circumcision question?

Question

Can someone sort me out on this. My 4 week old is going in for his circumciom tomorow. He wa snot done at birth for other reasons. But since there's a little flap joinin his toes they will do it at the same time.

Then this norning my friend is telling me it's not necessary etc. I had not even thought much about it and thought it was simply a hygine issue.

I'll probably still have it done but whats the true story here?

Laura

Answer 1

Less people are having their son circumcised now days. A lot of people below commented that they did not want their son to look different in gym class. The reality is in america only about 50-60% (out west in america it's more like 40%) of the baby boys are being circumcised. Back in the 60's/70's this rate was more like 70-90%. As you can see the trend is now going towards NOT circumcising little boys. If you go to another country the rates for circumcision are even lower.

Here is some information from the American Academy of Pediatrics. I hope this helps!

Circumcision Information for Parents
Circumcision is a surgical procedure in which the skin covering the end of the penis is removed. Circumcision is usually performed by a doctor in the first few days of life. An infant must be stable and healthy to safely be circumcised.
Scientific studies show some medical benefits of circumcision. However, these benefits are not sufficient for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to recommend that all infant boys be circumcised. Parents may want their sons circumcised for religious, social and cultural reasons. Since circumcision is not essential to a child’s health, parents should choose what is best for their child by looking at the benefits and risks.

Many parents choose to have their sons circumcised because "all the other men in the family were circumcised" or because they do not want their sons to feel "different." Others feel that circumcision is unnecessary and choose not to have it done. Some groups, such as followers of the Jewish and Islamic faiths, practice circumcision for religious and cultural reasons. Since circumcision may be more risky if done later in life, parents may want to decide before or soon after their son is born if they want their son circumcised.

As noted above, research studies suggest that there may be some medical benefits to circumcision. These include the following:

A lower risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs). A circumcised infant boy has about a 1 in 1,000 chance of developing a UTI in the first year of life; an uncircumcised infant boy has about a 1 in 100 chance of developing a UTI in the first year of life.

A lower risk of getting cancer of the penis. However, this type of cancer is very rare in both circumcised and uncircumcised males.

A slightly lower risk of getting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV, the AIDS virus.

Prevention of foreskin infections.

Prevention of phimosis, a condition in uncircumcised males that makes foreskin retraction impossible.

Easier genital hygiene.
Just as there are reasons parents may choose circumcision, they are reasons why parents may choose NOT to have their son circumcised:

Possible risks. As with any surgery, circumcision has some risks. Complications from circumcision are rare and usually minor. They may include bleeding, infection, cutting the foreskin too short or too long, and improper healing.

The belief that the foreskin is necessary to protect the tip of the penis. When removed, the tip of the penis may become irritated and cause the opening of the penis to become too small. Rarely, this can cause urination problems that may need to be surgically corrected.

Some people believe that circumcision makes the tip of the penis less sensitive, causing a decrease in sexual pleasure later in life. This has not been proven by any medical or psychological study.
Almost all uncircumcised boys can be taught proper hygiene that can lower their chances of getting infections, cancer of the penis, and sexually transmitted diseases.


Circumcision: Frequently Asked Questions

Some parents wonder whether circumcision is a necessary procedure for their child. While scientific studies show some medical benefits of circumcision, these benefits are not sufficient for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to recommend that all infant boys be circumcised. However, parents may want their sons circumcised for religious, social and cultural reasons. Parents considering circumcision for their sons often have similar questions about this procedure. Here are a few of the more common concerns parents may have.

Is Circumcision Painful?
When done without pain medicine, circumcision is painful. There are pain medicines available that are safe and effective. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that they be used to reduce pain from circumcision. Local anesthetics can be injected into the penis to lower pain and stress in infants. There are also topical creams that can help. Talk to your pediatrician about which pain medicine is best for your son. Problems with using pain medicine are rare and usually not serious.

What Should I Expect for my Son After Circumcision?
After the circumcision, the tip of the penis may seem raw or yellowish. If there is a bandage, it should be changed with each diapering to reduce the risk of the penis becoming infected. Petroleum jelly should be used to keep the bandage from sticking. Sometimes a plastic ring is used instead of a bandage. The plastic ring that is left on the tip of the penis usually drops off within five to eight days. It takes about seven to 10 days for the penis to fully heal after circumcision.

Are There Any Problems That Can Happen After Circumcision?
Problems after a circumcision are very rare. However, call your pediatrician right away if

Your baby does not urinate normally within six to eight hours after the circumcision.
There is persistent bleeding.
There is redness around the tip of the penis that gets worse after three to five days.
It is normal to have a little yellow discharge or coating around the head of the penis, but this should not last longer than a week. See your pediatrician if you notice any signs of infection such as redness, swelling or foul-smelling drainage.

What if I Choose Not to Have my Son Circumcised?
If you choose not to have your son circumcised, talk to your pediatrician about how to keep your son's penis clean. When your son is old enough, he can learn how to keep his penis clean just as he will learn to keep other parts of his body clean.

The foreskin usually does not fully retract for several years and should never be forced. The uncircumcised penis is easy to keep clean by gently washing the genital area while bathing. You do not need to do any special cleansing, such as with cotton swabs or antiseptics.

Later, when the foreskin fully retracts, boys should be taught how to wash underneath the foreskin every day. Teach your son to clean his foreskin by:

Gently pulling it back away from the head of the penis
Rinsing the head of the penis and inside fold of the foreskin with soap and warm water
Pulling the foreskin back over the head of the penis

Answer 2

Circumcision is not necessary. There is a hygiene factor involved in that if you don't keep an uncircumcised penis properly cleaned it can get more infected than a circumcised penis. There's also a risk of the foreskin either being to small or too large later on which can cause some discomfort, both these problems can be fixed with a minor surgory.

There are good sides though, men with uncirmucised penis' state that it's more sensitive.

Over all as long as it's kept clean it's not necessary at all.

Answer 3

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends AGAINST routine infant circumcision. There simply is no strong medical argument for it. Would you circumcise your daughter? If not, why circumcise your son? He was born with a foreskin for a reason. Circumcision became a routine procedure in America in order to try to prevent masturbation. The so called "benefits" of circumcision can all be covered by teaching your child proper hygiene and safe sex practices. There is no special care to be taken with an intact penis. DO NOT try to retract his foreskin to clean it. It will retract on his own by the time he is school aged.


EDITED TO ADD:

My 7.5 year old son is NOT circumcised and has had no problems at all from being left as he was made. His father IS circumcised. All this "he has to look like Dad" stuff is nonsense. Kids WILL NOT be confused by looking different than dad. Kids are SMART. THey know that not all people look the same. People are different weights, heights, have different eye and hair colors, grown ups have pubic hair, etc. etc. As far as I know, my son has still not asked his dad about the difference. The kids I have heard of who did ask were all GLAD that they were left intact and thanked their parents for not cutting off part of their body!

As for the locker room arguement, it's also ridiculous. What boy is going to admit he was looking at another boy's penis? Which boy do YOU think is the one who will get teased!? The one who looked, of course!!!!! AND the circ rate in the USA is approaching 50/50, so there should be lots of uncirc'd kids in the locker room with him anyway.

Answer 4

It is not a necessary procedure, it was believed to decrease chance of infections and that type of thing, but as long as boys/men practice good hygiene that will not be a problem anyway. Circumcisions are basically a cosmetic issue. I chose to let my son's father decide and he chose to do it. My son was 4 weeks old, if I had to do it again, I wouldn't. Why put your child through that pain strictly for cosmetic reasons? If you choose to do it just be prepared, I was not expecting there to be so much blood. But it did heal in about a week, and he's fine now, and he'll probably thank me later.

Answer 5

I'm not circumcised (stems from parents being from different countries) and I'll say the good part is the increased sensitivity, the bad part is it takes a lot more effort to keep clean down there. I think if it were up to me, I'd choose to be circumcised just for the cleanliness. Hope that helps.

Answer 6

No major medical organization in the WORLD recommends routine circumcision. That says a lot right there. That's not to say you won't get doctors who are stuck in the '50s saying it has to be done, but in reality there is no good reason to do it. It's considered cosmetic surgery. It doesn't prevent UTI's, it doesn't prevent penile cancer, it doesn't prevent AIDS, and intact penises aren't any harder to care for than circumcised ones (as you probably already know since your son is still intact). Vaginas are much harder to keep clean but nobody in their right mind would ever recommend circumcision for girls to keep them clean. You've left it alone this long, let HIM decide if he wants to get circumcised or not when he's an adult.

Answer 7

I agree with you completely! Either make them both legal, or both illegal. It would be very interesting in seeing how something like that were to go through the court system. I don't have an issue with adult males being circumcised at their own will; we pierce, tattoo, pickle our bodies all the time- why should this be different? As long as my premiums for universal healthcare don't pay for it, I couldn't care less. It's with infants i have a problem with. It's his damn body! The "looks better", "matches the father", "easier to clean" "safer from STDs" is all crap: Looks better: Like you said, that's subject to opinion. Matches the father: OH GREAT! The father was beaten with a belt as a child too! Wanna have your son re-live THAT pain too? Easier to clean: Bugger off. Get off you lazy a$$ and clean your kid! And teach him good hygiene when he's old enough. It wasn't hard for me to grasp. Safer: If there is apparently no undisputed scientific fact out there that proves I didn't choose to be gay, I refuse to believe that there's undisputed scientific proof that says that cut men are more resilient to STDs. Now on to religion: My best friend is jewish and is quite proud of his cut penis. In fact it's sometimes part of his opening line when he meet's someone new. My friend has always been sensitive about his religion (even though he's reform and basically non-practicing) to the point where if you don't agree with any certain part of his religion, he gets defensive. I used to say that it was fine to do it for religious reasons, but then I thought... wait. There are other religions and cultures that require female circumcisions- those cultures exist here in Canada and the US, yet FGM is illegal. So what's with the double standard? Don't compare the severity; they're both barbaric unnecessary operations- WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? The same friend's girlfriend plans on having her kids cut. Why? "It's cleaner. Oh he won't remember it." This girl is a HUGE hypocrite. Why? She's pro-life to the highest degree- to almost the level of Palin's pro-life stance. Ok.. Child's rights, bla bla bla... Now what about when the child is born? Where are his rights then? With all due respect to everyone who practices a faith of some kind, I say to hell with religious, traditional, or cultural reasons. Outlaw infant circumcision for BOTH genders or make both legal.

Answer 8

it's not necessary but it does help with hygiene. i had my son circumcised because i have heard stories of men being in their 60's and having to have it done because of an infection. there is a greater chance of them getting an infection if not circumcised. and it makes it easier for them as they start taking showers on their own because some children as we know do get lazy sometimes and don't want to take a proper shower. so i feel it helps in the long run. and plus when a father agrees with curcumcision for their boy and is not curcumcised them self then it can also make you wonder. plus they are less proned to contract STDs then men who are not.

Answer 9

okay everyone has mixed feelings on this I have 2 younger brothers and a 1 year old son... when my mom had her first boy she wasnt sure what to do about circumcision and let people talk her out of getting him done. then when he was 4 years old he got some sort of infection and needed to get done.. He is 16 now and still remembers the days of pain like it was yesterday ... So when I had my son it was an easy descion he was done at a few weeks old and yes it was hard to take my little boy in but he only cried for about an hour after and every time I changed his diaper for about 3 days then he was FINE much rather him be done at a few weeks old with a few tears then have to be done when he is older and knows what is going on and is in ALOT of pain... I also know some men who had to be done at 15 years of age OUCH!!

Answer 10

I had my son circumcised for two reasons...

1) It is better hygine for the little peepee, though you have to clean it anyway, it will just be easier and there will be less to clean...

2) An uncircumcised peepee isn't that great looking.... well, its gross looking, and your son could have rejection issues later in life because girls won't go near it!!! Do don't put your son through a life like that! He will hate you later on for it.... sorry to say.....
And think of in the boys locker room, he won't ever be comfortable around the other guys, he will be made fun of for no end!!!! And they can get some horrible nicknames for him about it too..... you really really don't want to put him through that!

Hope that helps!

Answer 11

I have two boys and I didn't circumcise either of them. Everyone says it's a hygiene issue, but if you teach them to clean it properly it won't matter. I strongly believe it is there for a reason, and who am I to cut it off. Besides later in life uncircumcised men have more pleasurable sex, due to all the nerve endings in the foreskin. If you're undecided about it don't do it, because you may regret it. It is your choice, but be sure of your choice.