Should infant boys be routinely circumcised without their consent?

Question

I DO REALIZE he can't consent at that age. That's the point. Why are we altering an organ he likely will consider to be very important when he is incapable of consenting? Isn't it HIS body, and shouldn't we allow him to make that decision later if he wants to? (P.S. For the women who talk about how it looks -- come on! You all make fun of how it looks, whether it's skinned or not!)

Thanks Tree L, for that insight. Very interesting.

Answer 1

When my son was born, I was adamantly against having him being circumcised, though his father, who was not circumcised, was dead set we have it done. My father stepped in and convinced me to have it done. He told me that he had not been circumcised at birth and had to have it done later in life, because he had terrible problems and pain with it when he began having intercourse. He said having it done as an adult was absolute agony and cruel. He felt that if I loved my son, despite that it might never be a problem for him, the risk wasn't worth it and that I would have it done. Just throwing this out there for consideration.

Answer 2

This seems to be a rather "hot topic" at the moment, and there are people who have definite feelings about it on both sides. However, I wonder how the question of circumcision is any different than any other medical decision that parents make for their children.

Some will say that it is a cosmetic change and has no valid reasoning, and maybe that's true. However, I don't see anyone protesting parents who remove strawberry birthmarks from children's faces. I don't see protesters marching because parents choose to remove an extra finger or toe.

I have heard the equating of male and female circumcision. This is comparing two very different things since female circumcision removes the clitoris, and since 99.99% of women can not orgasm without that particular bundle of nerve endings, it perfoms the action of removing the stimulus for sex. However, men are still capable of reaching orgasm after they have been circumcised, making the outcome of the operations very different.

No medical procedure is ever 100% safe. Some circumcisions go badly, and my heart goes out to these little boys. However, just because things sometimes go wrong, it can't be used as an excuse to say it is bad in every instance. Should we quit doing heart transplants or bypasses because sometimes people die on the operating table?

Answer 3

Circumcision is a cultural thing. It's only a health issue if you don't take showers and don't have a minimum of hygiene.
In Europe, only a minority of men are circumcised, it's just not part of the culture and it sounds like a very weird idea to mutilate and torture men in infancy like that. If/when I have a boy, I will not circumcise him, I think it's a barbaric practice!
And I don't think there's that much difference as far as "looks" go, it's hidden most of the time anyway, who cares...

Answer 4

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.

Answer 5

Being just a few days old they can not consent. Did you mean circumcision should be delayed until the person can make their own choice?

Some religions do circs for religios reasons.

I personally am against circumcision. they should only be done for necessity.

Answer 6

Personally, I believe it's something that he should decide when he's old enough. I don't believe in making permanent alterations to other people's bodies unless there is a compelling medical reason for it. That's why I did not get my girls' ears pierced until they asked for it. It really bothers me to see baby girls with earrings. Those things can get infected plus the girls can pull them out.

Answer 7

It's kind of difficult to get permission from an infant. However, I know of one adult male who was not circumcised as an infant and had so many infections as a young adult as a result that he had the procedure done electively, with his very own permission and he said it was AWFUL, PAINFUL etc...because young men and adult men get erections, and that hurts during the recovery process. I don't know if infants get erections, I don't remember my son ever getting one. First I noticed he was two-ish in the bathtub.

Answer 8

Well my husband and I are Muslims and in our religion it's a direct law from God that all male infants have to be circumcised at birth. It's also in the Jewish religion but I'm not sure if the Jews even circumcise their male infants anymore. All the men in my husband's side of the family are circumcised and my sons will be cut as well. My 3 brother in laws have no problems with sexual pleasure due to being cut and neither does my husband. On the contrary I think it gives them more sexual pleasure.

Answer 9

Wow, most people here are cretins! Circumcision has no health benefits, reduces sexual pleasure, and is traumatic for the baby. It should not be done without the consent of the owner of the penis. Babies can't give consent. Leave their cocks alone!

Answer 10

Can't really give consent but its healthier, less risk of infection and HIV, plus other STD's. Second of all he won't look like a weirdo in the lockeroom get him cut he'll thank you. I highly doubt most circumcised men remember their circumcision?
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