Ban Circumsision in San Fran

[BlaqueKatt]

All it will cause is people doing it on their kitchen table with a steak knife...can't see ANY possibility of *that* going wrong.

I can't see any possibility of that happening-if it's that important call a mohel-

and interestingly-circumcision is performed simply because God has commanded it according to the jewish tradition.

[telecom_goddess]

Yes, circumcision has been shown to reduce the occurrence of certain diseases, but as I understand it, with proper cleaning and modern medicine, that difference is practically within the margin of error for testing.
Also, let's not beat around the bush, most parents aren't doing it for religious reasons anymore, most are doing it for cosmetic reasons because they think a circumcised penis is more pleasant looking and they think society expects a man to be circumcised, not because they are concerned about health.

That is true BUT people should reserve the right to be able to do it. It should still be a free choice.

[telecom_goddess]

I agree with whoever said that doctors should not be so nonchalant about unnecessary medical procedures. My mom had her tonsils out when she was a kid, not because she needed to, but because it was the normal thing to do to kids of a certain age back in the day because tonsils were "not necessary." More recent studies have shown that while tonsils are not vital to survival, they should not be yanked out if not absolutely necessary. Same with my mom's appendix; she had gall stones and had to have her gall bladder removed, and while they were in there, they took her appendix out too, just 'cuz they could. It wasn't infected, it wasn't damaged, there was nothing wrong with it. Why fix what's not broken?

I was after that "take the tonsils out" craze and never had mine removed, and suffered from having them infected repeatedly ever since. Even with all that they don't want to take them out and I just want to be rid of the damn things...they aren't useful and are just causing problems.

As for the appendix mine hasn't done anything yet but it's one of those organs that goes bad on just about everyone eventually.....not sure what it's even there in the first place.

[HYHYBT]

My mom had her tonsils out when she was a kid, not because she needed to, but because it was the normal thing to do to kids of a certain age back in the day because tonsils were "not necessary."

On the other hand, you wouldn't want a law against tonsil removal, either.

I had mine out at 4 years old. Because I *kept* getting tonsillitis, over and over, and then my brothers would catch it from me. So good riddance to them

As for the appendix, if something really IS useless, and so often causes trouble, it makes sense to go ahead and get it whenever you already have that part cut open. Every separate surgery is one less chance, for instance, that you don't wake up. The thing is, it turns out that the appendix *does* have at least one purpose: it gives "good" bacteria a place to hide when you have diarrhea. Without an appendix, it takes longer for the ones you need to have in there to repopulate. Not a big deal, with modern sanitation and medicine... but it does have at least one real use.

[Eisa]

Hmm. I have had my tonsils out, but that was to help me breathe. I literally could not breathe through my nose from age 3 until age 16.

The appendix? I wouldn't want them to perform a random surgery on me JUST to remove it, but if they were already in there, I wouldn't mind them taking it out, too. It could save another surgery in the future.

[BlaqueKatt]

That is true BUT people should reserve the right to be able to do it. It should still be a free choice.

I doubt it's the infant's choice to have a totally unnecessary procedure-that would be an adult forcing their will on a child, for no real health gain. And children do die from "routine circumcisions"

this page has some myth vs facts about circumcision


including:
MYTH: Circumcision is minor surgery.
MYTH: Circumcision won't hurt if anesthesia is used.
MYTH: Circumcision doesn't hurt, my son slept through it.
MYTH: Better to do it now because it would hurt more later.

The question of an uncircumcised child requiring later circumcision is used as a scare tactic--only in the United States. The question is not foreskin problems, but the attitude of the American medical profession in pushing what most physicians throughout the world consider unnecessary surgery. Worldwide, foreskin problems are treated medically, rarely surgically

[Crazedclerkthe2nd]

To this day, I remember the pain of my circumcision and let me tell you, there was nothing mild about it. It HURT.

[Sleepwalker]

How about we restricting chopping off bits of your child's dangly bits to medical necessity rather that chopping him to look like his dad or his mates, like they chop off puppy tails and ears to make them look breed standard.

Jesus.

[Greenday]

To this day, I remember the pain of my circumcision and let me tell you, there was nothing mild about it. It HURT.

Yea and how old were you? I bet it wasn't when you were a baby cause you'd never remember it.

[Crazedclerkthe2nd]

Yea and how old were you? I bet it wasn't when you were a baby cause you'd never remember it.

If you read my previous post I stated I was 10 years old when I had it done out of medical necessity.

[Greenday]

If you read my previous post I stated I was 10 years old when I had it done out of medical necessity.

Obviously I missed it when going over what I missed while I was sleeping.

Anyway, when done as a baby, you cannot form long term memory like you can later in life as a child or older. So anyone arguing that it doesn't save men from pain...it sure as hell does save you from painful memories.

[Andara Bledin]

How about we restricting chopping off bits of your child's dangly bits to medical necessity rather that chopping him to look like his dad or his mates, like they chop off puppy tails and ears to make them look breed standard.

This.

For the most part, it's pure aesthetic hubris on the part of the parents and (when not in observation of religious practices) should be treated with as much disdain as those who cut up their dogs' tails and ears to make them "look sharp."

Anyway, when done as a baby, you cannot form long term memory like you can later in life as a child or older.

It may not be the same, but there are quite a lot of people who have quite vivid memories of things that happened to them as early as the day they were born.

^-.-^

[Greenday]

It may not be the same, but there are quite a lot of people who have quite vivid memories of things that happened to them as early as the day they were born.

I've never heard of anyone being able to form long term memories that early, nor met anyone claiming to have been able to.

[BlaqueKatt]

Anyway, when done as a baby, you cannot form long term memory like you can later in life as a child or older. So anyone arguing that it doesn't save men from pain...it sure as hell does save you from painful memories.

please read the link I posted to myths vs fact

MYTH: It's better to circumcise babies because they won't remember the experience.


sadly I fell into this trap being uninformed

MYTH: Circumcision prevents phimosis.

FACT: Phimosis (when the opening of the foreskin is so small that the foreskin cannot be retracted over the head of the penis) is normal in infancy and is not an appropriate diagnosis before the age of 18.

Had the doctors I TRUSTED not given me incorrect medical information I would NEVER have consented to it-yes they said it was the only way to correct his phimosis. I now feel like the worst parent on the planet. I thought I was doing what was best for my child based on the information given to me by trusted medical professionals.....I should've known better....it had been discussed with his dad and I that we were not going to do it, then the doctor said we had to. I should've asked for a second opinion....

[Rapscallion]

Heh, the US, one of the world leaders in surgical efforts to reduce male pleasure during intercourse...

Rapscallion