what do you think about circumcision? What did your doctor advise and what are the pros and cons?

Answer 1

I'm against the surgery as it is permanent, while if left uncircumcised he can always choose to get circumcised himself. In addition to that, circumcision is no longer as common and it carries significant risks.

The USA is the last developed nation doing circumcision on a significant scale without medical or religious reasons. That means Europe and Japan (and Latin America and China, for that matter) don't circumcise. Circumcision rates in Australia and Canada are low, and in Africa... it varies by nation/tribe. Here's a worldwide map that gives you a general idea of where circumcision is common:
http://www.circumstitions.com/Maps.html

In the United States, circumcision rates vary by state, race... and other factors, like the year you were born. For the most part, the West Coast has the lowest circumcision rates, with some states as low as 14% now. Compare that to national circumcision rates being around 90% back in the 1960s and 70s. US data:
http://www.cirp.org/library/statistics/USA/staterates2004/

Risks of circumcision include:

In a medical study, it was found that females are more likely to hit orgasm with an uncircumcised man:
http://www.healthcentral.com/drdean/408/60750.html

The lubricated foreskin (on the inside... like your eyelids) slides up and down during sex and masturbation to stimulate the head.
http://www.cirp.org/pages/anat/

Studies have found that circumcision reduces sensitivity (this article also mentions how it has lost popularity in the USA in recent times):
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,285532,00.html

And despite being more sensitive, they still last in the same six minute range (average) that circumcised guys do:
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2005.00070.x

Makes masturbation more difficult:
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1464-410X.2006.06646.x

Which makes sense, that's how it was made popular in the USA:
http://english.pravda.ru/science/health/27-03-2006/77873-circumcision-0

Increases erectile dysfunction rates:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=14979200&dopt=Abstract%7C

If too much skin is removed, it can make the penis smaller since the penis needs some skin to expand during an erection:
http://drgreene.org/body.cfm?id=21&action=detail&ref=1125
http://www.altermd.com/Penis%20and%20Scrotal%20Surgery/buried_penis.htm

And here are myths that doctors often use to get your kid circumcised:
http://www.mothering.com/articles/new_baby/circumcision/protect-uncircson.html

Answer 2

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Answer 3

It's rarely done here in Australia, in fact it is banned in public hospitals in I think 5 out of 6 states. So I won't be circumcising any sons I may have.

The USA is the last developed nation doing it and rates are dropping. Also people say stuff like "hygiene" and "disease" and "looks", none of these are substantial reasons for non-reversible surgery on a non-consenting infant's genitals. Everybody needs to wash. everybody needs to use condoms/be careful who they sleep with. And beauty is in the eye of the beholder, any girl who thinks a natural penis is ugly and turns down a guy because of that is clearly an idiot who wouldn't deserve the guy in the first place.

Given that there are serious risks to the surgery, and a loss of sensation (because the glans is exposed and is not protected and kept soft and moist), it's really not worth doing. They say you might (not proven) have a lower chance of getting HIV when you're circumcised but that would be up to the boy to decide for himself when he's sexually active whether he'd like to get it done for that reason or keep his foreskin, when he starts having sex at 15 or 18 or 20 he will be grown up enough to make the decision, and he can get circumcised at any time whereas a circumcised guy can't get it undone ever (and many men try).

Answer 4

the book I received from the hospital said there are no pros to it, and many risks involved from it and doctors do not recommend it anymore. I can't remember the risks exactly but it was a long list. It's also not necessary cosmetically since more choose not to do it now with the knowledge and studies we now have that shows there are no medical benefits. The foreskin is a functional part of the penis and actually helps prevent infection and protect the penis' nerve endings. E's mommy is correct. You do not have to retract and clean under it until it has already been retracted by the baby, which won't be until he's at least one and sometimes not til puberty. There is tissue connecting the foreskin to the penis that should not be broken by a parent. When he's older and it's already been retracted and learns to wash himself just show him to retract it and clean it himself.
We, in our generation might think it is not attractive, but in this coming generation there will be so many left intact that it will be accepted and even preferred.

Answer 5

My son is not circumcised. Neither is my husband. Neither is his grandpa or brothers. It was a no brainer for me. If all those men survived with their foreskins with out infections, or anything else, then I don't see the point.

After doing much research on the subject on my own (my OB never offered his opinion) I knew that it was the best choice. I had already made up my mind, but after reading the AAP's stance on it (neither nessicary or harmful), and the stuff on all the anticircumcision websites, I choose not to.

If a woman is so snotty that she thinks my son's penis is ugly, or nasty, then my son deserves a MUCH better woman than her in the first place. So, "cosmetics" don't really matter much to me either.

If my son wants it done when he's 18, he can go ahead. But I wouldn't pay for my daughter to get a nose job, or breast implants either, so I'm not going to pay for my son to have cosmetic surgery on his penis.

Also, keeping an intact boy clean is no different than keeping a cut boy clean. Actually it's easier in the first few weeks. But after the circ heals, it's the same. An intact boy only needs to be wiped down, just like you would wipe his knees, or his elbows. No retratction is nessicary until he can do it himself.

Answer 6

Totally unnecessary and in fact, I think it's abuse and mutilation to permanently alter the genitalia of someone without their consent. The foreskin has value and circumcision has many, many complications. Among them are meatal stenosis, urine retention, penile inflammation, penile adhesions, tight painful erections, desensitization and more.

We do not sanction the alteration of the genitalia of baby girls in anyway, so why is it ok to do it baby boys?

Answer 7

I think it is wrong, unless for religious purposes.

It's not up to my doctor, not her decision, I wouldn't have asked her.

pros:
-if its done when they're newborns they don't remember the pain

cons:
look at this: http://www.cirp.org/library/procedure/plastibell/
-pain
-removal of a working body part
-I don't believe in cosmetic surgery for babies
-no pediatric medical association in the world recommends it as a procedure to do just for the heck of it
- it is rare that an older child or adult needs to have this done, so it's sort of like having your tonsils or appendix taken out when they're healthy and working, JUST IN CASE they get infected one day

http://nocirc.org/ check out the section NOCIRC Publications for a lot more

Answer 8

for24bidden:
But what about people like me that are glad to have my foreskin. The guys that said they wish they were done as a baby, still have the option. Maybe they are just insecure about it, but still don't want to get rid of their foreskin and just making excuses. The only right choice is the one that leaves options to your child.

Answer 9

I am 23 weeks pregnant and do NOT plan on having it done to my son. From all of the research I have done and after speaking to my Dr...there really is no medical reason for it. Many people will tell you that there is an increased risk of infections, but if it is cleaned properly, that is very unlikely.

Answer 10

my 3 sons are circumcised and im preg now so if its a boy he will be too. the doc didnt really tell me about pros and cons, i just wanted everyone to look the same as daddy,and growing up most likely they will be the same as their friends
(i know they arent just going to sit in circles and look at them but i mean in like gym class or at a friends house when they change or something) plus im sorry if i offend anyone but they are much uglier not circumcised. i do know they have to know how to clean it the right way if they are not circumcised or they could get an infection and you can also get std's and aids easier not circumcised. im not saying my kids have less of a chance of getting things, im just stating what i read.