circumcision....for or against...men and women please respond?

Question

I am from England, now living in the U.S.A.
I have 2 sons, one has an English father who was not circumcised, and our son is not either.
I am now married to a circumcised American who feels that circumcision is best, for both health and cosmetic reasons, and we have a son together, who is not circumcised , yet.
I would like to hear the views of both British and American men and women.......my understanding is that it is more common for boys to be circumcised here in the U.S....and not so in the U.K

Answer 1

These days there are NO hygenic reasons for circumcision if you bathe at least once a day. There will therefore be no smell. Accusations otherwise are just born out of ignorance. If you consider most of European men, for instance, are uncircumcised, don't you think they would have moved to circumcision en masse long ago if circumcision was the most hygenic and correct thing to do? Europe is not medically backward. Circumcision is widely practiced in the USA but the numbers are diminishing every year as more and more parents realise that this is just a moneymaking scam by the medical profession and an unneccessary mutilation of their male child. All major US medical councils state that circumcision is an outdated procedure.

Almost all other reasons for circumcision are now medically treatable and therefore, circumcision is unneccessary.

For women, an intact penis is DESIGNED to work better that a circumcised one because the foreskin allows for greater movement during sexual intercourse and less lubrication is required. To remove your foreskin would be like a woman removing her clitoris - unneccessary and barbaric. Why some pople say that female circumcision is barbaric but yet they condone male circumcision of tiny, defenceless babies is a mystery to me.

A foreskin better for the man because his glans is soft and sensitive - the glans on circumcised penises gets thick and hard over the years and decreases sensitivity and can even lead to erection problems.

The natural penis may be more comfortable for the vagina than the circumcised penis. The coronal ridge of the natural penis is more flexible; liken it to the resiliency of Jell-O. The circumcised penile head is considerably harder--overly firm and compacted like an unripe tomato. This is because circumcision cuts away 33-50 percent of penile skin. As a result, the skin of the penile shaft can get stretched so tightly during an erection that it pulls down on the skin covering the glans, compressing the tissue of the penis head. The abnormally hardened coronal ridge can then be very uncomfortable to vaginal tissue during intercourse.

Women sometimes experience a scraping feeling with each outward stroke and even report discomfort after intercourse or even the next day. The brain makes pain-relieving endorphins that may partially block any discomfort during intercourse itself. Painful intercourse is a very common symptom in women, many of whom blame themselves or who feel that something is wrong with their sexual response.

The give of the natural penis, by contrast, allows for more bend and flex of the organ in the vagina, adding to a woman's pleasure and comfort. The abundant skin of the natural penile shaft further cushions the force of the coronal ridge in the vagina. In addition, the mobile skin of the penis is "grasped" by the ridges of the vaginal mucosa and held in place. The bunching and unbunching of penile skin during intercourse enhances a man's pleasure, but it also excites the woman.

Circumcised sex may cause the vagina to abnormally tense up and decrease its lubrication. Women report more problems with lubrication when having sex with circumcised men, possibly because of irritation from the harder tip and involuntary tensing against it, and also because the longer stroke length tends to remove lubrication from the vagina. Often an artificial lubricant is necessary.

Intercourse may also be painful for the circumcised man because his penis scrapes against the ribbed structure of tensed-up vaginal walls and becomes over stimulated from constant pressure. The degree of discomfort, if any, will depend upon the tightness of the man's shaft skin, the vigor of his thrusting, the duration of intercourse, and the amount of lubrication.

Circumcision may cause a man to work harder to achieve orgasm, resulting in emotional and physical distancing from his partner. When a circumcised man has sex, he may have to concentrate intensely on the erotic sensations he is receiving while simultaneously blocking out any uncomfortable sensations. Survey respondents often reported that their circumcised partners seemed to have to work too hard to achieve orgasm. And because of the erotic tissue that has been removed, he can't enjoy the sensations leading up to orgasm or his partner's responses.

Answer 2

In the UK it tends to be done on medical grounds rather than as elective surgery. There are claims that it is cleaner but many men claim that there is reduced sensitivity of the glans after circumcision. Does it look better - for that answer you'll need answers from women or homosexuals. There are also reports that women who have regular sex with men who have had the op are less likely to contract cervical cancer. It has something to do with the production of a "cheesy" substance under the foreskin of un-circumcised men - which doesn't occur when circumcised and the way it reacts with internal female parts.
As to whether your son should have the op, and I suspect that this is where your question is leading then I cannot say either way. Only your conscience can dictate whether you have the right to decide for him? Once done it is very difficult to reverse - I've heard that it can be done by using rings to stretch the skin.

Answer 3

What I do know is that if someone has it done when they are very young - against their will, as it were- they may become resentful about it in later life.

In the UK people are not usually circumcised unless there is a medical reason for it, i.e., tight foreskin. which is why I was done.

Having been married once UNcircumcised and now married again circumcised, I would say that circumcision is much healthier. It also helps the male to , ahem, enjoy certain aspects of married life more fully. But please note that I was done for MEDICAL reasons.

I always think it's a little creepy for a woman to decide whether a helpless little boy should be circumcised, but maybe that's just me.

Answer 4

Circumcision is a mutilation basically.
But Ok for those who have been...
For the non circumcised, it is a blessing as it is a natural feeling enhancer in sexual life, and a protection as well for the glans.
All it takes, is to teach the non circumcised that they have to simply wash with plain water. Nature has done it so...
I am not circumcised, and I am wearing it very elegantly because of clean habits and personal hygiene.
So... no worries ... teach the boy how to be clean like for girls ...
American standards are not always the rule... thanks God !

Answer 5

Male circumcision is declining in the US as more and more doctors and parents understand that it is a harmful, senseless and irrational custom that has no medical basis and in fact results in permanant loss of sensation and penile skin mobility on every boy that it is performed on.

In America you are going to find a lot of women who "prefer" the circumcised penis because that is the dominant image of the penis in this culture. Many women and men in this country have literally no idea what a foreskin is, looks like, or what its functions are. Many times they have never known anyone who is intact. Circumcision, or one of its effects anyway, is not just the permanent physical loss of this vital important part of the male genital organ, but the total loss of understanding among people of what the foreskin was in the first place.

With so many men circumcised, women are conditioned to favor a penis that to most of the world's women looks "wrong". Most women in the world prefer a penis, and the normal penis is not circumcised.

I've heard a lot of women say, "I prefer the circumcised penis because it looks better aesthetically". They like the way the circumcised penis looks. This is one of the rationales that has driven the practice of female circumcision - cut away the unattractive folds of skin (and other parts) of the vagina to make it look better, because they don't like what "normal" looks like. I guess it is the act of making such an observation and then actually doing something about it to a nonconsenting individual that I think is so profoundly wrong.

The anti-circumcision movement's intent is to make the wording of the laws that protect females against genital cutting of any kind be gender neutral - to protect both females and males from genital modification. But right now in America, people are allowed to have their sons circumcised. They really don't know what they're doing. I hope you don't make the same choice.

Answer 6

Mrs WC here. First, your husband should not have allowed his brother (or anyone) to move in without you both being in agreement over it. Spouses should be in agreement for any decision that affects the household. I wouldn't go behind my husband's back and toss the bum out tho, hubby might toss you out. You don't mention children, but if you have them, how this affects them would be a concern also. Ask your husband what HE considers a reasonable amount of time for his brother to "get on his feet". The two of you should decide what would be a good time frame. He's had 3 months already. Has he been looking for work or just goofing off. If he's not been looking, point this out to your husband and tell him the two of you can't be responsible for this grown man. Chances are your BIL doesn't care. Why should he when his "bro" is taking care of him? If he's NOT going to work, then he should help out around the house. Depending on what your brother was in prison for, he may have trouble getting a job. In that case, you don't want him freeloading off you for the rest of his life. After you and hubby decide on a time frame, the three of you should sit down and find out WHAT this guys goals are for the future and tell him that he only has X amount of time to get it together and move out. Remember, when you give an ultimatum, you need to be prepared for the opposite response of you're looking for.

Answer 7

Yes, much more common in the US than in the UK, thankfully ... Unless it is for urgent medical reasons, youngsters should be left well alone until they are old enough to decide for themselves what is needed. How can you say that it is better for cosmetic reasons? He may not agree when he's older and Who's body is it anyway!! Let the owner decide what is best for his own body when he is old enough, and just teach basic hygiene procedures in the meantime, which should prevent any infections. I wonder if it would be possible for children who have been mutilated without their consent, to sue their parents when they grow up?

Answer 8

For health reasons I have to answer yes. Uncircumcised males are much more prone to infection because of the folds of skin, than a cicumcised male.
As far as the fact that it is still totally up to the parents at birth, thats something that you will have to decide between the two of you.
Also, when it comes to your son, I, personally would be alittle concerned with the way it looks when he decides to become sexually active. Theres not many men anymore that have an uncircumsised penis, and well....you dont want him to feel uncomfortable or "different".

Answer 9

U.S. = circumcised, almost always. For, but done during infancy, not when the boy is older than that, unless recommended by a medical professional.

Answer 10

Your sons were born with erfect bodies - please do not mutilate them! It is unfortunate that this was done to your husband, but when he was born, many Americans still believed the myths abot hygiene, disease, etc, that have now been totally disproven. Happily Americans are catching on, and this practice is decreasing, even considered old-fashioned.

Just because your husband's parents didn't know any better than to have him cut doesn't mean that the next generation should also have to suffer this barbaric mutilation! Please leave their bodies as they are.