When I first became pregnant and we found out it was a boy, I figured that this decision could be left up to Justin, in fact all issues pertaining to penis will be left up to Justin. It will be Justin's responsibility to decide whether or not we circumcise the Bubba and sometime down the road, it will also be his job to have "the talk" with the kid.....I am sure there are lots of penis related discussions that fathers have with sons, all I know is these will all be Justin's job.
So, initially Justin was very pro-circumcision. And, I supported him, but after having multiple conversations with the midwives at the birthing center, and reading about the benefits and disadvantages of circumcision Justin appears to be changing his mind- which I also support.
So, yesterday we were reading an article about it that was very informative. We learned that most of the western world was repulsed by the idea of circumcision from the time the Greeks and Romans first encountered it when they met up with Muslims two thousand years ago until the mid to late 19th century when the practice began in the US because it was believed to "cure" masturbation.......obviously that was a big fat failure....As I read this article, I decided that I wanted to hear more men's opinions on this issue so I decided that I would call my dad and ask what he thought about it.
So, I called my dad and for one of the first times in recent memory he was silent and kind of muttered an "uhhhhh" for quite a while. He then said "I can't believe we are having this conversation" I thought for sure my dad would be opposed to circumcision, but he wasn't at all. He didn't really have an opinion either way, which doesn't assist in helping Justin and I make a decision at all.
So, we'd really like to hear what people think about it. So, I'm starting a new poll here on the Bubba blog.
And, I'm going to lay out some of the reasons people are for it, and some of the reasons they are against it. I'd love to hear your comments.
Reasons FOR circumcision-
1. Cleanliness
2. So the bubba will look like daddy
3. helps protect you from STD's
4. Other kids will make fun of him
Reasons to NOT Circumcise-
1. Both the cleanliness and STD arguments have recently been claimed as FALSE by the American Academy of Pediatrics
2. Its an unnecessary Surgery and you should avoid unnecessary surgeries
3. The foreskin removed in circumcision is the most sensitive part of the penis- some claim that circumcision robs men of great sexual pleasure.
So, we don't know what to do and unfortunately this is not the type of thing that you can hold off until the kid is old enough to make a decision for himself. If we are going to do it, we need to do it. BUT, it is turning out to be a much more difficult decision than we thought.
In the end, Justin will decide and I will agree with whatever he decides, but I do think it is interesting to hear other people's opinions.
I say don't do it. The foreskin provides a lot of protective and health benefits.
ReplyDeleteIt only becomes a health problem if you don't teach him how to properly clean that part of his body.
This is not influenced by my status in this department.
hey sj starting reading your blog hope everything is going well
ReplyDeletejust an fyi, guys w/ uncircumsized penises tend to get yeast infections more, and its not related to thier cleanliness - read "The Yeast Connection" its not specifically about penises but they have a section on it. its by some crazy hippie doctor, so i don't know how accurate it is.
The evidence against doing it is pretty good. Inflicting serious pain on someone that young should have a strong, overwhelming advantage and the pro-cutting camp doesn't seem to have very good args. Self-esteem can solve any of the drawbacks from "looking different" and the health args against leaving him intact are just not that good. "Tradition" and "fitting in" are not good reasons to do something. There is a lot online about this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.icgi.org/
http://www.nocirc.org/publish/
I haven't made up my mind on this question yet, but I do think most doctors now use anesthetics to eliminate the pain of the procedure. http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20060720/doctors-now-ease-pain-of-circumcision
ReplyDeletemy comment didn't include the whole URL for some reason -- here's the rest:
ReplyDeletetors-now-ease-pain-of-circumcision
Here's the title:
Doctors Now Ease Pain of Circumcision
Survey Shows Most Residency Programs Teach Doctors to Treat Baby's Pain
Hey Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI think you both will know what is going to be best. Just go with your gut feeling... or Justin's. All of my nephews that have been born in the past 4 years have not been circumcised because of the newer information that has been published that does discount the arguments that it is cleaner and decreases bacteria. There may be some truth to that but it almost seems like has become a trend out of vanity. Good luck! Hate to say it, but this is probably the first of many difficult decision you and Justin will have to make for the kiddo. :)
Let him have the right to a whole penis. Circumcision is a sick tradition that needs to end. It should not be Justin's decision or Sarah's decision. The penis belongs to the little person growing inside Sarah. Give the the little man the right to decide what to do with his own whole penis.
ReplyDeleteIn 2008, the average nationwide circumcision rate is 56%. So he probably will not get teased by peers.
ReplyDeleteLittle man can choose to mutilate his own genitals if he feels strongly about it when he gets older.
Check out circumcision.org for a ton of research on the issue.
Yes, you can wait until he gets old enough to decide for himself. Adults do get circumcised, mostly for medical reasons (tight frenulum). Newborns feel all the pain grown ups do. Pain medicine works the same way on adults. Google adult circumcision for more info. I read one man's story, says he ejaculates much quicker now, but he is less sweaty at work.
ReplyDeleteSarah: This is a complicated issue as I have found. Personally I dont have a clue what I would do, BUT my research shows that circumcision originates from the christian religious ritual. Here is a good link that gives the whole history of it pretty clear. http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Circumcision/circumcision.html
ReplyDeleteIn my opinions after reading this if you dont subscribe to these beliefs than the answer would be no. Let me know what you think. Cant wait until hes here! Lori
I think the last post is wrong (the link doesn't work). Circumcision pre-dates Christianity by thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians engaged in the practice (hieroglyphic evidence proves), and Herodotus was writing about it in the 5th century BC in Greece. It wasn't 'till Alexander the Great put a thumping on Greece and the surrounding area that the practice was lost. Lastly, Circumcision is mentioned in the old testament, but this practice is never recommended in the new testament -- kind of like keeping kosher isn't really recommended. So, I'm not sure how it is based in Christian ritual. It is more accurate to say that it is based in ancient ritual and health practices.
ReplyDelete