Circumcision

[Natsku]

If I remember right it does reduce the risk slightly but it is such a rare cancer anyway that it makes very little difference.

If I had a son I wouldn't circumcise him (unless I had to for medical reasons). Its just not done here except by the few Muslims and Jews that are here and there has been a lot of discussion about making it non-medical circumcision illegal here because its generally viewed as being against the rights of the child (well actually genital mutilation is illegal here and one court did rule that one boy's circumcision was illegal assault as the prosecutor claimed the law was not gender specific but it was overturned on appeal but another couple was fined for getting their son circumcised without anesthesia)

Hmm on looking it up, it seems they are going to make a law that the child has to be old enough to understand it so circumcising babies would be illegal.

 

[meli1981]

i think its very different in different countries. i live in canada, and all the little boys i know are circumcised. my husband however was born in denmark and is not. so im not sure if we had boys that we would. and to the people that say its the babies penis and not mine, I have to clean it and take care of it until my son can take care if it, so yes it is mine. every part of my baby is mine, i made them and have the right to make the decision whether to circumcise or not.

 

[Natsku]

I might have made my child but I don't own their body

 

[meli1981]

when they are babies YOU are responsible for them in every aspect. in essence you do own them until they are old enough to be emancipated. they are babies, how can they tell you what they want in regards to their bodies? for all we know they could be thinking "yes i do want to be circumcised, i hope they do it when im a baby, so i dont remember!" they might be mad at you later in life for not doing it when theyre babies, as its probably more painful when youre older, it might cost them relationships etc, (anybody watch sex and the city!!, what im getting at is when theyre babies, we as parents are responsible for our own babies mind AND body.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

I'm sorry, but oh brother. An uncircumcised man, when erect, looks no different than a circumcised man.

 

[meli1981]

ummm think i would know that, i do have a husband you know! (and hes uncircumcised, so i do see it every day, and when its not "erect" its nit much to look at!)

 

[alaskagrown]

I would love to see the medical evidence of this and not just some opinion.

Just because you disagree with something doesn't mean it lacks benefits.

https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/105/3/e36.full

 

[Natsku]

when they are babies YOU are responsible for them in every aspect. in essence you do own them until they are old enough to be emancipated. they are babies, how can they tell you what they want in regards to their bodies? for all we know they could be thinking "yes i do want to be circumcised, i hope they do it when im a baby, so i dont remember!" they might be mad at you later in life for not doing it when theyre babies, as its probably more painful when youre older, it might cost them relationships etc, (anybody watch sex and the city!!, what im getting at is when theyre babies, we as parents are responsible for our own babies mind AND body.

Pretty unlikely considering every man I know loves their foreskin.

Just because I'm responsible for my child it doesn't give me the right to order unnecessary surgery on them.

 

[meli1981]

well, see again, its a cultural thing! most people here, girls or boys find foreskin kinda well, gross!

 

[Aidan's Mummy]

Whilst I agree I am responsible for my baby I do not see his body as 'mine'. I do not view it as I can do as I please because he isn't my possesion they are my son's. I have american friends over here in england and they have partners that havn't been circumcised so I doubt they all think it's 'gross'. The way I see it is it's an unessicary medical procedure that carries some form of risk and pain and I am not willing to subject my son to that x

 

[lhancock90]

I don't understand, when did circumsion become about making it more attractive because foreskin is "gross" (Is it? I've never thought so..)

 

[meli1981]

look, its not on my body, so i really dont care what it looks like, as long as it gets the job done! but if i had a son it would be MY desicion whether or not to circumcise, and NOBODY has the right to say what im doing is wrong

 

[Gunnhilde]

I think 99% of the men I knew growing up were cut. I'm about to marry an uncut Dane.

Honestly, I think the majority of the issue for me comes down to sexuality and so I wouldn't make that decision for my son. I don't really care what people do with their own children though. I've never heard a man complain about the state of his penis, cut or not.... so who cares?

 

[meli1981]

I've been married to an American Jew (who was obviously circumcised) and grew up in a heavily Jewish community. I think 99% of the men I knew growing up were cut. I'm about to marry an uncut Dane.

Honestly, I think the majority of the issue for me comes down to sexuality and so I wouldn't make that decision for my son. I don't really care what people do with their own children though. I've never heard a man complain about the state of his penis, cut or not.... so who cares?

hey! im married to an uncut dane as well! small world!

 

[steph.]

I've been married to an American Jew (who was obviously circumcised) and grew up in a heavily Jewish community. I think 99% of the men I knew growing up were cut. I'm about to marry an uncut Dane.

Honestly, I think the majority of the issue for me comes down to sexuality and so I wouldn't make that decision for my son. I don't really care what people do with their own children though. I've never heard a man complain about the state of his penis, cut or not.... so who cares?

I havent heard anyone complain either! I didnt even know people were so passionate about penises until i joined bnb

 

[Sarahkka]

well, see again, its a cultural thing! most people here, girls or boys find foreskin kinda well, gross!

Sorry, as a fellow Albertan, I will have to disagree with you there, my dear!
Circumcision is nowhere near as common as you are making it out to be. According to Wikipedia, we have about a 1 in 3 rate nationwide. Albertans are the highest in the country with a 44.6% rate, according to this site:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prevalence_of_circumcision

I disagree that there is a cultural preference. I'm indifferent, personally. I like 'em either way. But I do feel that my job regarding my baby's body is to keep it intact. There are a lot of men out there who are really angry that this was done to them. I think they are right. They should have had a say. Unless there is a medical reason, I will not be doing anything permanent to my child's body. That is something that a young man should be able to decide on his own.
I have a few friends in Kenya who belong to tribes where the big male rite of passage is to sit unflinching while your foreskin is removed. Without anaesthetic. It is the passage that marks your transformation from boy to warrior. While there is certainly societal pressure to get it done, I prefer the willing participation of this ritual. So, I'm not against circumcision. I just feel that it should be the choice of the individual, not their parent. I absolutely disagree with the statement about owning my baby's body. I am its caretaker and protector, but I do not own them.

 

[meli1981]

im just going by my circle of friends, and the people around me. i cant speak for everyone, but yeah to me it seems there are more cut guys than uncut. and it certainly seems it is done in north america WAY more than in the uk, which is what i meant about the cultural thing. really i have not much to say about it because i have two girls, but if it were up to me and we had a son, yes i would agree to circumsicion.

 

[Natsku]

Its starting to get less common in North America nowadays as people start to realise its an unneccesary surgery though so if you did have a son and circumcise him he might be in the minority.

I know I would have hated it if my parents had changed my body permanently without a very good reason when I was a child so why would I do that to my own child? And foreskins aren't gross.

 

[meli1981]

im allowed my opinion, and yeah i think theyre kinda gross!

 

[Natsku]

Of course you're allowed your opinion, it just seems so silly to view a bit of skin as gross.