Other than religious reasons why do people still circumcise their baby boys?

Question

Are there any benefits? Anyone have their son circumcised and wish they didn't or vise versa?

Answer 1

I had my sons foreskin cut off for the same reason I had their umbilical cord cut......for health reasons and it looks gross if you don't!

Answer 2

I wrote an article on this several years ago now, but the reasonings have not changed much, if at all.

I don't think there are any benefits to circumcision unless the penile skin has something majorly wrong with it and then you'd have bigger problems than just the foreskin. That's because "the foreskin" is actually the entire outer sheath of skin of the penis- from base to tip and then rolled under over the head as well. This way, a penis can go from flacid to very erect and still have plenty of skin to cover the vast size change in very little time AND skin to move over the head for frictionless stimulation.

Answer 3

If we leave religion out, only in USA routine infant circumcision is practised. I was absolutely horrified when I lived in USA and found out what was done to babyboys. Even more horrified I was when I learned how it started 100 years ago(to stop masturbation)and that people did it 'for medical' reasons. As someone coming from 100% intact(noncircumcising) country, I was truly stunned about all these 'benefits'.
Here in Scandinavia you would not find a doctor willing to do it, and despite foreskins our STD&HIV rates are very low, penile cancer is very rare and disease of old men+easily treatable, UTIs are mainly problem of girls and no one is even thinking removing foreskin or clitoral hood to prevent UTI ..
If you treat foreskin right=leave it alone and not try to forcefully retract, it is the easiest thing to take care of - I do not understand what is so difficult in it? I have b/g twins and girlparts are much much harder to keep clean.
Less than 6 boys/men out of 100 000 yearly get circumcised due to religious/personal or medical reasons here. Needless to say that most of these 6 boys/men are religious circumcisions so statistically foreskin is one of the healthiest bodypart on man's body.
Over 80% of world's men are intact and even in USA the % is coming down fast. Only in few years circ rate has dropped from almost 100% to ~ 50% and continues to drop.

If there indeed were any benefits in circumcision it probably would be worldwide practise like any other truly medically necessary thing.
When need for medical circumcision is in intact countries way under 1%, in USA it is 12-15%.
Why?
Because 100 years of brainwashing have left the doctors too clueless and uneducated about the proper care of intact penis.

:(

Answer 4

Honestly, people who still circumcise their baby boys do it for three reasons:

1)ignorance-most do not know the purpose of the foreskin and therefore don't understand all it offers men. The foreskin is part of the male sex organs and contains hundres of thousands of nerve endings which will enhance sex for both the male and female. Additionally, the foreskin was designed to protect the glans (head) of the penis. Why remove something God so brilliantly created?

2)social pressure-a lot of parents want there baby to "look" like everyone else. Despite various nose and ear sizes, heights or weights, for some reason the look of their penis is the most important. Since almost 50% (and climbing) of boys are now left intact in the US, this doesn't seem to be a very good reason.

3)possible health benifits-there are none. Unfortunately, a lot of parents tend to use the excuse of "it's cleaner" or "it prevents HIV" to justify cutting off part of their baby's penis, but if you look at the research, there is NO medical reason to circumcise.

Check out these sites for further information:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/forumdisplay.php?f=44
http://www.nocirc.org/
http://www.noharmm.org/home.htm
http://www.mothersagainstcirc.org/index.html

Answer 5

"Other than religious reasons, why do people still circumcise their baby boys?"
Most of the people who are still circumcising their babies (about half of Americans) do it because they don't understand that the foreskin is a normal part of a healthy body. Some people do it because they are just personally uncomfortable with the whole penis--they think it is vulgar or offensive or weird-looking. Some poeple are pressured into it by doctors, spouses, parents, etc. Some circumcised men are unwilling to have an intact boy in the family because they have a subconscious need to validate what was done to them. Some people do it becuase it's very important to them that their children conform to a societal norm, or because they want their children to bear the mark of being "upper-class." The American Medical Association says that medical concerns actually play an almost insignificant role in parental decision-making. It's almost always done because of social and cultural reasons.

"Are there an any benefits?"
Maybe. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that there MAY be SOME protection against UTI's in the first year, penile cancer in old age, and STD's, but that the evidence is not sufficient to recommend routine infant circumcision. They go on to state that lifestyle and behavioral factors are far more important in avoiding penile cancer and STD's, and that it really comes down to a cultural decision.

You didn't ask, but there are also risks. One of the most common is meatal stenosis. When the glans and urethral opening are no longer protected by the foreskin, the opening can swell up and close. There are also risks of adhesions, excessive bleeding, poor cosmetic outcome ("botch jobs"), bent penis, buried penis, trouble initiating breastfeeding, and occasionally, death.

'"Anyone have their son circumcised and regret it?"
Yes. I had my first baby circumcised and regretted it from the moment he was brought back to me. In my heart I knew it wasn't right, but I had always been told it was just something you "had" to do as a responsible parent. I have an intact son as well, but not once in his life have I ever regretted protecting him from circumcision. He is as healthy as a horse, and likes his foreskin.

Answer 6

I think it's just become the "normal" thing to do. I didn't think twice about it. My son was circumcised. It's like it wasn't even an option not to do it. I do wish that I had made a more informed decision.

Answer 7

My son is intact, I am not. It seemed foolish to pass on this strange American cultural oddity, this barbaric tribal marking. He has had no problems with his foreskin and is a very happy little guy. My only regret on this subject is that my parents weren't as enlightened as my wife and I.

Circumcision is an American, Jewish, and Muslim thing. Most boys are circumcised for religious reasons. However, in America a whole mythology has been developed around the foreskin and it has unfortunately become part of our culture.

Another reason that circumcision is pushed in America is for monetary reasons. Doctors and hospitals make money from the procedure. Tissue harvesters pick up the remains and use them for things like face cream.

There are many people in this world, for reasons known only to them, that push routine infant circumcision. They don't benefit monetarily from the procedure, like the doctors or harvesters. Search on the term "circumfetishist" for more details. Its very creepy and some of these types will pose on parenting board as concerned parents when in reality they shouldn't be allowed anywhere near children. They also will respond to discussion questions like this and sound very eloquent in their replies. Be wary of the eloquent pro-circumcision type. Their life revolves around convincing people to get circumcised who don't need it.

There has been a lot of talk about STDs and HIV relating to circumcision in the news. My two year old isn't at risk for those kinds of diseases since he is not having sex and won't be for a very long time. When he is an adult, if he decides that these studies have merit for him in his personal life, then he can choose to get cut. His body, his choice. Of course, if I raise him right, he'll choose to avoid STDs through practicing safe sex and limiting his number of sexual partners.

Answer 8

Well--as far as circing to prevent diseases and to keep the area clean, ask yourself if you would feel comfortable cutting off a little girl's labia to do the same. the labia holds 'smegma' inside a girl's vulva--this needs to be cleaned by soaking in a tub, nothing more. Same with an uncirced boy. As for diseases, we do not cut off labia to protect a girl from getting any diseases...so why would we cut off foreskin? Many people would say there is no benefit to having foreskin, but you should do some research and find what the purpose of foreskin is and the reason why men have it. It is an important piece of skin...
I'm thankful I didn't circ my son...I wish my dh wasn't circed--there are benefits!! :)
Good luck mama...tough choices!

Answer 9

Usually health reasons. It's easier to clean a circumcised penis than a non-circumsised penis. I don't know that many mothers show their uncircumcised sons how to pull back the foreskin and wash well so as to prevent infection.

Answer 10

A lot of people prefer the look of a man who is "cut", not that this is a justification, that is probably because our society is used to that look. I do think it is easier to clean, and there is apparently a decrease in certain risks of disease. However, unless it is totally necessisary, I dont quite see the point. I think, if I have a son, I will not have him circumcised, if he really wants to, he can do it when hes older. Once its gone, its gone. It seems horrible to make such an important decision for someone else.

Answer 11

I did it mainly because most American boys are and I didn't want him to feel different as he matures. I'm kinda sorry I did now though, because they messed up my son's circumcision. It's only half done and I never took him to get it fixed because I didn't realize it wasn't done right till he was a toddler. I thought it was supposed to look as it did and he would grow into it. Now it just looks like botched up job and he's to old to put him through the trauma of having it fixed. Now I'm going to leave the decision up to him if he wants to fix it when he's an adult. I really wish I had left it alone though. There's nothing wrong with leaving your privates as God gave them to you....and you can be just as clean and not have infections even if you don't have it circumcised.