What do you think of male circumcision?

Question

Growing up in Europe, this was considered somewhat barbaric, although it's a must in the culture I was born in. What are the pros and cons? I have heard about "hygiene" reasons but don't really have much knowledge to go either way with my opinion.

Answer 1

I am glad that my child is a girl, and I do not have to make that particular decision for her... As a mother, I would have a very hard time inflicting pain on my baby. Because my most important role in life is my child's guardian ( protector)... Now, I personally do not see how circumcision can make any difference to what you feel about the man who is sporting it so to speak. I seem to be attracted to a man in his entirety ( including the content of his underwear, whatever that might be) Smile. However, I have to say that clean un-circumcised penis is quite addictive, because it is attached to the man I am in love with.

Answer 2

I was born in a house, so I was not circumsized. To answer the hygiene problem, look at when this practice was established. Back then there was no hygiene, barely any medical knowledge, and therefore infections were rampant. In modern day this is not an issue (except for 3rd world countries where clean water is scarce).
The other issue about sexual pleasure is pure speculation. It is impossible for someone to find out if there is a difference in pleasure. But I do think that the foreskin helps keep the tip sensitive, and it makes masturbation much easier.
I like Rob's answer, very funny.

Answer 3

The hygiene issue... it is slightly more difficult to keep clean, but a child can be taught perfectly well how to stay clean. It isn't rocket science.

The penile cancer issue. Penile cancer is very rare anyway, but it's almost unheard of among circumcised men. Of course, we wouldn't advocate mastectomies on infant girls to spare them the risks of breast cancer, which is much more common.

Aesthetics... can't really say. has more to do with cultural norms I would expect.

The man's sensation... how would anyone know? But probably there is some loss of sensation in being circumcised.

The woman's sensation... again, I can't say.

TRIVIA: Ever noticed that Michelangelo's David, ostensibly a statue of a JEWISH hero, is uncircumcised?

EDIT

Juniper, GREAT story!

btw, I also think circumcision is unnecessary and probably abusive, though I hesitate to pass judgments on other people's cultural traditions.

The Jewish Moyl (sic?) would get the child mildly drunk before the procedure. Hospitals use NO anaesthetic. OUCH!

EDIT

The comparison with FGM is this:

It would be ABSURD to say that a culture in which we cut off the tip of a child's finger was just fine while saying a culture that cut off a child's HAND was utterly barbaric.

Are they the same? Do they inflict the same harm? No.

But are they both wrong in very much the same way? YES

Answer 4

I live in the US and decided against circumsion for my son. I know everybody told me that it would be better for hygiene reason to circumcise, but I also teach my child to clean his p.e.n.i.s under his foreskin. So hygiene should be ok.
My husband is circumcised because thats what people did back then automatically at the hospitals.
I just did not want my son circumsized because he was born with a foreskin and I think it's there for a purpose.
Supposedly men with a foreskin are also more sentisitive at the tip, but this is only what I heard....

Answer 5

I get a kick out of this cleanliness claim; that an uncircumcised penis harbors bacteria, and is prone to infection.

Too often, we hear this uninformed claim from women whose vaginal "lips within lips within lips" arrangement makes the inside of a foreskin look like the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Of course, this is just a rationalization because they think a cut penis is more attractive.

I could go on and on about this, but I've answered this before. It seems like I do so once a week.

And another kernel of thought for the aethetic set that thinks uncut looks weird: WTF are women doing looking at flaccid penises? Shouldn't they be hard while you're around? When they're erect, they look fine. In fact, when erect, an uncut dick doesn't have that "redneck" ring on the shaft just below the head. Women should prefer the look of a penis when erect, not flaccid.

Answer 6

Growing up in the western civilization I wonder how something African and Middle eastern,done to SACRIFICE gets slip under the American Culture as hygienic.
That women don't have a right to voice,is as pariah as Men not supporting the abolition of FGM

Answer 7

It looks like a custom. Seems very odd to me. I've heard the hygiene reasons too, but I wouldn't want anyone cutting me anywhere, let alone there.

Answer 8

Be civilized,not primitive.
Pro,is to oppose "primitive traditions".
Cons,will rule the country as they have used,abused and continue in destructive ways.See the results of a "Culture" that condones such sexual violence early on newborns.

A penis is and will always be a "dirty weapon" for mentally sick people,not the love bridge is supposed to be

Answer 9

If it weren't so common, I think more people would realize how random and weird it is to cut off a piece of one's body at birth. Why not remove a pinkie toe or an earlobe? Wouldn't really affect anything and if enough people did it, would be considered cute and "aesthetic".

Answer 10

I'm a male, un-circumsied catholic married with two boys. It is more sensitive with the skin on (try wearing it back and find out) Teach the kids to clean it. Would you cut off puppy dog's tails?