Should my baby be circumcised?

Question

Me and my husband are having a baby boy and we are disagreeing on circumcision. My husband is not circumcised so he believes that the baby shouldn't be. Me on the other hand believes that we should circumcise the baby. Should we do it or not. Also are the percentage of circumcised men greater then uncircumcised.

Answer 1

I hope you wouldn't do it unless it was for religous reasons. There is no medical benefit to circumcising. Please do your proper research. 25 % of men get circumcised. That means 75% don't! I am glad you are thinking about it and asking questions. Many people do it because the father has done it, which I think is a lousy reason.

For people who think it should be done because of future problems, problems with this part of the body are extremely rare. Maybe we should take the babies tonsils, gallbladder, and appendix, since they don't really need those parts and a problem may happen in the future.

Answer 2

I am not circumcised and never will get circumcised. It is so unnecessary. Why would i want my **** to get skin removed from it? It is stupid and unnatural. What, just cause its thought by some people in America to be normal, i should have it done. The hell with that. In the UK and almost all other countrys no one is circumcised. America is pretty much the leader when it comes to circumcision. It is not right. The only reason why some Americans think its normal is because they were just told that growing up. ITS NOT AT ALL. Think about it. Now ask your self, why do we do this? Well because for some reason it was started by some really sick people a long time ago and it it was just never ended. It eventually turned into something that people think is ok to do. People found all kinds of reasons to keep doing it. But if this is so normal then why are 85% yes 85% of all males worldwide NOT CIRCUMCISED. And of course the other 15% that are are mostly all Americans. And the numbers are falling. Its now about 50/50 in America. Obviously the rest of the world doesn't think its normal to cut off males foreskins. REALLY! WHAT IS WRONG WITH JUST LEAVING MALES THE WAY THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE?! THE WAY THEY WERE BORN! I love my penis the way it is. I can't imagine ever being circumcised. Sex would just suck! Everything would suck! There really is no good reason to do this. Its like cutting off your lips or your ear lobes. What is the point?

Answer 3

Circumcision rates vary depending on where you live, and depending on what study you are looking at. Most studies seem to point to a US circumcision rate of around 50%.

In Canada the rate is probably around 30%

In many parts of Europe the rate is less than 20%

As for whether you should, or not. Well frankly I think it should be illegal. You should not be allowed to preform cosmetic surgery on minors. Study, after study, after study shows that the benefits of infant circumcision do not outweigh the risks.

And even if you believe the current studies that say that circumcision prevents STIs and penile cancer (also caused by STIs) then that isn't really an issue until the child is old enough to at least have a say. And frankly I have read those studies and the way they were done is deeply flawed. It seems awful silly to expose a baby to the risks of circumcision to prevent STIs if they grow up to become a person who waits until marriage to have sex.

And circumcision of infants is riskier than circumcision of post-pubescent boys. When circumcising a post-pubescent boy there is almost no risk of removing too much skin. However with the infant penis you have no way of knowing how they will develop. Removing too much skin can cause painful erections or cause the hairy scrotal skin to be pulled onto the shaft during erections. While having a hairy penis isn't dangerous, nor does it interfere with having sex some women and men do find it quite offensive. Sometimes the foreskin will but cut or grow unevenly causing the penis to bend when erect.

Infant foreskins are fused to the glans, in the way that a fingernail is fused to the nail bed. So to circumcise an infant the foreskin must be torn off the glans, because of this trauma adhesions may form which can cause problems. In an post-pubescent penis the foreskin is not fused and does not need to be ripped off. A post-pubescent penis also does not sit in a diaper all day being exposed to urine and feces so the risk of infection is lower, and a post-pubescent male has a better immune system should an infection occur.

Post-pubescent males can also of course tell you when they are in pain and take a wider array of pain killers.

Answer 4

No medical organisation in the world recommends routine infant circumcision anymore. The reason why not is that the risks outweigh any possible benifit. The benefits are dubious at best too. For instance the main study that showed a protection against UTIs was done in a hospital where only the sicker babies were left uncircumcised! Even if you accept that 1000 circumcisions will prevent one UTI in the first year of life, the complication rate from circumcisions is between 2 and 5 %. So a boy is much better off risking the UTI which can be treated with antibiotics anyway.
Even the claim about lesser rates of HIV infection is based on African studies that do not apply to wersten situations. Non-circumcising European countries have lower HIV rates than the USA, the last country in the west circumcising about 50% of its newborn males. (Rates in Australia are down to about 10% and Canada and New Zealand are similar. Rates in UK and Europe are about 1%.)
The same goes for all the possible benefits against the rate of complications and the real complication rate is much higher than ever shows up in statistics. That's because many comlications (like skin bridges and too much skin removed) don't become obvious till puberty.
In addition circumcision removes about 15 square inches (40 square centimetres) of skin in an adult, over half the skin of the penis. That skin has a gliding action that allows it to slide on itself and act like lube during masturbation and sexual intercourse.
So circumcision removes a lot of sexually useful tissue and a recent study has shown that it removes some of the most sensitive parts of the penis.
Please leave your son intact to enjoy all of his penis.
I'll never forgive my partents or the medical profession for mutilating me.

Answer 5

You should talk to your husband about being uncircumcised, because he knows what it's like and so he knows the good and bad of it. Personally, I'd try to convince you against circumcising your baby.

Circumcision is painful to the baby (link 1) and even if anesthesia is used during the procedure, that week or so of recovery won't be pleasant (link 2). Also, there are risks and complications of circumcision that are often downplayed (links 3, 4).

And there's nothing wrong with keeping your baby uncircumcised. As long as you maintain proper hygiene of the area (link 5), potential problems such as infections are very easily prevented. In fact, most (95%+) uncircumcised guys never have any problems with their foreskins. And good hygiene can reduce/prevent most future problems. Most studies also found no significant difference between circumcised and uncircumcised men in regards to getting STDs/infections.

While there has been recent publicity about circumcision reducing HIV contraction rates, it should be emphasized that there are also many other, more important, factors (links 6, 7). And since a cause-effect relationship hasn't been proven yet, it's still a matter of debate and a rather dubious reason to circumcise an infant (see link 8 for more discussion on the debate). In any case, good hygiene + safe sex (i.e. condom use) >>> circumcision.

And lastly, circumcision removes a lot of nerve endings in the foreskin, nerve endings that could otherwise contribute to sexual sensitivity (links 9, 10). Furthermore, several studies seem to indicate that the foreskin is actually beneficial to the sexual satisfaction/pleasure of not only the man, but the woman as well (links 11, 12, 13).

So, as long as one's foreskin is working (which is true in the vast majority of men), he maintains proper hygiene (which is quick and easy), and he practices safe sex (which he should anyway), it's probably better for him to stay uncircumcised.

About 70-80% of the world's men are uncircumcised. Even in the US, where circumcision rates were once as high as 90%, just under 60% of infants are now circumcised (with rates being higher/lower depending on the state). So if nothing else, there's clearly nothing wrong with keeping the foreskin otherwise you'd hear an uproar of problems from a large proportion of the world's men (which, no one hears).

Finally, I believe the circumcision decision (aside from medically necessary and religious reasons) should be the person's decision, because it's a very personal and private part of his body. If he's circumcised and he ends up not liking it, there's nothing he can do except deal with it. If he's uncircumcised and later doesn't like it, at least it's his choice. See the remaining links for some more info that might help you (and your husband) decide.

Answer 6

the average in the USA is about 50/50. so basically it's not as high as some might think.

look up circumcision on line, read everything you can about it. you might discover something that could change your mind.
the biggest reasons that ppl have it done is
1. to look like daddy
2. religious reasons

if you aren't going to do it for one of those reasons you really SHOULD look inside yourself and search the reason you would choose to remove a part of your child's anatomy.
i struggled w/this question myself not too long ago. i gave birth to a beautiful little boy 1 week ago today. after i read and researched what actually happens to a baby during this "surgery" and why most ppl have it done, the myths, the pros (which are few), the cons...etc. i decided NOT to circumcise my son.

new studies show that infants feel pain at a greater sensitivity than someone older, so the fact that they only use a local anesthesia on a child for the procedure makes my skin crawl.

if i could go back i would have left my older boys alone! i didn't know any better, and basically it was done because it was just what you did. it's considered "normal" in today's society and if you DONT have it done you are seen as a freak..which is weird to me since that's how all little boys are born.

interestingly enough when i was asked if i wanted my first son circumcised and i said yes, i was never again asked about it, but when i was asked that question again years later with THIS baby boy and i said no...i had to repeatedly tell nurse and docs over and over again NO NO NO, they kept asking. it's just backwards i think.


btw-the American board of pediatrics DOES NOT promote circumcision.
it is considered COSMETIC SURGERY.

just research it hon! it's YOUR baby in the end...it's YOUR decision you will have to live w/forever.

Answer 7

Most men in the world (about 85%) are NOT circumcised. In the USA, the majority are circumcised, but nowadays the rates are dropping - only 56% of baby boys being circumcised, so it's a pretty even split. Which means your son will not be teasted or anything (if that happened anyway).

If your husband isn't circumcised then even better. That means evidently you have no problems with his foreskin? (Or so I should hope.) It also means he will know how to teach your son to clean himself. Has your husband ever had serious problems with his foreskin, so much so that he would think about giving it up? I doubt it. Is your husband dirty or does he find it impossble to clean? I doubt that too.

The surgery of circumcision, like any surgery, has many risks. These are usually minor but there can be serious ones. There is limited evidence showing that circumcision can make it harder for a man to contract some STIs but this has never been seriously proven, and in any case, you still need to use a condom and be careful who you sleep with.

In babies, in intact penis is easier to care for than the surgical wound from circumcision. The foreskin doesn't even retract for a few years (it's naturally attached) so you don't need to pull it back and clean, you just wash the outside. Some doctors in the US aren't very good with foreskins and try and push for circumcision, but hopefully your husband will understand it's not necessary.

Bottom line is that it's your son's penis and his decision. If he is not circumcised he can choose to get it done any time he likes, the same cannot be said if you make the decision for him. Many men regret not having the choice.

Here is a video of a baby being circumcised: http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=/watch%3Fv%3DXmX6RdRNoqk

Answer 8

My son isn't circumcised. The foreskin is there for a objective: to guard the glans of the penis. i do no longer see a ought to flow reducing off functioning parts of my son's anatomy. while the foreskin finally detaches from the pinnacle of the penis, that is in basic terms a rely of pulling it back and washing. that is not rocket technological awareness, and we are residing in a fashion of existence with waiting get admission to to cleansing soap and water. STD's? Use condoms and don't be a manwhore. If there's a woman available that would not prefer to be intimate with my son because of the fact he has a foreskin, then i'm happy he ought to no longer **** the shallow b****. i do no longer individually view circumcision as a 'stable factor to do' until eventually it particularly is a scientific (no longer attractiveness) necessity - as in a severe blockage of the urethra or yet another deformity.

Answer 9

Lanie, looking at the previous answerers you can see those who advocate circumcizion are receiving a lot of "thumbs down". This is because most of what they are saying is simply not true.
Your husband is still intact, yeah? I'm pretty sure you're happy with his penis. Him being uncircumcized means he will be able to give your son excellent advice on how to keep his foreskin clean. All it involves is pulling the skin back each day in the shower/bath and washing. Easy as lifting your arm to wash your armpit!
You should do some proper research on the subject, rather than asking about it on here, as most people are misinformed or simply don't know the true facts about circumcizion.
There are 3billion men on this planet, and 2½billion of them are NOT circumcized.
I hope you make the right choice, and go with your husband on this one! Congratulations and good luck :-)

Answer 10

If your husband isn't cut then why are you asking the question. Are you happy with the way his works and looks? It is the natural way so why change it. Do you really have the right to affect your sons future sex life just for cosmetic reasons. If he wants to get done as an adult then he can. I'm intact and never have a problem and never got picked on or refused sex.
leave it the way nature made it. over 85% of the worlds men are intact and most have no problem.

Ask yourself why you want to get it done anyway.