Your views on Circumcision

[kiwimama]

I found out I'm having a boy yesterday, so it's now something I've got to think about. Well actually not, because there is no way he is getting circumcised. There is absolutely no reason I can think of that would get me to circumcise. It's just unnecessary.

 

[Aidan's Mummy]

Congrats hun x

 

[midori1999]

No, I don't think parents who circumcise their children are abusive. However, I think they are often carrying out an unnecessary medial procedure that causes pain (lets face it, chopping bits of hurts) and can cause serious, sometimes fatal complications.

I think it is largely done because it is the 'done' thing in certain countries and I also think that eventually it will cease to become so, already uptake rates are coming down in sime countries/areas as parents are becoming more informed.

I find it odd that parents are willing to circumcise to prevent medical complications (which it actually doesn't in Western society, according to the American Paediatric Society and others) but yet would never consider giving their daughter a full mastectomy to prevent breast cancer, even if there was a family history of it and despite cancer being far more serious than urine infections etc. Maybe that's because all their friends aren't doing that too?

 

[BrandiCanucks]

Breasts serve a higher purpose than foreskin, in my opinion. Breasts do more than keep a part of the body warm. Breasts feed. There's also a test to find your risk of breast cancer. I could understand some justification if a girl's tests for breast cancer risk came back high, but in this case, I fail to see how removing two pieces of an entire body part compares to removing a piece of skin.

 

[Aidan's Mummy]

What about the appendix? We no longer need that and it can cause problems. Do shall we remove that as routine? X

 

[midori1999]

Breasts serve a higher purpose than foreskin, in my opinion. Breasts do more than keep a part of the body warm. Breasts feed. There's also a test to find your risk of breast cancer. I could understand some justification if a girl's tests for breast cancer risk came back high, but in this case, I fail to see how removing two pieces of an entire body part compares to removing a piece of skin.

That's your opinion, I doubt my husband, who's foreskin is intact, would agree with you. I certainly don't, the foreskin is there for a reason, just like breasts are, it DOES have a purose, whether or not you view that as more or less important than the purpose of breasts.

A test that tests the risk for breast cancer does not tell you if you are going to get it or not, so what's the point really?

 

[November1984]

Breasts serve a higher purpose than foreskin, in my opinion. Breasts do more than keep a part of the body warm. Breasts feed. There's also a test to find your risk of breast cancer. I could understand some justification if a girl's tests for breast cancer risk came back high, but in this case, I fail to see how removing two pieces of an entire body part compares to removing a piece of skin.

That's your opinion, I doubt my husband, who's foreskin is intact, would agree with you. I certainly don't, the foreskin is there for a reason, just like breasts are, it DOES have a purose, whether or not you view that as more or less important than the purpose of breasts.

A test that tests the risk for breast cancer does not tell you if you are going to get it or not, so what's the point really?

and my OH who is not intact would disagree with you...well because your husband's opinion is in fact an opinion as well.
All of this is subjective based on the person. My OH's best friend was intact and was extremely uncomfortable when he decided to have his circumcision at 18. He was really peeved he didn't have it done as a baby. I'm not saying many people would be like him but some are....the opinions vary.
Yes, it causes pain -- the level of which is not really scientifically proven. My friend's baby SLEPT through the procedure (she saw him do it). It comes down very much to technique as well. Where we are taking our next boy the procedure takes under 30 seconds and the numbing takes about 10 minutes to fully set in.
I don't think that circumcision should be routine but I don't think it's an issue if parents decide to have it done for their sons if it's done in the best manner.
I think removing wisdom teeth (unnecessary part of the body routinely removed) is likely much more painful than foreskin removal. I can't say for certain but I'm sure an infant wouldn't be able to sleep through that. Of course an infant doesn't have budded wisdom teeth or fully formed breasts but you get what I am saying.
Also I don't believe we should start comparing foreskin to breasts, that reminds me off people comparing cutting off a clitoris to male foreskin removal. Skin and glands, skin and ligaments, skin and muscles...very different.
If you want to compare cutting off breasts to male genitals I guess a more similar comparison would be cutting breasts vs testicles.

 

[amygwen]

1. Are parents who circumcise their sons abusive? NO. Anyone who thinks that parents who circumcise their sons are abusive are just about crazy. Every parent does what they feel is best for their child and if they think circumcizing is best, then how is that abusive?
2. If yes, should these parents have their children taken away?
3. If you are against circumcision, do you feel that there is a gray area where circumcision is okay?
4. If the males in your family had a history of late circumcisions due to medical reasons, would you take the precaution and have your son circumcised as a newborn to prevent him from suffering the same fate as the males in your family? My son is circumcized anyways, but yes that would give me another reason to do it!

 

[Aidan's Mummy]

My nephew had to be circumsised a few weeks ago and he complained about the pain for over a week,often getting very distressed. Like I saidabout the appendix. It serves no real purpose and can sometimes cause problems later in life ( my OH nearly died due to a appendix that burst). Just like foreskins they very rarely cause problems but when they do it can become painful. So the argument about rather doing it before somethin goes wrong has no real standing in the medical field or as a mother IMO
xx

 

[lexi_is_ttc]

If I had a son, I would not circumcise him. I think it is unnecessary. I wouldn't judge another family for doing it though.

 

[samface182]

if it's not broke, don't fix it. why put my son through unnecessary pain? he was born with it. why remove it?

the foreskin is there for a reason, to protect the penis. i honestly do not understand why people get babies circumcised as there is no need for it, but to each their own i suppose.

 

[samface182]

MY DH had to have it done when he was a teenager for medical reasons - it hadn't occured to me that we'd have a son done just in case!

i am not meaning to put you down. i just don't get it. if something happened to him when he was older, and had to get it done, fair enough. but why do it 'just incase' as a baby, when it's probably not going to happen anyway? even if it did, what's the problem with it being removed when it needed to be?

if that doesn't make sense, i'm sorry.. i should be in my bed!

 

[BrandiCanucks]

the foreskin is there for a reason, to protect the penis.

Underwear works just as well, you know, lol

The foreskin, also, can trap bacteria and infections underneath the surface if not cleaned properly, and for some boys and men, it can be a long and difficult process to teach them how to do it properly, especially in the cases where the male is special needs.

I can understand the purpose of the foreskin for protection the cases of times where men and women lived in caves, or for those who still choose to live outdoors, but we are a more civilized society nowadays. I plan on having my son wear underwear when he's out of diapers.

 

[BrandiCanucks]

MY DH had to have it done when he was a teenager for medical reasons - it hadn't occured to me that we'd have a son done just in case!

i am not meaning to put you down. i just don't get it. if something happened to him when he was older, and had to get it done, fair enough. but why do it 'just incase' as a baby, when it's probably not going to happen anyway? even if it did, what's the problem with it being removed when it needed to be?

if that doesn't make sense, i'm sorry.. i should be in my bed!

Honestly, had it only been one male in my family who had complications with their foreskin, I may have looked in to leaving my son intact a little more, but three males was too much for me to consider not circumcising him. I saw the pain my brother's went through as their foreskin's fused to their penises. They were both 5 at the time of their circumcisions, and at 21 and 18, they still say the pain of the fusion was hell and they'd never wish it on anybody. Their circumcision pain, apparently, was nothing compared to the constant pain they suffered while they were intact. Both say they'd chose the circumcision pain over the fusion pain any day.

But like I said, if it had only been one male in my family with a late circumcision, sure, I'd have looked in to leaving my son intact, but 3 males was too much too ignore. I feel confident in my decision.

 

[samface182]

the foreskin is there for a reason, to protect the penis.

Underwear works just as well, you know, lol

The foreskin, also, can trap bacteria and infections underneath the surface if not cleaned properly, and for some boys and men, it can be a long and difficult process to teach them how to do it properly, especially in the cases where the male is special needs.

I can understand the purpose of the foreskin for protection the cases of times where men and women lived in caves, or for those who still choose to live outdoors, but we are a more civilized society nowadays. I plan on having my son wear underwear when he's out of diapers.

so just because all men wear underwear now, we may aswell chop off a bit of their skin since it's not really needed? pants do the same job?

yes, underneath the foreskin can get dirty, but that's why we need to teach our sons to have good hygiene and clean it properly.

 

[Aidan's Mummy]

Exaclty samface. I will be teaching Aidan about good general hygiene. Solves the problem
xx

 

[lexi_is_ttc]

On the opposite spectrum, it is tradition in some cultures and religions to circumcise. I don't agree with it, but I respect it.

 

[Dragonfly]

Well i dont agree with it anyway and certainly wont be chopping bits of my sons willy off if it wasnt necessary.


1. Are parents who circumcise their sons abusive? no
2. If yes, should these parents have their children taken away? no
3. If you are against circumcision, do you feel that there is a gray area where circumcision is okay? yes possibly as I didnt know you could need it for a medical reason but see some have said you can.


4. If the males in your family had a history of late circumcisions due to medical reasons, would you take the precaution and have your son circumcised as a newborn to prevent him from suffering the same fate as the males in your family? no if its not broke dont fix it.