Leave His Penis Alone!

I am having my second son-and I decided to have them both circumcised for many reasons. My fiance wasn't too keene on the idea because he asked me to consider not doing it with our son (my second). I told him that after what I've seen when working at a derm clinic-I shivered and said no, he's getting snipped. Sure, it may increase sensation-but really, how proven is that? Men have no problems getting 'there' in no time flat, whether or not they have the foreskin. If it is true, in my experience - I'm doing my son's future wives a favor by not making my boys minute men.

My husband is circ'ed and he is against it.  My brother is not circ'ed and he is against it.  I have a friend who was circ'ed and he just spent a year and a half restoring his foreskin.  I am an RN and I am against it.  The three pediatricians I work with are against it.  The 2 doctors and the midwife I work with are against it. 

A boy simply needs to clean himself, just like a girl.  A girl's labia puts her at higher risk for all the health problems that a boy can get from a foreskin, but you don't hear many people clamoring to have the labia cut off their newborn daughters.  Currently only 55% of newborn boys are being circ'ed in America so your son will be different than about half of his peers either way. 

I have assisted hundreds of circumcisions as part of my job.  I no longer do for ethical reasons.  I now consider newborn circumcision without medical need to be child abuse and a human rights violation.  I'm not trying to upset any mothers who have already had it done, just trying to educate those who still have the decision to make.  I believe that mothers are doing the best they can with the information they are offered.

Wow, I never thought the entire circumsision issue was this crazy.. When I was pregnant with my first child, I didn't know what sex it was and when the hospital gave me papers to sign whether or not I wanted to circ my baby if it was a boy. With out a thought in my mind I opted for yes, go for it. Thankfully it turned out to be a beautiful little girl. But Now that I am expecting again, and I have had time knowing that infact it is going to be a boy, I started to really question whether or not I should. And if it is really really necessary. I started talking to many moms who have, and some who haven't had their sons circ'd, and I get lots of mixed replys. Even a few horror stories of a circumcisions gone completely wrong.. But after hearing over and over that the baby will be injected with a needle on the tip of his little tiny penis and then cut, as if he were raw poultry. I can't help but think that I should not go through with it. Even if he's an infant, and won't know the difference. It's hurts me just thinking of the type of pain, this little baby, I've been carrying will feel once he makes it to the real world. I don't think that's what I want for my baby to feel for the first few hours of his life. I'm sure he will already be trying hard to adjusting to the outside life. Then having to deal with being altered immediately afterwards, along with feeling intense crazy pain.. No.. No.. My decision is made.. No Way!! It's not for me..

from misusedsenior's fiance;

I actually think that this is something that SHOULD be people's business. It's important for people to have all the facts before butchering their child. I have changed people's minds by talking to them about it. A lot of people just assume it's something people still "just do" like they did in the 70's. But that's not true anymore. If you choose to circumcize your child, he is going to be the one who looks "different". Only 10% of Canadians do it anymore, and that 10% is for religious reasons. Your doctor will try to talk you out of it.

I am pro choice, which means NOT that the parents should choose, but that your child should be the one to decide if he wants to be cut or not. Would you remove your child's tonsils of appendix at birth "just in case" they cause problems in the future? Would you give your kid a tattoo or piercing at birth because of the way it looks?

I beg everyone to at least look into it more before making such a permanent decision on your child's behalf. Tragically, I couldn't talk my sister out of it because she is so stubborn. But if I can change even one person's mind here, that's one less butchered child in the world.

I was happy to here that kids can now sue their parents and doctor for mutilating their genitalia.

I'm not getting my son's cut, if the little thing in my abdomen is a son. His father isn't cut, either. If you're getting infections and whatever from a guy's penis, that's not because he's not cut, it's because he's too stupid to clean himself. *Shrug* honestly, though, as long as people don't harass me about my decision I could care less what they do. I mean, seriously. It's not like this conversation comes up in normal conversation.

My fiance isn't circumcised and we are not circumcising our son. I left the decision up to my fiance because I felt that he was the expert when it came to penises. LOL! The only thing that I was worried about was possibly being teased by his peers but my fiance said that he wasn't ever and I feel that our son should be like his dad. I thought that he also might wonder why he isn't the same as his dad. Alan is very clean and I don't think that it looks ugly...mind you I don't stare a penises all day long. As long as his penis does the trick I really don't care what it looks like. I think it is so funny when people say how ugly uncircumcised penises are. I mean really who concentrates on how a penis looks? I haven't been with a whole lot of guys and Alan is the first I have ever gone down on but still the look of it doesn't bother me one bit. When it's hard it looks the same as a circumcised penis and when it's not hard my man is still sexy as hell! Really anomore I've read that only 40% of boys in the US are circumcised so I think it is sort of a dying thing.

I've seen exactly ONE uncircumcised penis in my entire life & it was the creepiest thing EVER. When I have sons they will be circumcised for sure.

I agree with MrsKDTaylor, me and my brother were both born in Honduras and they didnt offer it in Honduras. My brother was circumcised when he was 10... He claims it was the worst pain EVER he missed schooll for 1  week and a half, and was crying, couldnt sleep, couldnt pee, bathing was a BIG issue, and I felt bad for him... The reason he got circumcised was because he ended up with a really BAD infection due to not being cirsumcised... Soo its your opinion I respect it. so Good Luck...

I have a son and my husband and I chose to get him circumcised when he was born. Just understanding the procedure and talking in great length to my OBGYN (she actually did the procedure) they have pain medications that they gave my son before, during, and after. After the procedure, I put vaseline on him and a tiny gauze square for a few days and that was it. There was no ongoing pain nor meds needed. His father is circed and we didn't think twice about it. I have a cousin who got circed when he was 12 and I personally feel that is one of the worst things you can do to a boy/guy - wait till he's older. For one thing he'll remember it a LOT more and goes through a lot more than when they are infants. If this child we expect in a few months is a boy, we are def having him circed as well.

I have been so surprised by the number of debates on this. Especially in the "he'll be different" remarks. From my personal experience more men I know aren't circumsized than are. My brother never was, my dad isn't (I've asked as an adult ;) ), my husband isn't, and my son won't be. From the stats I've seen online it's 50-50 in Canada - so the "he'll be different from his peers" comments don't apply. In fact, I can't attest for everywhere in Canada, but I know in my city the only hospital that even performs circs is the Jewish General. If you want it done, and give birth anywhere else, then you have to go to an outside source.