circumcision...?

Question

I am 20 weeks pregnant with a boy, I am having trouble with deciding if I should get him circumsised. I am not religous, but is it better for my baby medically to have it done? Im worried that they would give him pain medication, and he will feel it. I am also worried that when he grows up he may be upset that I had it done. Any thoughts? Men? What do you think about it?

Answer 1

I'm uncircumcised and I don't regret it at all. Why? Because I'm thankful that my parents left my genitals alone, and know that if I ever want to, I can walk in to a doctor and tell him that I want to become circumcised. So I'll be satisfied in the end no matter what (although I won't get circumcised; I like it this way).

That, and I like that they didn't put me through the risks of circumcision, since it's obviously not necessary.

Circumcision risks and negative side effects:

Circumcision = loss of sensitivity according to new study
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,285532,00.html
http://www.circumstitions.com/Sexuality.html#sorrells

Higher erectile dysfunction rates after circumcision:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=14979200&dopt=Abstract%7C

When women didn't know what penis they were dealing with (circumcised or uncircumcised) 9 out of 10 preferred uncircumcised (study).
http://www.healthcentral.com/drdean/408/60750.html

Foreskin anatomy and function (keeps the glans soft and protects it, etc).
http://www.cirp.org/pages/anat/

Circumcision is extremely painful.
http://www.cirp.org/library/procedure/plastibell/

The USA is the last advanced nation doing it, but rates have fallen down from over 90% in the 1960s to as low as 21% here in California currently. From CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/06/18/circumcision.decline.ap/index.html
http://www.cirp.org/library/statistics/USA/staterates2004/

Circumcision was actually promoted in the USA at first to stop masturbation (in hopes of it being tight enough to require lubes and not have skin to slide since the foreskin is already moist)
http://english.pravda.ru/science/health/27-03-2006/77873-circumcision-0

USA = highest HIV rates in advanced nations (and highest circumcision rates). CIA statistics:
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/rankorder/2155rank.html

And one study already trashed the claims of the study that said that circumcision reduces HIV.
http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0000543

Worldwide circumcision rates:
http://www.circumstitions.com/Maps.html

And discussion of common circumcision benefit myths and discussion of all the risks that can develop over time and negative side effects (buried penis, meatal stenosis, etc):
http://forums.govteen.com/showpost.php?p=3069995&postcount=2

And two more links for pregnant moms like you:
http://circumstitions.com/One-liners.html
http://www.mothering.com/articles/new_baby/circumcision/protect-uncircson.html

And here's a link to a survey that asked what your two questions asked. It's at Jackinworld (the male masturbation website). It's question 17 in this survey:
http://www.jackinworld.com/library/surveys/survey5.html

Basically, it showed the uncircumcised group slight more satisfied (by a percentage point or two). What does this mean? It's pretty equal (within margin of error). The only difference is that those unsatisfied uncircumcised guys can simply go get cut and be satisfied in the end.

And another survey of interest:
http://www.jackinworld.com/qow/q15.html

Congratulations on your baby, I wish you the best of luck!

Answer 2

Yes, he may be VERY upset with you later if you have him cut! I am extremely grateful that my parents had the good sense to leave me intact! It is NOT "extra" skin -- it is very important to sexual pleasure for both men and their partners. The locker room thing is no longer a problem, if it ever was (was not for me) because probably a majority of the other boys will be intact -- circumcision is falling way out of favor in most parts of the country.

It is really not your right to irrevocably alter your son's body when he is too young to consent unless there is a medical reason. (Which there almost never is.) He can always choose to have it done as an adult (which very, very few men do) if he really wants to be cut for some reason. But he can't get it back if you have it chopped off.

Watch a video of the procedure http://www.cirp.org/library/procedure/plastibell/ -- is this the way you want to welcome your perfect new son into the world? Remember, that is a real child having his body mutilated. By the way, the babies that don't scream when it is being done have gone into shock! Sometimes their hearts stop.

The cleanliness argument is a crock. My wife says she has never seen, smelled, felt, or tasted smegma on me. Washing an intact penis is actually easier than cleaning behind your ears -- would you chop his ears off because he might not wash behind them?

All surgery has some complications. A lot of boys have post-circumcision infections and other healing problems. A few boys have had to have their entire penis amputated because of botched circumcisions. And each year a few die. For what? Because somebody thought it looked cuter cut? Where are people's values?

The vast majority of the men in the world still have their foreskins, and they don't get infections or have complications. It's the way guys were designed to be.

Let him have an intact body as his birthright!

Answer 3

There is no medical reason to have a boy circumcised. If you search for it, even on the medical sites, you will see that circumcision is not necessary, it not more hygenic than a natural penis, and is simply ethically wrong.

They cannot give him pain medication because he is a newborn and it would be too risky. Instead they will strap him down to a form bolted to a counter and cut off 60% or more of his errogenous tissue. Without anesthetic. Without comfort. Without necessity or care.

Baby boys actually have the heads of their penises cut off sometimes during the procedure. It just happened in Ohio (I think it was Ohio) recently.

Some nurses refuse to attend the procedure because of ethical issues. Some doctors have been sued for assault after doing it routinely.

So many parents are learning about it that less than 50% of newborn boys are being circumcised. This means that an uncircumcised boy will be in the majority in the locker rooms, if that's a concern for you.

The uncircumcised penis is cleaner, less prone to infections, has more errogenous tissue, is more pleasurable for both man and woman during sex, and is just plain good for him to have.

I know you said you're not religious, but even the Bible says that circumcision doesn't matter.

If you want more info, go to http://www.nocirc.org

It's never a good idea to circumcise, in my opinion.

Answer 4

First what ever you do watch one being done you will put more thought into it. I was circumcised at birth and I hate it, I will never forgive my parents for it there will always be resentment towards them. Normal they try and show you a video of one when the child isn’t crying but 90% of the time they are screaming, If your child doesn’t cry it’s because he has gone into shock its like when you cut your hand clean off it wont hurt at first because your shocked at what’s happened.

At this time in life children feel more pain but some people like to say well if they can’t remember it they won’t remember the pain.

I wouldn't believe any of the aids stuff personally because they circumcise both men and woman in Africa and they have the highest amounts of aids case in the world.

Here is what I answered on a similar Question:

Good long term results -
Some woman like it
When having Sex you feel it on the way in and out
(Some research says) Side effects of STD's not as bad
(Sometimes) Not as sex crazed at puberty

Neutral long term effects -
Easier to clean (but when there young you can say that it feels good if you wash it they never stop cleaning it)
Only about 20% - 60% depending where you live are circumcised today he won’t be left out.

Bad long term results -
(Some research says) Higher chance of getting STD's
Head of penis desensitized
Having to push harder during sex
Almost all circumcised males need lubricant
Partner is less likely to have an orgasm
Foreskin can (sometimes) bleed during masturbation
Circumcised males can have resentment to there parents
The doctor can sometimes stuff up (1/100 loose there penis)
You can't go to Antarctica (high chance of getting frost bite on the head of your penis)

Don't rush into anything if you don't do him now you can always do it later. Why do you want to do him anyway? If you are thinking of doing him please read "what your doctor may not tell you about circumcision" A doctor who used to circumcise boys wrote it and he said he regents every circumcise he ever did. "I have never seen a male child in all my 40 years of circumcision need it for medical reasons"

Please before you do circumcise him watch one being done either at the hospital or on Utube you will never forget the screaming it’s a cry that you will never here again I watched one being done and I walked out.

There is research out there saying it protects against HIV and other infections but the thing is there have been tones of tests and they go both ways there is no solid answer to weather it protects or it doesn't I would say it makes no difference. They talk about this in Penn & Teller bullshit S03 EP01 Circumcision

My thought - I think it is his body so he gets to decide I totally support people who circumcise them self’s not others, If he wants it done when he’s 16-17 go for it but if you ask a uncircumcised person if they want to be done all most all don’t. I believe that baby boy’s have a rights, they are entitled to have there bodies intact not cut up. A lot of people believe they don’t. I was circumcised and I will never forgive my parents for it or the doctor who did it.

Please note:
I am not a doctor but I have read up a lot about male and female circumcision.

Answer 5

Only about half of parents in America are are choosing to do this procedure. There are no health organizations in the world that routinely recommend it. If one day your son asks you "why am I different then my friend?" Would you rather tell him "We cut part of you off" or "you were born perfect"?

Please watch a circumcision before you have it done,

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6584757516627632617

And if you decide to, be there with your son, to make sure he is given -adaquit- pain relief!


Oh, and the reason babies look like they "saw a ghost" is because they go into catatonic shock!! This has been proven. Adults do the same thing!

Answer 6

I am a 50 yr old male who wishes my parents had left me intact. It kills me to read all these people telling you to cut off part of your sons body. How barbaric can we get. If you teach your son to keep himself clean teach him the truth not a bunch of crazy myths. As your son grows up do not make it such a big ordeal for him to talk with you about his body as he grows older. Over 70% of all males on this crazy planet are uncircumcised. If your son decides when he is old enough that he wants the foreskin cut off then let him make that decision. Nature put it there and here we go again trying to out do nature. The people who say to cut off your son's foreskin have no business saying that. Do the research on your own just type in circumcision in google or Yahoo and you will find hundreds of articles about this highly debated question. Don't just get your son cut because someone said oh yes you should because in the past thats what they did. Once it is cut there is no going back but if your son decides he wants it done then let him decide when he is old enough to understand. Please just do the research before you decide.

Answer 7

you don't need to have him circumcised. I'm not circumcised and my penis is fine. I bet you have never heard the screams that come of the doctors offices when they are CUTTING off skin. Foreskin protects the head of the penis, so dirt and other germs don't get in around that area. But he will have too clean it, every time he takes a shower or bath. I think that this idea of circumcision, has been drilled into most people heads. I mean how many penises have you seen that have not been circumcised? If he meets a women and she doesn't like him because of his penis not being circumcised, then she's the person he should not be with. don't do it. be a leader not a follower.

Answer 8

Congratulations on your pregnancy. I've been around for a long time and am un-circumcised. At the time of my birth it was a financial decision by my parents to not have the procedure done to me. It has never been a problem and I am content with my anatomy. If I had met a woman in my earlier years that thought it to be a problem, I would have considered the problem hers not mine. On the down side there have been circumcisions done that have taken too much foreskin and that is a problem. Getting an erection without room for the penis to grow into can be painful. There is plenty of literature out there to speak to that issue. You might check out http://www.circumcision.org for more information on the procedure.

Answer 9

They generally don't give any pain medication to babies, they just snip. Theoretically, the baby doesn't remember it.

The consensus here seems to be not to circumcise and let your boy make that choice if he wants when he's older. Keeping clean isn't a problem without a foreskin to begin with, of course, but apparently most men with foreskins are happy that they do and most have no problems with them. Men without them (like me) have no basis for comparison.

Answer 10

Ask your hospital's obstetrics department to show you the video on circumcision and talk with your pediatrician. If you teach your son good hygiene, he will be fine uncircumcised. On the other hand, during circumcision, they do not anesthesize your son. They take your tiny new born, strap him down, and cut the skin off of his penis in usually one of three commonly used practices. Believe me, if you see the circumcision video at your local hospital, you'll give serious pause as to whether you'll want to do this or not.

As for the aesthetics... erect, you can hardly tell the difference between a circumcised and uncircumcised penis. The decision to not circumcise is becoming more and more popular in the United States and I hardly doubt that by the time your son is in high school it will be a locker room issue.

But seriously, don't let strangers off the Internet make your decision for you. Talk to your pediatrician and talk to the ob/gyn department of your hospital. Make an educated decision.