientific study that comes from Africa in some parts of that continent they circumsize girls too.

Answer 18

DON'T MUTILATEE YOUR BABY!

The cost is more than the dollars. There is a cost in depriving him of an important part of his sexuality. The f******n is meant to slide back and forth during intercourse, and give pleasurable sensations. And the glans of circumcised men gets keratinized(desensitised) over time. Circumcised men have to bang away frantically to get even part of the sensations avaliable to uncircumcised men, And don't believe the BS about doing it for hygiene reasons. Ten seconds is all it takes to wash oneself daily. You will smell better as well.

Check out these n Google:

Mothers against cicrcumcision

Doctors opposed to circumcision

Catholics against circumcision

Muslims against circumcision

Jews against circumcision.

Source(s):

Uncircumcised and thankful it was left to me to decide for myself.

Answer 19

http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi... has all the facts and the official recommendation from the AAP.  read through it with your husband.

Answer 20

yes, or he will have f******n and get made fun of

Answer 21

There isn't anything wrong with being uncircumsized, my fiance and I watched it done, its a video on youtube, but watch it with him, see if that changes his mind at all, because it will and does hurt the baby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIRANs0eX...

Answer 22

Circumcision is more hygienic, but with the proper hygiene it may not be necessary right now.  There are other conditions in older men that require circumcision and must be done later in life.  I would rather have it done when I won't remember than have it done later and remember the days following where I can't walk.  Just as a side note, have you heard about the circumcision initive in Africa?  There is research showing that circumcision in males can prevent the transmission of STDs to men.

Answer 23

It can cause problems later in life and they are more prone to infection if you don't get them circumcised.  

Answer 24

I researched it.  I have a family of nurses as well.  Yes it comes with baby, and most people think for a reason.  Your husand is right...it can be unhygenic.  You need to make sure that it is cleaned properly, and can be a breeding ground for bacteria, and later in life can be prone to std's..  I did get my son done.  They have a pain free way of doing it.  Most Dad's want it done so that their son's look the same.  

Answer 25

It's a truly personal choice and obviously those that are against it will say "no way" and those that are for it will encourage you to do so.  i think some things are best decided between you and your hubby and not on this forum...this is one of those topics.  

Answer 26

It can be embarrassing for some boys growing up "different".   I circumcised my son and every man I know is circumcised also.  I did it for hygiene reasons also.

It's your choice.  He can always have it done when he gets older..although I can imagine it's gonna hurt like heck!

Answer 27

There's no medical need for it. People who say a natural p***s is gross and unhygienic really have no idea what they're talking about. Presumably unlike your husband, I have first-hand experience with it and I know for a fact it's easy to clean, only needs washing every day to be clean, doesn't smell, etc. I also know it provides sexual pleasure, glans protection and the nice sliding motion which makes s*x and masturbation more pleasurable for the guy. I definitely wouldn't do it if I had a son because there are risks and complications. Also it should be his personal choice as it's his p***s. I recommend you don't get it done.

Harriet

Answer 28

don't do it (i am not circumcised, by the way).

i am from europe and we laugh (and despair) at the nonsensical reasons why other people (especially from america where it isn't even done for religious reasons), mutilate their (defenceless) children in this way. it is a throwback to primitive times and is completely unnecessary in the modern world.

saying things like he will be embarrassed later in life is such a lame argument, it just perpetuates the horrendous practice. i went to school with jewish and non-jewish boys and it was never an issue in the locker room. even if it was then that is still no reason to do it. if anything my jewish friends expressed regret at having it done to them and not being involved in the decision.

as for girls, i lived in the states for 10 years and never had a problem, not one girl i met said it was 'gross and unhygenic', or even commented on it. again, even if they had that is no reason to do it. also the protective function of the f******n ensures that the sensations and feelings during s*x are maximized (and natural). anyone who has theirs removed can never comment on this.

and anyway 'gross and unhygenic' is always said by people who know no different (i.e. those who are circumcized). it is self cleaning and low maintenance, not smelly or in anyway distasteful at all. just like any other part of the body (hair, ears, etc.) keep it clean and there are no problems. even if there are, again, this is no reason to do it.

circumcision is becoming less and less common in the developed world. read on the internet about what they do in scandinavian countries where the practise is extremely rare but they have the healthiest and most well-adjusted populations in the world.

finally, imagine the time when your son is in his teen years. is he more likely to say to you 'thank you for cutting off an intimate and irreplaceable part of my body when i was a baby', or 'thank you for leaving the choice to me when i am at an age to decide for myself'? (and with an anaesthetic available).

Answer 29

Okay so this is probably TMI but I will tell you why my hubby and I decided to have our son circumcised.  My hubby was uncircumcised for the longest time and then one day he got a small cut on his p***s.  He said it hurt terribly and we ended up not being able to have s*x for about 6 mos. because it hurt him too bad and of course he was too embarrassed to go to the dr.  Well I ended up making him go to the dr. and the dr. told him that the only option was to be circumcised.  We asked how and why the cut happened and the dr. said that it just happens sometimes to guys who are not circumcised.  So anyway my hubby had to be circumcised at the age of 24 and he was scared to death cause they usually only use a local.  He ended up begging the dr. to use general anesthesia cause he didn't want to be awake for it.  We didn't want any of these types of problems for our son so we decided to have him circumcised and we wanted the procedure done before he could remember it.

I say that it is a personal decision and I do believe that now days it is split about 50/50 for circumcision.  

Answer 30

My own personal opinion: it's unnecessary.

There's a lot of anecdotal 'evidence' tossed around by people touting it as an "STD preventative" - especially in Africa.  Keep in mind that the study groups which have used circumcision as a form of HIV protection also are not using condoms or other forms of 'barrier' protection against STD's.  In developed nations, the use of the condom is the protection, not circumcision.

Re: the poster whose husband had 'warts' - that's called human papilloma virus - aka HPV, and it IS a STD.  HPV is what causes cervical cancer in women, and some forms of penile/anal cancer in men.  It's also recently been linked to forms of oral and throat cancer.

Again, if condoms are used, it lessens the risk of transmission (although with HPV, since it's a virus passed via skin to skin contact - and not necessarily just on the p***s, but s*****m, etc - places condoms don't cover).

Teach your child to keep his p***s clean, teach him safe s*x/responsible s*x (or no s*x until marriage), and circumcision shouldn't even enter into the picture.

Answer 31

Don't let his prejudice wreck your son's future sexual experience. Even in the US only half of new born males are cut and in every other western country very few boys are now done.

Circumcision is the amputation of the f******n, not extra skin but an integral part of the p***s; measuring 15 square inches in an adult and accounting for over half the penile skin, lots of specialised nerve endings and the most sensitive parts of the p***s.

Not one medical organisation in the world recommends routine infant circumcision anymore but the US is the last western nation still doing this to about 50% of its newborn males. They still don't generally use anaesthetic either. It's child abuse, pure and simple.

The p***s forms as one organ and at birth the f******n is usually fused to the glans like a fingernail to its finger. So there is no cavity for germs and dirt to collect in until it separates naturally later; sometimes not till puberty or later. Only the boy himself should retract it and then he can be taught to skin back and rinse with plain water regularly.

Misguided attempts to retract too early, often by doctors and nurses, are the main cause of damage to boys’ foreskins and the real main reason for childhood circumcisions.

To perform a neo-natal circumcision the circumciser has to rip the f******n away from the glans with forceps. Then the f******n is either cut away or clamped until it falls off. Both methods cause the baby extreme pain and his raw glans and wound sting every time he urinates. It's quite common for the raw edges of the cut f******n to fuse to the raw glans during the healing process, forming skin bridges or tags. These complications and other more serious ones are often not found till puberty and do not show up in complication statistics.

More serious complications, though not common are immediate. Some babies lose their p***s to infection, bleed profusely (often because they are haemophiliac) or even die each year.  

The claimed benefits of circumcision are a beat up (based on flawed studies) and don't really exist but medical authorities have worked out that the overall complication rate is higher than all the benefits claimed by the pro-cutting advocates. One by one the claims are disproved but the pro-cutting zealots come up with more and keep quoting the old ones despite the evidence against them. For example you have more chance of dying from a circumcision or losing your p***s from infection than from penile cancer. The rate of penile cancer is higher in the largely-circumcised USA than in European countries where less than 1% of the male population is circumcised. Plus circumcised men have been found to have penile cancer, mostly on the scar. (Remember this is a very rare disease in intact or circumcised men).

A very recent study in New Zealand followed a cohort of boys through life from birth to age 32. About 40% were circumcised. The intact males had a slightly lower rate of sexually transmitted infections than the circumcised but there was no significant difference.

Using surgery to mutilate the genitals instead of washing in a modern western society makes no sense. Normal intact male genitals are, if anything, easier to wash than female ones and the same substance, smegma collects in the genital folds of both sexes. A few intact males have problems with tight f******n but this is only a tiny proportion of intact males. The condition can now be almost always treated with simple stretching exercises, sometimes in combination with a steroid cream that speeds up the process. However doctors who do not value the preservation of the f******n often still trot out circumcision as a first-option treatment in the US and even some other countries.

I am circumcised and hate it. I wish I'd been given the chance to choose for myself. Intact men can choose to get cut at any time in their life, though most have no desire to do so. The internet has shown that many men resent being circumcised. It's just not something that most of us talk about a lot, even to our parents.