concerning circumcision.....?

Question

I am 9 weeks pregnant and my fiance and I are discussing circumcision if we have a boy. He is dead set against it and I am all for it. Can anybody give me a list of pros and cons concerning cleaning and care of an uncircumcised penis? Preferably people who have had a boy and chosen not to circumcise him. All opinions are welcome however.

Answer 1

Wow there have been so many uneducated answers to this question.

Circumcision is not recomended by the AAP

The following cultural beliefs, or myths, are often used as reasons for circumcision. After each myth, some relevant facts are provided to present a more accurate picture of this procedure. Parents should understand the full implications of circumcision before making this irreversible decision for their child.

Myth #1: Circumcision is recommended by doctors and medical organizations

Fact: Circumcision is not recommended by any national medical association in the world. Fifteen national and international medical associations have extensively studied infant circumcision and its effects and found no significant evidence to support this practice. In March 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) concluded that infant circumcision is not recommended as a routine procedure. The circumcision policy statements of the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Academy of Family Physicians have concurred with this position. The AMA calls infant circumcision “non-therapeutic.”

Myth #2: It’s just a little piece of skin, he won’t miss it.

Fact: The prepuce (foreskin) makes up as much as half of the skin system of the penis. It is an extension of the shaft skin that folds over onto itself, completely covering and protecting the glans (an internal organ) and provides the mobility of the shaft skin necessary for frictionless intercourse and masturbation. The foreskin has three known functions: protective, immunological, and sexual. It contains about 10,000 highly specialized nerve endings and several feet of blood vessels. An adult male foreskin, if unfolded and spread out, would be about the size of index card (3 x 5 inches), much more than a “little piece of skin.” Many sexually active men circumcised in adulthood report a significant decrease in sexual pleasure and comfort because of the loss of sensitive nerve endings, skin mobility and natural lubrication.

Myth #3: The care of a circumcised penis is easier than an intact penis.

Fact: For the care of an intact penis, the AAP recommends, “Leave it alone.” No special care is required – an intact child should have the external surface of his penis (and the rest of his body) washed regularly to keep clean. When a male is older and can retract his foreskin (which typically occurs by puberty), a simple rinsing is all that is necessary. Other cultural myths about special cleaning procedures are just that – myth.

Myth #4: Circumcision protects males from urinary tract infections.

Fact: Overall, urinary tract infections (UTI) occur at about the same rate in male and female infants during the first six months of life. In children with a normal underlying anatomy, a study found as many circumcised infants with a UTI as those who retained their foreskin. The appropriate treatment for UTI, in males as well as females, is antibiotics, not prophylactic excision of the prepuce. According to the AAP, “Urinary tract infections are usually not life threatening and are easily treated in most cases.” Breastfeeding provides some measure of protection against UTI during the first six months of life.9

Myth #5: Circumcision is effective in the prevention of penile cancer.

Fact: "The American Cancer Society does not consider routine circumcision to be a valid or effective measure to prevent such cancers... Penile cancer is an extremely rare condition, affecting one in 200,000 men... Perpetrating the mistaken belief that circumcision prevents cancer is inappropriate.''

The American Medical Association, in a July 2000 report, states, “… because this disease [penile cancer] is rare and occurs later in life, the use of circumcision as a preventive practice is not justified.”

Myth #6: Almost everyone is circumcised…I don’t want my son to be teased in the locker room.

Fact: The circumcision rate for males worldwide is about 15%. Even in the US, the only country that circumcises a majority of its male newborns for non-religious reasons, the circumcision rate is decreasing. According the National Center for Health Statistics, the US circumcision rate is approximately 60% (varies widely by region) and slowly decreasing. According to many intact males, the “teasing” concern is vastly overstated. For many boys, genital status is neither an important issue nor one that is discussed. In the unlikely event of concerns later in life, at least the person can make his own decision about an irreversible body alteration that has no medical justification.

Myth #7: Circumcision is a simple and painless procedure… it only takes a few minutes.

Fact: While circumcision is a relatively quick procedure, it is extremely painful for the infant. The initial part of the process involves a forced separation of the foreskin, which is fused to the glans (head) in much the same way as a fingernail is joined to the finger. The AAP says the following about EMLA cream, one of the most common pain relief methods, “The analgesic effect is limited during the phases associated with extensive tissue trauma…” Although they cannot remember the pain as adults, circumcised male infants have increased pain response in vaccinations 4 to 6 months later. Circumcision appears to lower the pain threshold.

Myth #8: Circumcision makes the penis cleaner and more hygienic.

Fact: Circumcision removes the protective portion of mobile shaft skin, which is intended to cover the glans (head) of the penis. The glans is the internal portion of genitalia (for both genders). Circumcision artificially exposes and denudes this highly sensitive tissue, resulting in a buildup of keratin and a dry, densensitized part of the penis. And contrary to popular myth, more sensation does not lead tp control problems. Based on reports from men circumcised as adults, just the opposite is true. With more sensation, a man has better feedback and can better determine his proximity to the “orgasmic threshold.”

Myth #9: Circumcision prevents AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Fact: Some studies show that circumcision has a slight preventive effect for AIDS and some STDs; however, other studies show an insignificant or opposite effect, especially for chlamydia. The bottom line: sexual practices have a much greater effect on the chance of becoming infected than circumcision status. If someone acts on the misconception that circumcision alone will protect them, they are taking unwise chances.

Myth #10: The history of non-religious circumcision is based on disease prevention.

Fact: Non-ritual circumcision evolved from a misunderstanding of bodily function by physicians of the late-19th century. Many doctors of that era believed that a normal foreskin could cause disease and lead to increased incidence of “self-abuse.” John Harvey Kellogg, of cereal fame, was a proponent of genital cutting as a cure for this “horrible practice.” He recommended performing circumcision “without administering an anesthetic, as the pain attending the operation will have a salutary [health-giving] effect upon the mind, especially if connected with the idea of punishment.”


Just remember that it is something you cant take back once it is done. It is always a decision he can have done later if her wants. His body his choice!!!

I urge you to read this essay written by a man that was circumcised as a baby and wishes he wasnt.


http://wreckingboy.livejournal.com/318545.html

This link shows the procedure. I bet a lot of moms and dads might think twice if they watched it first.

http://www.cirp.org/library/procedure/plastibell/

Answer 2

I applaud Shell for her wonderful answer and second everything she said!

My son is intact. He's perfect...just as he was created. I knew I never wanted to circumcise any son I had, but when I was pregnant, I did a lot of research and spoke to as many uncircumcised men as I could find in order to confirm my choice. I'm absolutely convinced not circumcising is the way to go. Voluntarily amputating a perfectly healthy body part for no sound medical reason is more than insanity. It's a human rights violation.

Shell's post was so comprehensive I won't repeat the same information, but consider these facts about circumcision:

1. Most of the world's male population is UNcircumcised. If the pro-circ faction was correct, they should be staggering around filthy and diseased, while the US (with the highest circ rate of any western nation) should be infection free. Not so: our rates are the same. Routine infant circumcision has not protected any of us from UTIs or STDs.
2. Penile cancer is so rare, your son is much more likely to be struck by lightning than to ever get it. Our daughters are far more likely to get breast cancer. Would you ever consider pre-emptive mastectomies for every teenage girl? I bet not.
3. Circumcision is thought by some to be a holdover of racism. Like Shell said, the original reason for circumcision among Gentiles was to prevent masturbation. Obviously this didn't work, but by the 40s/50s when doctors finally admitted this, most white males in the US were circumcised. If you were in America and weren't circumcised you were a foreigner or African-American. So "obviously" uncircumcised penises were dirty and circumcised penises were sooo much better. Sociologists think this may be were some of the most prevalent myths started. It shows the ugly history behind an already ugly act.
4. Men who have been circumcised as adults describe sex without a foreskin as "waking up and suddenly not being able to see the color red anymore." On a scale of 1 to 10 sex with a foreskin has been described as a "14" while sex without it is a "2." I want the best of everything for my son, including his future sex life.
5. The circumcision rate is falling, and it's falling fast. It's about 60% nationwide. It's down to 35% on the west coast. By the time our boys are making us grandmas, circumcised boys will be the national minority.

"He needs to look like his daddy" is not an excuse for circumcision. If daddy had lost his little toe, you wouldn't remove your son's toe so they'd look the same. If daddy is bald, you wouldn't force your son to shave his head. Some parents live in fear of the moment when their son asks why daddy doesn't have what he (the boy) has. Simply say, "When daddy was born, parents didn't know any better, so he had that part of his penis removed. Now, people are smarter and do know better, so we left you alone." According to other parents I've spoken to, that will probably be the end of the discussion.

Answer 3

My friend has one that is circumcised and one that is not and she said it was not a big deal for them. She saw the first one and decided the second did not need to go through that. I think nowadays only about half the male population still gets them so I really don't think you have too much to worry about when he gets to locker room age. I ultimately am going to leave it in the hands of my husband, he is much more qualified to decide what is going to affect our sons more in that area! I like the replies that there is different information nowadays but for a young boy the simplest answer may just be that they sometimes look different and then tell him more when he is older.

Answer 4

The best way to decide what is right and wrong is to see what the Bible says.Before, it was a law representing the Nation that God had chosen. They had to be circumcised. However, when Jesus died, this law became abolished and we no longer have to do it. They did it before because it is more "clean". It is really up to what you and your husband decide. I would suggest that since, it is not required, not to do it. God does not hate you because you don't do it and he won't grant you something special or put you in a special group for doing so. It is just extra money you are paying. however, it is your decision and no one else can take the decision for you or you husband. . . Choose wisely. . .

Answer 5

If you are not going to circumcise him, you must be committed to keeping the foreskin and the glans clean and dry AND committed to teaching him how to do it when he is old enough to take care of it himself. Also, he will have to be educated on how to roll it back, erections, masturbation, sex, condom use, infections, problems (skin too tight) etc.

Many people shy away from frank discussion about the penis and foreskin, especially with their children but life is different with a foreskin and he will better off if he learns the proper way to care for it from the beginning instead of figuring it out as he goes along.

Answer 6

i chose to have my son circumcised but the doctor that did it didnt take off as much skin as i would have liked. it appears to be a partial circumcision. i have to push the skin back to be able to clean his penis. i have 4 nephews (ages 4, 1, 1, and 11 months)and 4 male cousins (ages 8, 4, 1, and 2 months) and they were all circumcised and i have heard from my sisters and brother and aunt and uncle that is is easier to take care of as a baby and child. i had a friend who wasnt circumcised and he got embarrassed everytime he was gonna have sex with someone new. most girls nowadays dont always know how to react to an uncircumcised penis, but that not to say the females in your sons generation wont have a better reaction. times do change.

Answer 7

Have you considered doing a partial circumcision? It's just a little snip, so basically almost everything is left intact, while hw would have all the hygiene advantages that typically circumcised males have. It's a good compromise and should take care of all of the issues that might come up - both pro and con.

Answer 8

The only real reason to do it is if it's a part of your religion. With modern hygiene and medicine the chances of any infections are slight. That's the reason circumcisions were created our ancestors were dirty and got infected. Keep the kid clean and he'll be fine.

Answer 9

If you choose not to circumcize your baby you will have to make sure to retract the foreskin of the penis so that you can clean it properly. If you don't, gunky stuff can build up there and lead to infections.

There is a great debate over whether or not it is better to circumcize babies. In reality circumcision started as a Jewish tradition. Now people choose to have it done mainly for two reasons: 1. It makes the penis easier to clean 2. It is physically more appealing when they get older...

I have two boys. I chose not to have my oldest circumsized. In a way I regret it and in a way I don't. I wish I did in a way because I found that the uncircumsized penis looks awkward.

I have learned though that most of the nerve endings that a male has is in the end of his penis, in the foreskin. If you choose to have it circumsized you are essentially cutting off a bunch of nerve endings. I also know that when my son gets older he can elect to have his penis circumsized and make that decision for himself. He will also be able to have pain medicine which they do not give to newborn baby boys. That is another benefit to not doing the circumcision.

My husband insisted we have our younger son circumsized. I felt bad about having it done because I could hear him screaming when they did it but I realized later on it was better for him because he didn't have to worry about how to clean it like my older son. I have also heard that there are pros and cons when they get older concerning sexually transmitted diseases but I don't know how true that information is.

I think ultimately it comes down to how you want your son's penis to look. Most people opt to do circumcisions ultimately because it makes the penis look better. I think the majority of young men nowadays are glad to have had circumcisions because they prefer the way their penises look. And if they never got the chance to use those nerve endings they don't know what they lost anyway right?

If I were you I would hope for a girl. You don't have to make any decisions there except for a name...

Good luck!

Answer 10

Circumcision is completely the parents choice for their child. I read that when making this decision you should keep the child the same as the father, that way they "look" the same.

Although my hubby is circumcised we decided to do our son as well only because of the cleanliness issues. We had our son done the day after he was born and he barely cried and was fine afterwards. I know a girl who had her son done when he was 6 years old and it was very rough on him.

Either way do some research, do some internet searches on the issue, discuss it with your hubby and make the best decision for your child as ultimately he has to live with it.

Answer 11

Absolute bollocks, do not circumcise the kid,
u don't get infections if u wash your self, I have never heard so much drivel spouted by some people. I would never forgive anyone who did this to me, its cruel.