Your view on circumcision.

[Jaylynne]

We circ'd. LO had a Jewish dr in the nicu who did it and was highly trained with plenty of experience. He cried from the local pain reliever but not from being circ'd. The issue I have with those saying not my penis not my choice is because babies heal much faster from such a procedure than adults do. LO healed from his hernia surgery in a few days with almost no scar on his groin. I've never met any man who regretted being circumcised but I've heard more than a few who wish they had been circumcised as a baby as they had issues as adults with retraction issue

And no, female genital mutilation is not the same as removing the foreskin. Removing a few nerve endings isn't the same as removing the option of climax. And they usually scrape the clitorus and lips with a dull razor in those countries when the girls are 9. No pain meds. So yeah, I take offense that I'm doing/have done the same to my son.

 

[Calif]

My husband is circumcised and if this baby is a boy he will be too. We considered not doing it because it does have a very religious connotation and we are both Atheist, closer to Anti-theists, but in the end I feel it is something I would want done if I were a boy who were being raised in the USA. Most of the population is circumcised (at least where I am from) and teens can be cruel. If we were going to live in Germany we would probably forgo it because here it is really not the norm to have it done but we will be back in the US pretty soon and feel it is better for him in the long run.

Most of the population our age is circumcised, but the trend is toward not circumcising. In 2005, the rate is down to 54% according to Wikipedia, led by the western states. On the west coast, the rate is more like 24% circumcised whereas in north Carolina the rate is 76%. Also, the rate is lower in urban areas (40%) vs rural areas (60%)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prevalence_of_circumcision#Americas

If your main reason is to prevent kids from making fun of the kid, you really have to look at the geography.

Edited to add: I noticed that someone already replied with this info and you took it as an insult. Just getting this info out there in case others are interested.

 

[CMarie]

I was completely for circumcision throughout most of my pregnancy and when I asked my OBGYN about it she said they aren't considered "routine" much in Canada anymore (at least not in Alberta) so it peaked my curiosity enough to do my own research. Now I'm dead set against circumcision and I would never have my son circumcised or any other son I have. The big deciding factor for me was actually watching a YouTube video of the procedure . . my husband (who's circumcised) and I couldn't even get through the video before I broke down crying. No way I could ever put my son through that, especially when keeping an intact penis clean is just as easy as keeping a circumcised one clean.

 

[Andypanda6570]

All three of my sons 21 , 19 and 12 are circumcised and no problem

 

[Breezy]

New research does show that the AAP now recommends it the today show had a segment on not long ago.

 

[starshinebby]

New research does show that the AAP now recommends it the today show had a segment on not long ago.

"The American Academy of Pediatrics found the health benefits of newborn male circumcision outweigh the risks, but the benefits are not great enough to recommend universal newborn circumcision."

Says so right there where the report is on their website. They're basically in the same spot they were before the report came out. They have always claimed that the benefits outweigh the risks, but that it's still up to the parents to make an informed decision.

 

[Jaylynne]

I don't think anyone has issues with a parent studying and researching their own position. No surgery should be taken lightly.

What I hate, is those that assume parents who circ are doing it to avoid bullying (what a stupid reason) or even worse that we don't research or ask questions at all. We do know the statistics, methods and health risks. And we still believe it's the right option.

 

[starshinebby]

I don't think anyone has issues with a parent studying and researching their own position. No surgery should be taken lightly.

What I hate, is those that assume parents who circ are doing it to avoid bullying (what a stupid reason) or even worse that we don't research or ask questions at all. We do know the statistics, methods and health risks. And we still believe it's the right option.

I agree with that completely, and have found that most parents both those that choose to and not to circumcise their sons do the same research and end up with different answers as to what they want for their sons. Which, of course, is completely fine and completely up to them. With either answer, I'm glad they've done their research before reaching their decision.

I also agree that it's unfair to assume that parents who do choose to circumcise haven't done the research. But, in defense, there are a lot of parents that just "go with the flow" about these things and do it because "everyone else is doing it" or even "because it looks better" and the knee-jerk reaction is to ask them if they even researched their decision. Especially when they don't elaborate right away and add that they have, in fact, done the research. But truthfully, a lot of people simply just don't do the research.

A lot of my friends didn't know that it was painful and that there are some serious risks involved. Even those with more than one child hadn't even questioned on it simply because they thought that it was the norm. Though that typically isn't the case when it comes to the members on BnB, lol. We seem to research like crazy people.

 

[starshinebby]

Also, just putting this out there in case anyone wasn't aware.

The AAP, despite its high-sounding academic name, actually is a trade association of
pediatric doctors. Its primary duty is to advance the business and professional interests of its 60,000 members who are called “fellows”. The interests of its child-patients are a distant second to their primary interest.

The AAP is simply a trade association, which advances the perceived interests of its fellows. Its position statements are not legal or medical imperatives and do not have the force of law or public policy. Also, the AAP’s pro-circumcision policy is not supported by any foreign medical associations.

So it's basically just some American doctors, educators, and other medical professionals that want to benefit financially from circumcising infant males.

 

[yoshy]

We don't know yet for certain if we're having a boy or a girl, although it looks as though it's a boy, but regardless, any son we have will be circumcised, first and foremost for religious reasons.

The procedure will be performed when he is 8 days old, by an experienced professional. I've attended somewhere in the range of 20-30 Brit Mila (circumcision) ceremonies in my life, and have actually seen the procedure with my own eyes in at least 6-7 cases. Not a single case has resulted in any lasting damage or pain, and in most cases, the baby cries for less than 5 seconds following the procedure, before being handed to his mother to be fed.

The professional who performs the circumcision returns several times in the days following the procedure to follow up and make sure the baby is recovering properly.

I live in Israel, where almost 100% of boys are circumcised. As can be seen from this paper, the vast majority do not result in any complications (the exact numbers were 66 complications out of 19,478 circumcisions).

It's true that some secular Israelis do choose not to circumcise their sons, and I don't judge them or anyone else for it, however, those who do choose to do it for religious reasons, should neither be judged for it, nor told that they are making a choice that should be left to their child.

As far as circumcising your child for reasons other than religious ones, I think that it is completely up to the parents, and while I definitely understand the feeling of "not your penis, not your choice", circumcision done at an older age is far more likely to entail complications, as well as both a lengthy healing period, and a far more painful experience in the first place.

I don't know how I'd feel about circumcision if I hadn't had the opportunity to attend them in the past. I can definitely understand the reluctance to do it, without having seen it done before.

 

[omfgski]

...

 

[Dragonfly]

I am against it. We dont do it on babies here at all, so when I heard it was popular in other parts it was shocking to me. I would never do this to a baby, I have strong views against it.

 

[robinator]

I don't think anyone has issues with a parent studying and researching their own position. No surgery should be taken lightly.

What I hate, is those that assume parents who circ are doing it to avoid bullying (what a stupid reason) or even worse that we don't research or ask questions at all. We do know the statistics, methods and health risks. And we still believe it's the right option.

Yes; only about half the boys in the US are circumcised anymore; it's not like an uncircumcised boy will stand out like a sore thumb. Pardon the pun.

 

[Sarahrei]

If I ever had a little boy I would never circumcise. It's not my body so its not my choice to chop parts of it off. I don't like when people say that its the parents choice to do what they want with their child because when did a child become a belonging and not a person? And when people say that they are just making a choice for the baby because the baby is too young, I kind of think, wait til he is old enough to make the choice. Even if its more painful when they are older, at least then it is their decision to change their body for life. I'd be so sad if I found out that I was missing a part of my body because my parents had decided I shouldn't have it. I'd be sad that they took that decision away from me.

I feel the same about any form of change to a child's body like piercings too.

You and are are thought twins!

I feel the same way about my daughter getting her ears pierced as a baby. Not my choice, not doing it.

I have stretched ears, really big stretched ears. I prefer the look, I think they're cleaner than having normal earrings (not taking the mic, actually do), it's not an "important" part of skin, etc. I had mine cut to get them that big.

When people ask if I would get my son circumcised I use them as an example.
I like my ears, I see all the same benefits that people see when they think of circumcising their son, and yet when I ask people if I should have her ears cut like mine because I like the look better and it's "cleaner" people yell at me and say that's what soap is for and it's not my choice.

Nope, you're right! And as much as I like stretched ears 10000 times more than normal earrings I'm not going to make that choice for her, just like I wouldn't make that choice for him either.

 

[fannyadams]

I don't understand why uncircumcised is seen as unclean by some ladies.
I have only ever known one circumcised one (and I've known A few lol) and its nonsense that if they aren't cut they are dirty or need to be cleaned 6 times a day.
Without being gross do you ladies clean yourselves that often? Are you unclean? Do you get infected?
We have folds etc. we're kind of self cleaning and so are willies (to a degree-a daily wash is always a good thing!)

 

[summer rain]

I'm for it and all my boys were circumcised using the latest techniques and pain relief/anaesthetic methods by highly qualified urologist surgeons with up to 30 years experience in the NHS and privately. I wouldn't be happy to have it done by a regular run of the mill family doctor or paediatrician as I don't believe they are specialist enough. My reasons are both religious and for health reasons. My family are atheists but believe circumcision is better. We also arranged a circumcision for a teenage member of OH's family as his mum had decided to leave it up to him and he had always wanted it done we assumed the clinic he went to must mainly have religious clients but we soon realised that he was the only religious/ethnic client they had had, most of their clients were white, non religious English men and boys of various ages and they said to us there was an increasing demand for their services xx

I'm glad to hear the doctors who did the procedure were thoroughly trained, and it's interesting to hear about the circumcision for the teenage member of your OH's family. May I ask if he felt better knowing that his mother allowed him to make the decision for himself when he was ready?

That is the way I'd like to do. Leave our son intact for now and if he wants it removed later on he may choose to do so. I'd feel better knowing it's his choice, not one I made for him. I think that's what I worry about the most. That I'll choose to have him circumcised and he'll end up trying to restore his lost foreskin through foreskin restoration. I was worried that circumcising later in life for a non-medical reason wasn't a procedure that was typically done, but from the sounds of it it is an option.

Thank you for your post, I'm more confident now in my choice of leaving our son intact knowing that if he wants a circumcised penis he can do so later in life.

No actually quite the opposite, that particular boy as well as others in OH's family who were not circumcised as babies were quite bitter and angry that they had not been done as babies as they felt like that 'right' had been removed from them if that makes any sense? Whereas I don't know anyone personally who was angry they were done as a baby even those who have left the religion. Also the recovery is a lot harder when they are older and it's obviously far more embarrassing for them as well. That particular boy had to wear a mumu with no underwear for a few days as it was the only thing he found comfortable, also because he was older he had to be circumcised by a more old fashioned method where the aftercare has to be a lot more thorough and there is more risk of complications. My main reason for my post was that an oncreasing number of secular people in the UK are choosing to circumcise Xx

 

[summer rain]

Dead set against it. Research it fully and properly. Your son will feel pain and it can cause MAJOR complications including death. YouTube videos etc and make sure you make a FULLY informed decision.

Most of the anti-circ YouTube videos are very biased and contain inaccurate information, furthermore they tend to show circumcision in the worst light possible-the methods shown in those videos are NOT the methods used where I am and so it is very misleading. There is also research that is in support of circumcision and proves it has benefits, if one wants to make a FULLY informed decision then they should look at both sides xx

 

[Jaylynne]

I've never heard of anyone wanting his foreskin put back on.

I saw a post on facebook that 100% of babies oppose circumcision. It made me laugh. Such an ignorant and totally made up sentence. What, did they do a research poll on babies thoughts?! What the hell do they base that on. If I based it on cry factor, my son would never get his immunizations, his boogers sucked out or even a diaper change sometimes. Sometimes we have to make decisions for baby's best interest while they're too young to make it themselves because it's the best option for our children.

Because I was in the NICU with Liam for almost a month, got to see 2 circumcisions on two little Jewish babies. The same dr did theirs as did ours. The babies didn't cry anymore than when they had their leads changed or sponge baths. It made me feel a lot more confident in my decision. One of them even slept through it.

 

[Button#]

I didn't get my son circumcised and I don't agree with it. Most of the blokes I know are uncircumcised and have never had any issues which require them to be done later on.

 

[summer rain]

Also, I think it's important to point out that there is such a thing as female circumcision that is hardly ever brought up. The procedures were referred to as female circumcision until the early 1980s, when the term "female genital mutilation" came into use. The term isn't commonly known now and we generally leave female babies intact (i.e., not cutting off the clitoris). If you think about it, we're doing the same to the males by cutting off the foreskin as they were cutting off the clitoris.

I know I'd be pretty damn upset knowing my parents made the decision to remove my clitoris as it is a primary pleasure spot in women. I couldn't imagine circumcising a female baby, so I'm wondering why should the thought of circumcising a male baby be any different? Opinions?

You asked for an opinion so I am going to put this out there. the 2 cannot be compared. removing the clitoris of a female can cause permanent damage including: infertility, loss of sexual desire, extreme pain during intercourse, and constant unbearable pain from the extraction sight. The forskin is not necessary for ejaculation nor for sexual pleasure where the clitoris IS necessary. these 2 things should never be compared because they are totally different things. This is for the most part only practiced by religious extremists and is usually accompanied by the sewing together of the labia or even the complete closure if the vagina and a wedding night ritual of cutting the threads. It is banned in almost every modern society in the world and for good reason.

I agree with you except it isn't true that FGM is practiced by 'religious extremists' they tend to be practiced by those who are very tribal and not really religious at all, as anyone of religion is aware that this practice is forbidden by all religions. I watched a documentary once and a doctor was telling people this isn't allowed in the Islamic religion and the people responded that they knew this but their culture was more important. Also in those societies where this is found it tends to be practiced by those of all religions fairly equally, including Christians, and in some countries such as Kenya it is mainly aminists who practice it. It's a very ancient practice which some historians believe originated in ancient Egypt with the practice of killing male infants, the pharaohs wanted to ensure that no woman could give birth without an attendant of some type, hence the name 'pharaonic circumcision', it is at least 3000 years old and pre-dates most major world religions. One of my friends lived in a rural part of Egypt and she said that those who circumcised their girls (both Muslim and Coptic Christians) used to partake in ancient rituals of offering the cut skin to the Nile as a type of fertility and good luck rite xx