Circumcision?

Question

How do you feel about it? Men-if you have it done, do you wish you didn't? Men who don't, do you wish you had? Women, how do you feel about men who are/aren't circumcised? Do you have a preference? I don't have any boys yet, but am undecided on whether or not to do it. Wanted to see a variety of perspectives on the topic.

You know, I never really thought about it until my SIL told me about how much discomfort my nephew was in the first two weeks of his life because of it. The birthing process is traumatic enough, I'm leaning towards no. Doesn't seem like a hot idea.

Goddamn, Asheligh, calm your freaking hormones! It's just a question-I am not pregnant, have no sons to mutilate and set up for molestation as you so gracefully put it, and never really thought about it because to be honest, not having a son I never really knew why it was done in the first place because I don't have a penis. Sheesh. Someone is bitter!

I don't appreciate the attitudes. I didn't invent circumcision, I wasn't the one who told the doctor to do it to you, so don't take it out on me. You should be a bit kinder considering I am the one trying to educate myself about it. I have never heard a man complain about discomfort due to it. I am sorry it ails you, but there is nothing I can do to help you, so take it out on someone else.

Answer 1

Please don't. There is no medical necessity for it and it is probably better not to cut.

And the inside of the foreskin and the tip of the penis that it covers is Very sensitive and where guys get the most pleasure. So having a foreskin increases pleasure for longer in a man's life because there is more sensitive tissue area and there is a covering of it. He will be thankful that he has one when he grows up and gets older.

The only downside is a greater risk of infections but that risk can be made lower by good washing habits just like it is for us.

I don't have the experience to have a preference about circumsised or uncircumsised men.

Edit giving you a star both because it is an interesting question and because some of my contacts can certainly tell you more than I can. I hope they notise :)

Answer 2

As someone who has an uncircumcised partner, I know a little bit but not a lot about this...He does seem to have more intense sensation than those who are circumcised, doesn't have any of the purported "health issues" people always claim lack of circumcision causes, doesn't have any hygiene issues....basically nothing any different than any other person. He's pretty fanatical about personal cleanliness to begin with, so that area is always as clean as the rest of him...That would be the only thing I could say might be a difference, is that maybe a man would have to wash a little more carefully? But, he should be cleaning the area well anyway, so I don't consider this a problem.
Me personally, if I ever had a son, I wouldn't bother with circumcision. I don't see that it has any real advantages for the person, so why put the baby through it? I guess I feel the same way I did about my miniature pinscher when I was asked if I wanted his ears cropped. I asked if it provided any health benefit to him. I got mixed answers. I did my own research. I came up with nothing to validate the supposed "benefit" to doing it. I got several comments from ethical pet owners who said no health benefit had ever been proven, it was essentially a cosmetic procedure only.
I wouldn't put my dog through it purely for cosmetic reasons. I would feel the same about my child: Until I saw conclusive proof there was a health advantage to it, I wouldn't put my child through it.
And no, I don't consider mild infections in an uncircumcised penis to be a "health issue"-Any man can develop skin infections if he doesn't properly and regularly wash any area of his body.

Answer 3

Well Asheligh might just be a little bitter. Can't imagine why, could it be that someone cut off a healthy, functioning part of his penis, and nobody thinks that is a crime. Why should that make a man bitter? It is not like it is a part of a labia or clitoris or some other part of someone that matters, it is just a part of a male. It was just the part of his penis with five of the most sensitive areas that was cut off and thrown away, no part left on his penis is as sensitive as what was thrown away. If a doctor removed only 75% of a girls most sensitive parts he would go to jail, but if he does that to a boy he gets paid. OK, a boy is a second class citizen, so why should he be bitter?

Well to answer your question: I was mutilated (circumcised incase you can't understand) and I, like Asheligh, hate it. I was mutilated almost 52 years ago, it causes more and more discomfort as each year passes, the clothing friction is brutal for an active man. If I sat on my a55 all day it might not be a problem but that is not me. Would you like your clit scrub brushed all day long?

Sorry if the answers and experiences are a little intense for you but you did ask for them. Yes I know it is not very often you will hear a man complain about his "circumcision" how often do you think a man will complain about his penis, say anything is wrong with it? This is especially true of young males; they are trying to sell their penis to females, they love their penis right or wrong, it is the best penis they have. Men also love their football team, even if it looses the entire season. Many young guys don't realize yet how badly the loss of sensitivity will affect them as they age.

It certainly was not my intention to knock you; in fact I commend you for asking for a man's perspective. But we react to the parrots that keep answering "circumcision" questions with their tired old saws about hygiene, STDs, some poor old guy in a nursing home, it looks weird, and the list goes on. It is all sexist, patronizing and unsubstantiated, and these "answers" mostly come from children that could not possibly know what is it like to have lived your life with a mutilation and tried to love your mate with damaged equipment.

Then someone comes with "it is a parents right" to do this to a boy, (but only to a boy) That burns us; the Constitution of the United States that MILLIONS of males have died to protect does not give “equal protection under the law" to male children.

Again, thank you for asking, and as you are bothering to research the facts, I am sure you will come to the right decision and leave the choice to the boy when he is old enough to make it.

Answer 4

If you want the reason why it was started ask a Jewish person. I am not of the Jewish background but my father was not circumcised but had both of my brothers done. I have read that men who have not had it done but had to for medical reasons said that they definitely noticed a difference one being that sex wasn't as pleasurable and that the recovery time for an older male is a lot longer and more painful. I had my own son done as my family Dr. (also a male) said to. Now that I know more I would not have my child done. Don't mess with what mother nature gave you unless you have to.

Answer 5

I think it's a personal choice that's up to the parents. When my son was born I wasn't going to have him circumcised when he was born but after talking to the doctor's I changed my mind. They told my there was an increase risk of penile cancer (even though rare) in uncircumcised boys and that he would have to learn to pull the foreskin back and wash it as there would an increase chance of him getting an infection from bacteria under the foreskin. My son had other medical problems I needed to deal with when he was born so he wasn't circumcised until he was 2. The just simply stitched the foreskin back. He is now 14 and healthy and has no lasting psychological effects of being circumcised at a later age.

Answer 6

I think that the greatest concern should be the FACT that circumcision causes men that have had the procedure,,to be LESS contagious in the spreading of certain diseases or conditions that could harm the women that they have sex with. An older medical study has shown that JEWISH women tend to not have as many problems with their sex organs as do the women of NON-JEWISH families. Ovarian cancer was the main thing that was avoided by the women in this study.The obvious reason for the difference was NOT religion,but CIRCUMCISION of the males.

Answer 7

As a mother: My one son was circumcised. He was my last-born and I am not sure I would have done it again because that little calm baby was clearly in pain afterward.

As a woman: I am excited by the "unveiling." This was a surprise to me as I did not see an uncircumcised penis until I was in my 40s.

By the way, I think your responses to some unreasonable comments were right-on.

Answer 8

I was circumcised at birth.

I'd be happy with or without a foreskin. I'm pretty apathetic about the whole situation. Most of the guys of my generation (20s) got circumcised, so it's 'normal' for us.

I'm not sure if I'll have my sons done though. It just seems like a waste of time.

Answer 9

I'm not and I really think it's not a good thing. Our bodies are the way they are for a reason.

Circumcision has a historical religious basis but if you live your life from a modern perspective and make your decisions based upon reason, it's senseless.

For some reason it has become very popular in the United States. It's considered "normal" because of this. But if you go to Europe, you'll notice that it's the opposite and being circumcised is considered weird.

It decreases sensation and though obviously not common, there are still every year cases of botched circumcisions which result in permanent damage. It isn't natural and I don't think any logical argument stands to support such a decision. Should your son have one of his first experiences as a living being to be having one of his most sensitive areas sliced without any anasthetic to keep with some outdated religious tradition?

Answer 10

I used to prefer circumcised men before I did any research on the subject. Now I realize that it is an outdated and often traumatizing procedure. Less then half of parents are choosing to go through with it. No health organization in the world recommends routine circumcision, because the risks and side effects outweigh the benefits.