What is your opinion on circumcision?

Question

My husband and I do not want to circumcise our son when he is born and we are encountering a lot of opposition from family and friends (mainly parents). They site religious and hygenical reasons for their point of view. The AAP does not have sufficient results from research to recommend the routine circumcision of infant boys. Studies are inconclusive and contradictory. It isn't really any cleaner either, according to my research. Boys are born with a foreskin, it is natural. Does a small chance of a complication justify the removal of the foreskin? If so, why don't we remove the tonsils and the appendix when a child is born? We even talked to the doctor and he told us that the main determining factors are based on religious and social reasons(looking like his friends). We do live in the Bible belt. We are Christians and as far as biblical reasons go, it says in the New Testament that we are to have circumcised hearts and that physical circumcision is of no value.

What do you think?

Hair grows back... the foreskin doesn't.

I don't even want to pierce a baby girl's ears because I want her to have the choice.

I'm asking because I like to hear other people's opinions and in doing so I may hear a reason that I haven't considered yet.

My husband is circumcised and he doesn't want the baby to be circumcised because he wished that he wasn't....

Just because "all" the other kids are circcumsized doesn't make it right. Did you know that many English speaking countries started circumcising their kids to prevent them from masturbating? Did it work? No...

Answer 1

It seems to me that many of the people saying that you should circumcise your child are women (can anyone say bias?) who also cite some hypothetical future locker-room encounter for your boy. Being a guy, I can tell you that’s BS through and through. First of all, don’t let people fool you into believing that other boys will laugh at your child. By the time guys are old enough to even realize the difference, they’re also old enough to realize that they’re naked in front of a bunch of other guys. This is about the time guys start covering themselves up and stop looking at other guys as much as possible. No heterosexual male will ever pay attention to your son’s penis enough to care. Trust me; this is coming from a 19-year-old uncircumcised male. I have never been laughed at, to the contrary some boys actually laughed at guys WHO WERE circumcised.

Secondly, as for hygiene, well, that’s also BS. I could tell women that they should cut their hair short like men. Fact is shorter hair is proven to be healthier, easier to maintain and clean. Now you see how ridiculous this argument is? Any person who takes a shower on a daily basis is going to clean down there like they should. And if they have any sense of personal hygiene, they will be just as clean as anyone else.

You should also realize that male children are being circumcised less and less frequently. In a decade or so the uncircumcised penis will be the norm just like it currently is outside of the U.S. and Israel. It seems the only real reasons it is still being routinely performed is for aesthetic reasons.

Answer 2

My husband is not circumcised and has never had a problem, as your child grows there will be less skin and as long as he is taught the proper way of cleaning himself every thing should be fine. My son is 2 1/2 and he is not circumcised either , i thought it would be very cruel to start cutting stuff off as soon as he was born. I don't understand why if every man is born with it why you are suppose to change it , it is natural and beautiful and my nurse said she agreed withe me she has 4 boys none are circumcised and would not assist the doctors with this procedure. I think a lot of people are not doing it any more, don't worry about what other people say or think he is your son do or don't do what you think is right or wrong.

Answer 3

Good for you and your husband for making this I strongly believe that there is no reason to cut off a part of a babys genitals. It is not healthier, cleaner, better sexually, etc. than an uncircumcized penis. Some boys, circumcized or not, will get urinary tract infections. So do little girls but we don't go around cutting off their labia. I feel that my son was born fine just the way he is and there is no reason to alter that with a serious medical procedure that could go terribly wrong.

People who choose to mutilate their baby boys just because their fathers are... well it's just plain silly! Who cares if your son and husband have similar penises? What a perfect opportunity to talk with your child about people being unique and different. I mean, if your son was born with a big nose and your husband has a small one, would you rush him off for rhinoplasty? Or dye his red hair brown so he could look like dad? Just silly,

And in the US 50 percent of all boy babies are uncircumcized. This means that the arguement that "Most people are..." doesn't hold. By the time these babies grow up and notice each others' penises there will be a good chance that others are like them, uncircumcized. Also, as my husband points out, nobody will tease the kid because really who wants to admit that they are looking at another guys' penis? If anything the lookee will get harassed, not the uncircumcized kid. Oh, and for what it's worth, foreskin actually enhances the sexual experience for men because it constantly moves over the head of the penis causing more friction and pleasure.

Bottom line- just because "everyone else is" isn't a good reason to follow suit. And in this case, more people are not curcumcizing these days because it is completely unnecissary.

As for what to tell family and friends who think you are doing the wrong thing, how about telling them that you wouldn't do anything to put your baby at risk and that you have done a lot of research and are doing what you feel is besst for YOUR son. End of discussion! If they continue to push, quietly take them aside and tell them that you find it very disconcerting that they are showing such a strong interest in your sons penis.

When my mother in law asked us if we were having him circ'd I said,"nope" she said, "well, like...not at all???" My husband said, "Well, it's kindof an all or nothing thing!" Then I asked her simply, "Why would we circumcize?" rather than us having to explain why we aren't, let her explain whe we should. Her reply? "Well, I guess it's just something thatwe were always told to do..." I told her that yes, it used to be done a lot because they thought it was cleaner. Now we know it's not, so there is no reason for it except cosmetic, and I feel that our boy will be born perfect just the way he is." This made even my jewish father in law agree and there have been no arguements since.

Answer 4

I agree with you 100% of the way. It looks like you have done your research and you know the true facts on circumcision. It really isn't none of your family's business in the first place. It's your and your husband's decision. I have 3 brothers that are ages 32, 31, & 17 which are NOT circumcised and they have never had any problems with STD's or hygiene issues. My mother & father always made sure they had good hygiene.
My advice to you would be to ignore all the opposed people. No matter what you tell them they are not going to change their point of views on this topic. It's a waste of time dealing with people like that.

Answer 5

You know some people are rude. My son is not circumcised, because for the fact that my son had a double hernia surgery, why should he go through more pain. They won't put them to sleep to do the surgery forget it. There is nothing wrong with it. As for the girlfriends, who gives a crap, if they don't like my son for all that he is, they can take a hike and get somebody else to go out with and that is A okay with me! Plenty of fish in the sea. My Uncle is uncircumcised and he had 3 kids yes I know this because I got other people opinions too! And they helped me out to where I don't feel bad because I did. Why put my son through more pain then he already had? I also say don't do it and if he wants it done later in life, let him make that choice, I left that decision up to my son because I couldn't do it when he was born so we talked about it and he told me,"No mom, I don't want that I'm glad you didn't do that to me"! I asked him about looks, he says "mom, I'm cute anyway cause you tell me I am." He is too because he has the cutest blue eyes and bright blonde hair so you know what, I'm not concerned!

Answer 6

Please don’t do it. Let him decide on his own! It is HIS penis after all.
I actually know men who are circumcised, and they wish they weren’t (circumcision desensitizes - men lose about 40% of their sensitivity). If you have him circumcised, he won’t be able to reverse it ever. Please check the following links:
http://www.mothersagainstcirc.org/fleiss.html
http://www.noharmm.org/separated.htm

Circumcision and personal hygiene are two different things.
Before a baby is circumcised, his foreskin must be torn from his glans, literally skinning it alive. This creates a large open area of raw, bleeding flesh, covered at best with a layer of undeveloped proto-mucosa. Germs can easily enter the damaged tissue and bloodstream through the raw glans and, even more easily, through the incision itself. 209 baby boys die each year from circumcision and related complications.
Circumcision was more popular years ago, now the ratio in the US is about 50/50 (well, circumcision is almost unheard of in Europe, unless it's done for religious purposes). I have read that by the year 2050, only about 10% of boys in the US will be circumcised.

Answer 7

It's personal choice for you and your hubby to make. Don't let anyone else influence your decision. I had my son circumcised, it is what my husband and I wanted. And we are happy with our decision. Just watch though because I've known people who had to have it done ( at 3 years and as an adult) and they have said it is a very painful experience.
Your child, your choice. Don't let the pro or con people get you down with their comments.
Best of luck with your new son!!!

Answer 8

I am the mother of two intact boys. I feel that *routine infant* circumcision is a violation of a child's human rights.

In my opinion, you and your husband are totally right and anyone trying to bully you into performing unecessary *cosmetic surgery* on your child is ignorant.

Baby girls are more likely to get UTI's and no one suggests we surgically alter them at birth to reduce the risks!

Good websites that will help you come up with strong arguments to fend off "well-meaning" friends and family follow. Also, look into getting a copy of the Penn and Teller episode of their Showtime program "Bullsh*t" on circumcision. The audio is available on Youtube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9mScQAkyUs&mode=related&search=

Follow your hearts!! Good Luck!!

Answer 9

Ive just had a little boy and i wouldnt fream of having him circumcised! Im English, and over here its not common practice, there are no hygenic advantages to circumcision, and personally i think it's a bit sick. They banned female circumcision, and they should with male circumcision too. It's unecessary and causes suffering to the poor little mites.

Answer 10

My husband is not circumcised and he cleans himself very well and even just a few minutes after he gets out of the shower. There is a bad smell. It's very hard for me to give him oral sex. I have to use alot of flavored oils to get through it. I love him so I do it but hardly ever. I can also smell it sometimes when we are having sex.
He also went through hell in the locker room.
Please save him the embarrassment and as least consider it.