[Garfieldbear]

I need your help with something ladies.....I am really worried about making this HUGE decision for my little guy.....to circumsize or not. I did read that circumcision decreases the risk of UTIs and STDs later on, but the idea of my little guy's body part being cut off forever and him being in pain makes me so sad I did read that circumcision decreases sexual feeling later on, so I don't know what to do. I am going to discuss this with my husband later, but I know that he just wants our little guy to "fit in" and look like most other boys his age. I read some statistics from the National Institute of Health, and read that only 56% of males in the US were circumsized in 2005 (and that only 15% of the world's male population is circumsized). What are your opinions, any advice would be so appreciated!!!!

[Oriyan]

i'll point you here:

http://www.circumcision.org

Theres a subsection about mothers who observed the circ procedure: http://www.circumcision.org/mothers.htm


and theres also a subsection of men who later on in life got circed and said they wish they never did it cause they lost feeling: http://www.circumcision.org/adults.htm (which always makes me wonder if guys who are circed feel things differently then those who arent...)


After I read all that -- I was like no way am i circing! I am trying to talk DF into it.. if we have a boy he wants the boy to look like him.

[HopeWishWait]

We are choosing to circumsize...we just feel that, after the research and reading we've done, that it's the best decision for our family. I can see the side of not doing it but for me I think the benefits outweigh the negatives. It's really hard to give advice other than what Sam did with links because I think it all comes down to personal preferance in the end.

[soImarriedAnerd]

Research has proven that the UTI and STD rate is actually LOWER in intact boys then cut boys. (but if you use protection your great either way!) The rate of cutting is dropping in the states so the social reasons aren't really applicable anymore either-since its about 50/50 now. And with the rate dropping cutting will be the minority in about 10 yrs they are estimating. The 15% of cut men worldwide seems high to me...I was told its only 9%...as only a couple countries practice it (USA/UK/Australia-and only the USA has the majority). There is NO medical reason to do it. There are many insurances that will no longer cover this elective surgery and prices range from $300-$2000 depending on drugs used for pain control. The American pediatric society says to NOT do it (unless religious reasons). I personally will not be circumcising my boys or girls. I know many people say "well I would NEVER circ a girl, its different". I really don't see the difference...your remove sexual sensitivity skin, you remove their protective layer, people who circ girls swear its cleaner also. and if your child has a normal anatomy there isn't a medical reason to do it. Thats the medicine part.
The personal view---no way in HeL! would I do that. LOL Its my opinion the owner of the penis/vagina should get to pick what they want. I have held a baby who almost died due to an "elective surgery-Circ", I can't imagine what those poor parents felt like knowing they requested the thing that put their kid in NICU! I have seen them go bad to many times also, and I can't even tell you how much My heart cried while I assisted for the procedures. I personally think a little girl is harder to clean then an intact boy.
My views are very strong on this topic. I hope I didn't come off to pushy. I think its best for everyone to research this on their own and make the decision that they are comfortable with. There is a great information blinkie in the intact care section of JM forums that you can check out also!

[ShannonMVT]

I worry about this decision as well.

I've started to read up on it somewhat. There seems to be a lot of varience in what I've read. Some uncirced adult men have said they have never had problems with infection or smell. But then others said that even though they cleaned very well, they had problems with infection or smell.

Dh wants to circ. I played devil's advocate and told him that uncirced men were supposed to enjoy sex better, but that didn't seem to phase him. From what I can see (for us) the main benefit to not circing would be greater sexual enjoyment and Dh doesn't think that is a good enough benefit to justify the possible problems related to not circing.

That said, I still don't know. My disclaimer is that everything I've read has mostly been on forums with guys talking about how they felt about being circed or not. Most websites with statistics seem to have a slant towards convincing you one way or the other.

[thepinkleprechaun]

I actually hoped I would have all girls so I wouldn't have to deal with it lol!

That said, I just asked myself why I would want someone to cut a part of my baby's body off? Is there any reason that is good enough for me to put him through pain? For me the answer was no. And I have no religious convictions that would say otherwise, so we did not have him circumcized.
I don't regret it at all, I haven't had any problems with cleaning or anything like that. You're not supposed to retract the foreskin anyways...I just leave it alone and it's fine! I don't regret not getting him circed, I don't think he'll be teased or anything because as previously mentioned the circ rates are going waaaay down in the US.

Actually the doctor that was attending Phin's birth said he recommended NOT doing it. I told him we weren't because I didn't see any reason for it. DF didn't really care either way, he said he doesn't care that he is circumcised but he didn't insist on our son getting it done either. I wouldn't have signed the papers anyways though lol...he would have been SOL.

ETA: Also my brother was born when I was 10 years old and he was circed...I saw him right after they did it and his penis was all bloody and gross and you could tell he had been crying his little head off, I think that traumatized me for life

[A*LOT*OF*HOPE]

Kyle and I have chosen to have our child circumsized!! It was a decision that was not made lightly!! We researched it, and I even posted a thread on here about it!! Where we live it is not common to circ , primarily because of the high Hispanic population!! I have never been with a man who was not circ'd so I have no idea sexually what it is like!! I afraid in a daycare environment though his little man parts might not be cleaned well, and that could pose a problem!!!

[IamMom]

I had my son circumcised and didn't even think twice about it. It's just what all the men in my life who I have "known" about this issue have had done. I understand it has to hurt them but after being born that same day (or the day before) it's probably not much more trauma....does any guy even remember the pain of being circumcised. My little guy wasn't even crying when they brought him back from it, and I don't remember it being bloody or gross and it was easy to care for afterward. Probably after a couple weeks it was pretty much healed up and I didn't have to do anything more for it. I know how much circumcised guys like sex so I don't think it hurts them in that area too bad. I didn't do much research or anything on it - I just knew its what we would do if we had boys. I'm into more traditional parenting I guess you would say and I think my views differ on alot of things than alot of mommies and mommies to be on the boards. That's what makes it a great place to get advice and see both sides of the story! I don't regret it one bit...my son is a happy, healthy toddler, and he loves his penie just the way it is!!!

[greeneyes]

This is from another message board I'm on:

Top ten reasons not to circumcise your son:

1. The foreskin is healthy tissue which would be the size of a postcard in an adult man. There are nerves in the foreskin which are NOT in the head of the penis and which only exist in the lips and fingertips.

2. The foreskin rarely becomes diseased and only requires circumcision in cases of cancer, gangrene, etc., like any other body part. And if a man should get a yeast or bacterial infection, as women routinely do at much greater rates, they can be easily treated with creams or medicine, as women are.

3. A baby's foreskin is easy to care for as it is adhered to the head of the penis with the same tissue that adheres your fingernails to your fingertips. You do not have to pull it back to clean it, and to do so causes scarring and damage. You simply wipe it off like a finger. When the foreskin naturally retracts (anytime between age 3 and puberty), the boy only has to swish it in the water to clean it. I don't know about you, but every boy I know has no problem getting that penis EXTRA-clean in the shower or bath!

4. Routine infant circumcision was started in this country in Victorian times as a way to prevent masturbation. Dr. Kellogg, the main proponent, knew and said that circumcision removed the most sensitive part of the penis.

5. An intact penis provides more pleasure for a woman b/c of the gentle gliding motion which both keeps the woman's natural lubrication in the vagina and prevents chafing.

6. Only half of boys born today in the US are circumcised. This has dropped from a high of 85% one generation ago, and continues to drop. Worldwide, only 15% of men are circumcised, and those are mostly Jewish and Muslim. A boy is as likely to be made fun of for being circumcised as for being intact. Your husband's experience in the locker room is inapplicable 30 years later. In addition, with all of this information readily available on the internet, as your son grows, he will definitely know the difference and it won't be just rumor as it was for our generation.

7. Most circumcisions are performed without adequate anesthesia (even a nerve block doesn't get the vagus nerve.) Sugar water definitely doesn't dull the pain. Newborns are proven to feel pain more acutely than adults b/c of their nervous system immaturity.

8. The selling of foreskins from circumcision is big business. They are made into face creams. Is that where you want your son's body part to go?

9. The new testament specifically says that Christians are not supposed to be circumcised. See Galatians 5:6. In short, circumcision was the old covenant and Jesus the new covenant. There are even Jews who reject circumcision.

10. There are no other cosmetic surgeries that parents are permitted to perform on their children without the child's consent. If the child grows to maturity and still wants to be circumcised, he can then have it done, and b/c his penis is fully grown, the doctor will be able to tell how much to remove and the man will have adequate pain relief during and after. Though the parents may have aesthetic preferences, the child may not share them. (Do you listen to your parents' music or wear your hair like theirs?)

Here's a great video from a doctor about circumcision: http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...30319025&hl=en[/b]

I'm not trying to sway you one way or another, just providing an interesting article I saw posted somewhere else.

[*krista*]

Oh man... like the ladies said, this is such a personal decision. I personally don't want to circ, and SO does, so I'm trying to convince him otherwise, slowly but surely! Does Clark have an opinion one way or another?

[..Christine..]

Andrew and I have decided that we are going to have our son circumsized (if we have a son)- it is a personal decision and the best for us.

[ANGWife]

Our son will be circumcised. It's a mutual decision for many reasons.

[**jessie**]

My first advice would be to consult a pediatrician to ask about the benefits/risks and get his/her recommendation. I would not trust most of the information on the internet, especially when it comes down to deciding whether you want your son to have a surgical procedure. I think the advice of a medical professional should be crucial.

I have strong opinions on this, as well. I will go ahead and share some of them. I don't mean to offend anyone-
-It's 50/50 right now in the USA. Every year the % of circumsized babies goes down. I imagine that within a couple years, circumsized males will be the minority.
-I never understood the argument that a child should look the same as his father. Do boys and their dads sit around and compare penises?
-I took the time to find and read the actual published papers regarding circ'ing because I have access to medical journals. Internet info is ofter misconstrued. For example, the decrease in UTI's is only in babies and young children. There is no decreased UTI's in adult circ males.
-There is no major medical organization that recommends circ'ing
-It is now considered a cosmetic surgical procedure (except where religion is involved)
-Circ'ing is so rare in the rest of the civilized world. Do you think that all men, except those circ'd in the US/UK, are walking around with stinking/infected penises? Not at all.

GL with your decision- it really is a big one.

[Resi]

We didn't circumsize Oliver and I have no regrets. I didn't feel it was my choice to cut off a piece of his body. There were other reasons too.

[Frozendesire]

We had Curtis' circumsized. I for sure don't regret it. His penis is nice and healthy and healed up just fine. The procedure was fine as well and he didn't cry after wards. It wasn't bloody or anything either, just red. It kinda looked like it would be blood but it actually was just red. He didn't seem even phased by it.. so I dunno.

If this one is a boy he'll be circumsized as long as our doctor thinks he can be. Apparently he's picky on who he circumsizes, which is fine by me!

[Garfieldbear]

Thank you for sharing yoru opinions, they are very helpful.....I am leaning towards not getting him circumcised now. I spoke with my husband yesterday and he thought that since the number of boys getting circumcised is down to 50/50, then it would be fine not getting him circumcised. I do feel slightly guilty because I am 1/2 Jewish and I feel like I am being dishonorable to my Jewish heritage....but I have never been a practicing Jew, so it doesn't seem fair that I don't follow any Jewish traditions but still get my son circumcised for that reason. If my son grows up and being Jewish means a lot to him, then maybe he would be willing to go through circumcision later on. Actually, next Sunday I am going to my best friend's Bris for her son.....a Bris is a Jewish circumcision ceremony performed at home. Perhaps seeing it will sway me even more. My mom and mother-in-law will probably not like the idea of me not having my son circumcised because in their generation almost everyone had their son circumcised, but I don't want to base my decision on what they think. Thank you so much for sharing your opinions, it is really such a difficult decision to make and there are pros and cons to both sides.

[Frozendesire]

It must feel nice to come to a conclusion

I really think the rate of circ'ed boys sure has dropped! So no worries about that at all.

Don't worry about what your Mom and MIL will think. They will love their little grandbaby boy all the same! Trust me, this is just one bump in the road of parent hood where you will get lots of unwanted advice and remarks from loved ones hahaa.

[LaLaRose3]

This is from another message board I'm on:

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE

Top ten reasons not to circumcise your son:

1. The foreskin is healthy tissue which would be the size of a postcard in an adult man. There are nerves in the foreskin which are NOT in the head of the penis and which only exist in the lips and fingertips.

2. The foreskin rarely becomes diseased and only requires circumcision in cases of cancer, gangrene, etc., like any other body part. And if a man should get a yeast or bacterial infection, as women routinely do at much greater rates, they can be easily treated with creams or medicine, as women are.

3. A baby's foreskin is easy to care for as it is adhered to the head of the penis with the same tissue that adheres your fingernails to your fingertips. You do not have to pull it back to clean it, and to do so causes scarring and damage. You simply wipe it off like a finger. When the foreskin naturally retracts (anytime between age 3 and puberty), the boy only has to swish it in the water to clean it. I don't know about you, but every boy I know has no problem getting that penis EXTRA-clean in the shower or bath!

4. Routine infant circumcision was started in this country in Victorian times as a way to prevent masturbation. Dr. Kellogg, the main proponent, knew and said that circumcision removed the most sensitive part of the penis.

5. An intact penis provides more pleasure for a woman b/c of the gentle gliding motion which both keeps the woman's natural lubrication in the vagina and prevents chafing.

6. Only half of boys born today in the US are circumcised. This has dropped from a high of 85% one generation ago, and continues to drop. Worldwide, only 15% of men are circumcised, and those are mostly Jewish and Muslim. A boy is as likely to be made fun of for being circumcised as for being intact. Your husband's experience in the locker room is inapplicable 30 years later. In addition, with all of this information readily available on the internet, as your son grows, he will definitely know the difference and it won't be just rumor as it was for our generation.

7. Most circumcisions are performed without adequate anesthesia (even a nerve block doesn't get the vagus nerve.) Sugar water definitely doesn't dull the pain. Newborns are proven to feel pain more acutely than adults b/c of their nervous system immaturity.

8. The selling of foreskins from circumcision is big business. They are made into face creams. Is that where you want your son's body part to go?

9. The new testament specifically says that Christians are not supposed to be circumcised. See Galatians 5:6. In short, circumcision was the old covenant and Jesus the new covenant. There are even Jews who reject circumcision.

10. There are no other cosmetic surgeries that parents are permitted to perform on their children without the child's consent. If the child grows to maturity and still wants to be circumcised, he can then have it done, and b/c his penis is fully grown, the doctor will be able to tell how much to remove and the man will have adequate pain relief during and after. Though the parents may have aesthetic preferences, the child may not share them. (Do you listen to your parents' music or wear your hair like theirs?)

Here's a great video from a doctor about circumcision: http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...30319025&hl=en[/b]

I'm not trying to sway you one way or another, just providing an interesting article I saw posted somewhere else.
[/b][/quote]

I just ditto this so that I don't say too much.

[Adriana's Mommy]

If we have a boy we will get our son circumcised.. I have no problems with it.. I tend to stay away from the internet with this type of matter.. so many negativity about things. I learned that with my DD and I want to do what's best for my family. just my opinion.

[thepinkleprechaun]

Yeah don't worry about what they think...this is your son not theirs and you have to do what you think is right. I would just not really talk about it if you can't help it and then if it comes up you can just say you don't want to have it done and it's not up for discussion because it is yours & DH's decision