Circumcision

[Kheldarson]

Weird little question, but I'm trying to formulate an opinion and I know that we've got moms, dads, and medical professionals on here.

About to have a kid. It's a boy. So...circumcision, yay or nay? I've really never developed on opinion on it, and neither has Kabe. My brothers all were, so I know how to take care of things that way, so I've never dealt with things another. My mom says that she and dad decided to based on the advice of his mom (my Meme), who was a nurse, and on the fact they were told it was more hygienic.

I've looked at various research summaries, and it seems to flip-flop back and forth as to whether it's a good or bad thing medically.

I don't have a religious requirement for it either.

So just trying to get more informed. I'd particularly like to hear from parents as to why or why not they circumcised.

[D_Yeti_Esquire]

I'm not going to get into the ethics of it which people can get extremely passionate about (although I do find the "let the kid choose" side tends to discount the fact that most people would not want to deal with scarring, healing, and pain at an age of consent which is why it's done before most children are forming memories), and assuming it doesn't go freakishly (in the way unlikely medical complications happen) wrong, about the only result that's fairly predictable is a bit of loss of sensation of the nerves.

However, since practically speaking that can potentially help a guy last longer and if he's all that concerned about his partner's fun times, that's not necessarily a horrible thing. Hell, it's cheaper long term than buying numbing agents.

But long term it's just a cosmetic/lifestyle choice. Just one that becomes far less preferable the older you are. It's not good or bad, you just have to pull the trigger one way or the other.

[Ginger Tea]

Not been circumcised and never will, was never cos it wasn't a cultural or religious thing to do.
Only reason would be medical, dad knew one guy who had to 'get fixed' in his 30's and as it was sore down there the nurses teased him (not as in gave him a hand job) and talked dirty in ear shot just to hear him wince once Mr Winkey got happy.

Leaving it to the child to decide would probably mean "You want to put a scalpel where?", but if you are not doing it for religious or cultural reasons, then outside of medical ones, it's more of a case of why?
Sure as a baby you wont remember it, so no harm no foul, but then it swings back to why?

I was told by a former co worker that in South Africa most African males aged 18 self circumcise themselves as a right of passage and as South African males are predominantly circumcised, white families started getting their children done when they were children, probably the same age a Rabbi would perform the cut.
So that went from I do it for cultural reasons to well everyone else has I might as well.

[D_Yeti_Esquire]

I'd say the why is still cultural mostly regardless of religion. Circumcision is still predominant in the US, so growing up without it might lead to a parade of "why does your penis look like that" questions. Not really a compelling argument one way or another and doctors neither recommend nor discourage it.

[Andara Bledin]

My brother's not circumcised because my parents thought it was a horrible and pointless operation.

His opinion is that he's happy they didn't and he's never had any issues arising from it.

[Greenday]

I had it done when I was born and I'm quite happy with how it is. Glad it was done before I could form long term memory.

[HYHYBT]

Five posts is already the longest discussion I've ever seen online about this topic without it turning nasty.

[Ginger Tea]

With this iit's normally a case of I was done at a young age so have no memory of it, to I never had it done and quite frankly I don't want a knife anywhere near it TYVM.

I imagine it's hard to answer honestly if you would be circumcised in later life had you not already been done as an infant.

The OP's siblings were stated as being circumcised, but I didn't see if the child's father was or not, but if not, it would give you both sides of the coin regarding 'after care'.
I have no idea on the percentage of Americans assuming the OP is from there or Canada, another post has it quite high to be quite normal, though I take it not socially a stigmata, at best you might be confronted with "So that's what a circumcised penis looks like."

I personally would not have my child circumcised if I were to be a father, or an active one anyways.
But that's cos I never was and the thought of a knife near there reminds me of John Wayne Bobbit, which is also another plus point for doing it when the child is too young to form a lasting memory.

[Kheldarson]

The OP's siblings were stated as being circumcised, but I didn't see if the child's father was or not, but if not, it would give you both sides of the coin regarding 'after care'.

That's because OP's husband posts on the boards and he can answer that if he wants. :P

[crashhelmet]

I was circumcised and I've had no problems. Like Greenday, I'm glad it was done before I could form a conscious memory of it. I had my son circumcised when he was born as well.

From what I understand, and I could very well be wrong, is that biggest risk from not having it done is constant infections if they don't clean it properly.

As with any procedure, there is the risk of the surgeon fucking up and cutting more than he should, but I'd think that risk is lowered with the the doc's experience and reputation.

[Andara Bledin]

Apparently, statistics for the US runs about 66% cut.

Most of the benefits, medically speaking, are reductions in events that are so uncommon to begin with that the reduction in likelihood is almost negligible.

The cleanliness angle, moreover, is only an issue if you have cleanliness issues. Was your baby properly and teach him how to wash himself, and again, the benefits to cutting are vanishingly small.

At this point, as members of a first world nation, the question of whether to circumcise or not is completely unrelated to health, and more likely tied to either tradition or vanity.

As might be gleaned from my choice of language, I'm not a fan of unnecessary medical procedures.

[HYHYBT]

I vaguely remember seeing something a few years ago about uncircumcised men being slightly less likely to catch HIV, but as with the other things, it's probably not enough of a difference to be worth worrying over.

As with any procedure, there is the risk of the surgeon fucking up and cutting more than he should, but I'd think that risk is lowered with the the doc's experience and reputation.

Funny thing... I'm told that I was circumcised twice. Apparently they didn't cut enough the first time, and it was fixed (so to speak) when I had my tonsils out at three or four. I guess it's sort of like shaving your head, in that once you've started it's best to do the whole thing?

[crashhelmet]

I vaguely remember seeing something a few years ago about uncircumcised men being slightly less likely to catch HIV, but as with the other things, it's probably not enough of a difference to be worth worrying over.

Funny thing... I'm told that I was circumcised twice. Apparently they didn't cut enough the first time, and it was fixed (so to speak) when I had my tonsils out at three or four. I guess it's sort of like shaving your head, in that once you've started it's best to do the whole thing?

A friend's brother is "half-circumcised." Apparently, his mother freaked out in the procedure and had the doctor stop.

[Andara Bledin]

I vaguely remember seeing something a few years ago about uncircumcised men being slightly less likely to catch HIV, but as with the other things, it's probably not enough of a difference to be worth worrying over.

Pretty much.

At this point in civilization, it's nothing but a vanity operation; whether that be to satisfy religious concerns, cultural concerns, or just cosmetic, there's no particular advantage to having it done, and while there is also no particular disadvantage, there will always be a risk of complications for a procedure that has no medical value.

[RedRoseSpiral]

I've been with guys who were and weren't circumcised and I could tell a marked difference. Compared to my fiance who isn't cut, the other two guys I've been with didn't seem to enjoy sex as much or at least didn't feel as much. On the hygiene part, if you teach your kid how to properly wash themself, there won't be an issue.