a question....help please??

[disney doll]

can anyone help me with a question i have.... Is it the "norm" for boys to be circumcised in the U.K or not? It is something i am unsure of so would appreciate any advice one way or the other xx

 

[xloulabellex]

I live in UK, I only know of one person that has been.. I don't think theres any rule or anything though.. if that's what you want - go for it! xxx

 

[bananaz]

No, it's not the norm. From what I've read, fewer than 20% of boys in the UK are circumcised.

 

[AveryATL]

I am from the US, but based on all of the previous circumcision threads, without a doubt, no. I think the places where circumcision is the norm is in the US, some African countries, Muslim countries, the Philippines, South Korea and maybe a few others. The list for places where circumcision is practiced routinely is much, much smaller than the list for the countries where it is not.

 

[shinona]

Nope definitely not the norm here. The only one of my friends who has had their son circumscised had it done because she is Jewish.

xx

 

[Noirin]

no its not the norm, i had my son done anyway

 

[Siuan]

No, its not the norm here. It happens for medical reasons or for religious reasons (usually Jewish or Muslim I believe) but it is not something I've ever heard of being done as a matter of course as it is in the USA for example.

 

[kwood]

I am American and my husband is British and we live in the UK. I asked my husband if we had a boy would we get it done and he asked my why I would even ask that kind of question. I went on to explain that in the U.S. it is fairly common practice but he said that it is very rare here and tends to only be for religous (Jewish) reasons.

 

[beanzz]

No it's not the norm.

 

[happygal]

no its not the norm here. at the minute i kind of wish it was though as my 9 year old son has to have it done on Thursday, not something Im looking forward to x

 

[Sew_Sweet]

happygal - may i ask why your son needs it done now if that isn't too over the line? I don't know if we are having a boy or not but if we do I was leaning on not having him circ'd but then things like this worry me too. I just don't know what the risks are of not? I don't know!

 

[April2012]

happygal - may i ask why your son needs it done now if that isn't too over the line? I don't know if we are having a boy or not but if we do I was leaning on not having him circ'd but then things like this worry me too. I just don't know what the risks are of not? I don't know!

I was wondering the same thing. I am from the US and am having a boy. It is the norm here to have a circumcision, but I am leaning toward not having it done. I have heard that the medical/hygiene reasons which once prevailed, aren't really applicable or even logical anymore. I also heard that men lose sensitivity as a result of circumcision. However, the men who are circumcised don't know what it would feel like to be uncircumcised (unless it happened later in life)--so who really knows?! But why mess with a boy's natural physical form unless there is a prevailing reason? Yet, i struggle, because in the US, his male cohorts will typically be circumcised. Is that a prevailing reason? I just don't know. Maybe we will move to Britain.

 

[happygal]

happygal - may i ask why your son needs it done now if that isn't too over the line? I don't know if we are having a boy or not but if we do I was leaning on not having him circ'd but then things like this worry me too. I just don't know what the risks are of not? I don't know!

hi. for the past few months my son has had a lot of trouble having a wee. his penis balloons up and causes him a lot of pain. his foreskin doesn't pull back al all and there is hardly a hole there at all.
apparently it will just get worse as he gets older so we have no choice but to have the op .

explaining to a 9 year old that he needs to have a bit of his Willy cut off wasn't a fun conversation. x

 

[AngelUK]

Oh dear, your poor boy happygal. I bet that was not a fun conversation! Have been thinking of you and hoping you and your new LO are ok?

 

[Kaede351]

The only person I know who has had that done is my brother... and he had his done when he was about 6 because he got an infection and hey thought it was best to removed the skin. I won't be having my little boy circumcised as I don't really see the benefits of it

But if that's what you want to do then go for it

XxX

 

[PrettyUnable]

This is a decision me and my OH need to make if we are having a boy.

My OH is South African and it is the norm there to be circumcised so he wants any boys we have to be done too. His argument is purely hygiene reasons - which I've said isn't enough or proven for me.
To me there should be a proven medical benefit because hygiene as long as you teach your child proper cleanliness, isn't a reason to remove something they are born with.

I'm more against atm but trying to stay in between for my OHs sake so we decide.

So we've agreed to get some advice from independent and impartial health professional and try to make an informed decision and find out about how the procedure is done, when etc.

But we don't even know where to go to ask and get advice. Planning on asking my midwife at next appointment at beginning of December

 

[xAmiixLouisex]

It's not really that common in the UK unless it's a religious thing.

 

[Scottishgem]

My husband was circumcised when he was about 10 due to issues with his foreskin, like others have said its either for a medical reasons or for religious regions. I have to say i prefer them circumcised, if we have a boy then i probably wont unless there is a medical reason for it.

 

[mrsrof]

Nope, not the norm! My sister's little boy had to have it done for medical reasons though (foreskin was too tight and he was getting infections). Thankfully he was young enough not to remember having it done!

 

[mrsrof]

This is a decision me and my OH need to make if we are having a boy.

My OH is South African and it is the norm there to be circumcised so he wants any boys we have to be done too. His argument is purely hygiene reasons - which I've said isn't enough or proven for me.
To me there should be a proven medical benefit because hygiene as long as you teach your child proper cleanliness, isn't a reason to remove something they are born with.

I'm more against atm but trying to stay in between for my OHs sake so we decide.

So we've agreed to get some advice from independent and impartial health professional and try to make an informed decision and find out about how the procedure is done, when etc.

But we don't even know where to go to ask and get advice. Planning on asking my midwife at next appointment at beginning of December

the "cleanliness" argument is pretty much defunct if, as you say, boys are taught to clean themselves properly when they're growing up!