Circumcisions?

These are the best web resources I have found. I am glad you are planning to leave your son with his WHOLE body.

Here is a good page about what your Dh may be feeling (don't show it to him, it will just upset him) http://www.udonet.com/circumcision/vincent/vulnera...

Here is a good write up of a document that ALL parents should be required to read before consenting to surgery, simply so they can give INFORMED CONSENT: http://www.icgi.org/information/full-disclosure-in...

This is a good overview: http://www.circumstitions.com/Itsaboy.html

Here are some DISTURBING images of what a circumcision actually entails: http://www.circumcisionquotes.com/plasti3.html

http://www.cirp.org/library/procedure/plastibell/

http://www.circumcisionquotes.com/gomco3.html

http://www.circumcisionquotes.com/rdr5.html

There is NO good reason to stray from the default. The male prepuce has just as much function and purpose as the female. Circumcision has always been a cure desperately in search of a disease: http://www.icgi.org/2007/04/medicalization-of-circ...

It's not really so "normal", as the USA is the only developed nation that routinely cuts up baby boys. 85% of the rest of the men in the world are intact.

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.ph...

My son and almost all the boys I know that are under age 18 are INTACT and have NEVER had problems and NEVER been teased! (I asked my 15 y.o. jock brother's and they said it isn't an issue.) If teasing was an issue, a little self esteem goes A LOT further than a painful unnecessary surgery. "So, your making fun of me because no one cut off half the skin off my ****?" should suffice. Besides, what else is your husband prepared to surgically alter to prevent teasing? What if your child has freckles, or needs braces or is short, or tall, or thin, or chubby, or smart, or needs glasses, or has red hair... the list goes on and on. Like I said, self esteem is more effective than surgery.

Cleaning is easy, the infant and toddler foreskin is adhered to the glans, so just wipe like a finger and go. They will figure out how to retract, rinse and replace the foreskin in their own time.

Last of all. Being cut DOES effect the sex life: http://www.sexasnatureintendedit.com/index.html

I agree with you completely! Either make them both legal, or both illegal. It would be very interesting in seeing how something like that were to go through the court system. I don't have an issue with adult males being circumcised at their own will; we pierce, tattoo, pickle our bodies all the time- why should this be different? As long as my premiums for universal healthcare don't pay for it, I couldn't care less. It's with infants i have a problem with. It's his damn body! The "looks better", "matches the father", "easier to clean" "safer from STDs" is all crap: Looks better: Like you said, that's subject to opinion. Matches the father: OH GREAT! The father was beaten with a belt as a child too! Wanna have your son re-live THAT pain too? Easier to clean: Bugger off. Get off you lazy a$$ and clean your kid! And teach him good hygiene when he's old enough. It wasn't hard for me to grasp. Safer: If there is apparently no undisputed scientific fact out there that proves I didn't choose to be gay, I refuse to believe that there's undisputed scientific proof that says that cut men are more resilient to STDs. Now on to religion: My best friend is jewish and is quite proud of his cut penis. In fact it's sometimes part of his opening line when he meet's someone new. My friend has always been sensitive about his religion (even though he's reform and basically non-practicing) to the point where if you don't agree with any certain part of his religion, he gets defensive. I used to say that it was fine to do it for religious reasons, but then I thought... wait. There are other religions and cultures that require female circumcisions- those cultures exist here in Canada and the US, yet FGM is illegal. So what's with the double standard? Don't compare the severity; they're both barbaric unnecessary operations- WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? The same friend's girlfriend plans on having her kids cut. Why? "It's cleaner. Oh he won't remember it." This girl is a HUGE hypocrite. Why? She's pro-life to the highest degree- to almost the level of Palin's pro-life stance. Ok.. Child's rights, bla bla bla... Now what about when the child is born? Where are his rights then? With all due respect to everyone who practices a faith of some kind, I say to hell with religious, traditional, or cultural reasons. Outlaw infant circumcision for BOTH genders or make both legal.

somthing nobody has mentioned yet- the circ rate in the US is at 50% nationwide, with it going as low as 30% in some areas. So circumcised or not your son will have plenty of peers that look the same as he does. I wouldn't even include teasing on the list of reasons because by the time he's old enough for anyone to know, he'll be among peers who are 50% like him. Also remember that kids will get teased over just about anything- if he happens to have a big nose, are you going to get him a rhinoplasty? of course not, you'll teach him some witty comebacks and he'll survive. feel free to pm me if you want, and I can help you dig up good links. If you DO decide to do it, consider using a mohel, suprisingly jewish ritual circs are much quicker and kinder than hospital ones. Check out www.emoil.com for info on that, but I would definitely lean towards keeping him intact, I think your are correct in your views ;) -Neb

My Keyboard is Haunted has provided you with a lot of resources. I agree it's unnecessary because the foreskin is there for a person, it's also cruel, and because it can't be reversed it's not fair on the boy. I also think that the "teasing" reason it a very silly one because rates are dropping hugely in the USA so much so that it's almost a 50/50 split between circumcised and not. Besides penises are almost never on view. Yes the foreskin can have minor problems later down the track (usually because people assume it needs special care like harsh soaps or forcible retraction which actually *cause* infections)but so can any body part, no reason to cut them off. IF a problem occurs it can be treated at the time.

These days the biggest reasons to have your son circumcised are religious and aesthetic.

There is NO medical need to have a circumcision done. If the penis and foreskin are properly cared for and cleaned, infection won't become an issue. Your son will still have a normal adult sex life even if he's not circumcised.

People circumcise their boys because daddy's is, so that kids won't tease them in school, and because that may be all they've ever seen and think it's "normal".

Yes, an uncircumcised penis looks different, but it functions the same.

That being said, my son will be circumcised, but I am doing it for religious reasons. Being Jewish, my son is required to be circumcised.

It's good that you guys have both agreed to research it. I really think this gives you a better chance at winning. The following has received me a few answers, so I hope the resources/link/studies/statistics help you so you can share them. Best of luck!

By leaving a boy uncircumcised, if he's not satisfied with it he can always get cut and end up satisfied in the end. One survey found that about half of circumcised guys would have preferred to had made the decision themselves:

http://www.jackinworld.com/qow/q15.html

Circumcision has become less common. Circumcision rates were as high as 90% back in the 1960s and 1970s (that's partly why today's adults are so... brainwashed, I supposed you could say, about thinking that circumcision is better) but they have fallen to as low as 14% in some states. Here are the statistics:

http://www.cirp.org/library/statistics/USA/statera...

The USA is the last developed nation doing it to a large number of newborns without religious or medical needs. (Europeans, Latin Americans, Japanese, and most Australians, Canadians, and Asians don't circumcise):

http://www.circumstitions.com/Maps.html

Christianity doesn't ask for circumcision, either. In fact, sections of the Bible are harsh against circumcision, and the Catholic Church even condemned the surgery:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumcision_in_the_B...

In a medical study, it was found that females are more likely to hit orgasm with an uncircumcised man:

http://www.healthcentral.com/drdean/408/60750.html

The lubricated foreskin (on the inside... like your eyelids) slides up and down during sex and masturbation to stimulate the head (which is why you don't hear of uncircumcised guys needing lube to masturbate).

http://www.cirp.org/pages/anat/

Studies have found that circumcision reduces sensitivity (this article also mentions how it has lost popularity in the USA in recent times):

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,285532,00.html

And despite being more sensitive, uncircumcised guys still last in the same six minute range (average) that circumcised guys do:

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j...

Circumcision makes masturbation more difficult:

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j...

Which makes sense, that's how circumcision was promoted in the USA:

http://english.pravda.ru/science/health/27-03-2006...

Increases erectile dysfunction rates:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retri...

If too much skin is removed in circumcision, it can make the penis smaller since the penis needs some skin to expand during an erection:

http://drgreene.org/body.cfm?id=21&action=detail&r...

http://www.altermd.com/Penis%20and%20Scrotal%20Sur...

There's pain involved, often why doctors don't want you in the room when it's done:

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9712/23/circumcision.ane...

http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/1f21e.htm

(you can search online for a circumcision video, too)

Circumcision does not completely stop penile cancer. The American Cancer Society has already confirmed the myth that circumcision = no cancer.

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_...

If circumcision did stop penile cancer, then penile cancer would not be more common in the USA (most circumcised adults) than in some European nations, where circumcision is not practiced other than for medical/religious reasons.

http://www.circumstitions.com/Cancer.html

And a new study found that circumcision does not reduce your chances to get HIV/AIDS. Unlike other studies, this one was done in a developed nation; the USA.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22096758/

Of course, there are other risks associated, but those are typically the ones due to surgery. You can research it more here:

http://shorl.com/deprygyfrykiny

http://www.mothering.com/articles/new_baby/circumc...

PS. As far as cleaning goes, it's really simple. For the first years in life the foreskin doesn't pull back. That prevents stuff like poo/fecal matter from touching the head. Later on all it takes it 5 to 10 seconds to pull the foreskin back and rub the head; it even feels good.

http://www.mothering.com/articles/new_baby/circumc...

This was an easy decision for my husband and I as we both agreed (after research) to go with the circumcision. I commend you on your desire to base your decision on research. It seems though like you've both already made up your mind. I would urge you to do the research with an open mind.

I'm grabbing a couple of sites we looked at for you.

http://www.mothersagainstcirc.org/

This site lists a bunch of other sites with info about circumcision, it's really helpful.

http://www.circinfo.org/links.html

http://www.circlist.com/resources/resources.html

Remember, circumcising or not circumcising is okay. Neither one is going to "harm" or hurt your child. It's just a decision that parents make. Either way your little boy will be fine.

I hope these sites help.

I stood my ground and did not get my son circumcised. There is no good reason for it. If everyone does it just because everyone else does it then what sort of illogical cycle does that create? My son is 9 and we've never had an issue. He also never had to go through the first few days of his life with it burning everytime he peed. Stand your ground. Its a proceedure that started (according to the old testament) as a method of showing allegiance to a single god. Its outdated and unnecessary, lets stop it now.

Reasons Many Parents Choose Circumcision

Research studies suggest that there are some good medical why your son should be circumcised. These include:

Circumcision lowers your son’s chances of getting a urinary tract infection (UTI) in the first year of life.

Although a rare condition, cancer of the penis is essentially eliminated in circumcised males.

Research shows that males who are circumcised have a slightly lower risk of getting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Circumcision eliminates foreskin infection that occur at the peak ages of 3 to 5 years.

Circumcision prevents phimosis, a narrow opening that makes it impossible to retract the foreskin at a later age.

Genital hygiene, which is particularly important in unsanitary conditions, may be easier after circumcision.

Reasons Many Parents Choose Not To Circumcise

There are also good reasons why parents choose NOT to have their son circumcised. Circumcision may be more risky if done later in life. Parents should try to make a decision about circumcision before or soon after their son is born and not wait until later.

As with all kinds of surgery, circumcision has some risks. Although uncommon, complication such as local infection and bleeding can occur as a result of the circumcision. On rare occasions, the foreskin may be cut too short or too long, or circumcision may heal improperly. Since many parents see circumcision as a cosmetic procedure, they choose not to have their son exposed to these risks.

Many view the foreskin as an important part of the human body that is necessary for the protection of the penis. If the foreskin is removed, the exposed end of the penis may become irritated and cause the opening of the penis to become too small. This may cause difficulty in urination and may need to be surgically corrected.

Many also believe that the removal of the foreskin can desensitize the tip of the penis, causing a decrease in sexual pleasure later in life.

Almost all uncircumcised Boys can be taught proper hygiene that can lower their chances of getting infections, cancer of the penis, and sexually transmitted diseases.

Well done on researching it before rushing a decision.

Here's a website which sways against circumcizion.

http://www.circumstitions.com/index.html#news

Good luck, and if you wanted my opinion I hope you choose not to snip your newborn baby!