Name: Mrs.Mancini1369 | Date: Nov 29th, 2007 8:57 PM
My husband insists that we circumsise our son when he is born. He claims that the other boys will call him a "helmet head" and how does he explin the differnce when the kid sees his Daddy naked and their penis looks differntly? Those are HIS concerns. My concern is that an infant boy has a small penis and what if it accidently gets cut off or the surgery is botched? I mean that is my sons penis, he is going to need it. Im also worried about infections. I think if his father explains it to him if and when it becomes an issue he will be fine. I mean will he even notice the differnce enough to be upset by it? My thinking is at least if we leave it he can make an informed decsion when he is older.
Any opinions from the Dads out there? Should we get him cut or is it better to let him make the informed decsion when he is old enough? ↓
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Name: mjvdec01 | Date: Dec 2nd, 2007 5:01 PM
the majority of people now do not circumsize their sons anymore. There is no substantial evidence that it reduces the rate of infection. Also, did you know that they perform the procedure with out anesthetic, it's torture and it is not necessary. Your hubby is thinking of himself and not his son. Would he let the doctors skin his finger, probably not! So why then skin the most sensitive part of his body, with no medical evidence that it is necessary? I think he just wants his son to look like he does. Isn't it enough that he would have his eyes, his nose his laugh, not to mention his DNA. By the time your son starts school, more than half of the other boys will be uncircumsized, it will be the circumsized boys getting teased! I'm sorry, but if your husband doesn't agree with you after this, just tell him NO! The doctor canno't do the procedure with out the consent of both of you. I'm sorry, I don't mean to judge, I just feel very strongly about this subject. I am currently pregnant too, my hubby is circumsized and if we have a boy this time we will not be circumsizing him. ↑
Name: Macy | Date: Dec 3rd, 2007 2:47 AM
I would absolutely not circumcise my son. It is such a private part of his body, something only he should get to make decisions on. If he gets older and decides to do it, on his head be it. My husband is not circumcised and he has never had any problems with his penis. There is a very small range of medical circumstances where circumcision should be done, but if your son doesn't fall into that range, DON'T have it done. ↑
Name: Malica | Date: Dec 7th, 2007 2:10 AM
Times are indeed changing. Ask your doctor or do some research on what the circumcision rates are today and your husbands concerns about him being different from his peers should mean that you DON'T circumcise him. ↑
Name: Franny | Date: Dec 16th, 2007 10:37 AM
Did you realize that there are billions more UNCIRCUMsized penises in this world. I would estimate only about 5-10% are in fact mutilated. Besides Americans, Jews and small select parts of Africa, the rest of the world is as nature intended men to be, thank god : ) ↑
Name: LIN | Date: Jan 2nd, 2008 2:12 AM
Aussies are typically circumcised as well (not that I'm advocating it or anything). ↑
Name: Chris1975 | Date: Jan 5th, 2008 6:01 AM
At present there is no strong medical evidence to support the routine circumcision of baby boys. Circumcision rates are on the decline, with an incidence of about 10 to 11% in Australia, 60% in the USA, 20% in Canada and less than 5% in the UK. Routine male circumcision has never been a common practice in European, Scandinavian, Asian or South American countries, with rates being typically less than 1%. <-- This being the case from what it was in the 1970's (it was around 50% in Australia, now less than 15% - not sure about USA stats as im an aussie). Given those figures and declines, its irrelevant whether your husband is circumsized...its not your dad your little boy wil be facing in the locker rooms at school through adolescence when his ego and self consciousness will come into play. Noone really does it anymore unless for religious reasons and there is no benefit and only risk associated with it. That being the case, im not going to do it with my boy (im currently 31wks preg) . If you boy really wants it done, he can get it done later in life
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Name: Teddyfinch | Date: Jan 8th, 2008 1:31 AM
i think those numbers might be a bit wrong. my husband is australian and he's not cut and it isn't done hardly at all anymore there. so, lin, they're actually not typically circumcised. there had been some scare a while back about there being an increase in cases of cervical cancer from uncircumcised penises because of the bacteria that can grow under the foreskin, but a circumcised penis can get just as dirty, so there really is no need and there is no chance of mutilation if you don't get it done so if we have a boy, he'll stay uncut. ↑
Name: filly06 | Date: Jan 8th, 2008 8:55 AM
Not saying right or wrong either way...I have heard sometimes people do whatever the father is. ↑
Name: brd8808 | Date: Jan 10th, 2008 4:20 PM
Well I'am circumsized, and I don't remeber it hurting much at all. But I am certainly thankful that I am. Don't know if this helps but thought I should tell you that there are many benifits to being circumsized. This coming from a male who is ↑
Name: lunamoo | Date: Jan 10th, 2008 5:17 PM
Not to mention all the fun a woman can have with foreskin! ↑
Name: leelee3000 | Date: Jan 14th, 2008 2:42 PM
I don't have an opinion on this subject but would like to offer what I know... dh has 3 brothers... so there are 4 boys in the family...the first 3 are circumsised... the last one is not... because their father was not and insisted that one of his boys "look like him" as brother do... the three that are made fun of him growing up and the last one is extreamely sensitive on this subject...he doesn't like that he looks different than his brothers...again I have no opinion just wanted to add the story. ↑
Name: LIN | Date: Jan 23rd, 2008 1:37 AM
Teddyfinch, my husband is an Aussie as well, and he says that the large majority of men in Australia ARE circumcised. I'm sure it depends on what year they were born, though. ↑
Name: docbytch | Date: Jan 27th, 2008 4:05 AM
Hi. I fear my take on this may be unpopular on this thread seeing as most posters have advocated in favor of NOT doing the procedure. Just as a sidenote...though I am female...my DH and I are EXACTLY on the same wavelength about this. My bby boy was born this last Oct and he was circumcized. Why? Several reasons. 1) Better it be done now than later when it becomes much more involved and painful...he will have no memory of it was done in the hospital when he was 1 day old. 2) Whether or not studies show circumcized penises to be more hygenic doesn't sway my opinion. I have been with males who have been both circumcized and not circumcized. From a woman's perspective...there is a HUGE difference between the two. Circumcized penises are cleaner...and that makes a difference if you are into oral sex at all. I found those that were not cut seemed to have a strong odor.....and these were men who were seemingly clean. As my boy's mother...I am not gonna (and don't get offended...you may burst out laughing of course) deprive my poor boy of future potential blowjobs. No way. I know a lot of females who will not do that.....but I have not asked the question regarding whether their SOs are cut or uncut. Likely uncut it would seem to me. Soooo.....to me...no one else has to agree....a circumcized penises are more attractive and frankly cleaner smelling. Just a different perspective for one to consider! ↑
Name: leelee3000 | Date: Jan 29th, 2008 2:22 PM
oh, I have a different story as well... as docbytch says better now than later...my father had to be circumsised at like 40 and he said it was super painful and wished it would have been done when he was a baby... ↑
Name: Cat24 | Date: Feb 1st, 2008 11:49 AM
its very cruel and for the sake of what? so called 'tradition'. let the little boy keep himself in tact until he is old enough and informed enough to decide whether he wants a totally unnecessary cruel operation. ↑
Name: dyl | Date: Feb 11th, 2008 2:02 PM
interesting that your husband says that if his son ISN'T clipped, he'll be called a "helmet head" - in my circle (mostly jews, but i'm not), you're either a Helmet or a Toque. Makes more sense, if you ask me.
Either way, being a toque, i can say that docbytch's reasons just don't cut it for me (pardon the pun). Better now than later? Based on that logic, why not get a mastectomy now, since you might get breast cancer later? Having a friend who has gone through the procedure later in life, I would agree that it is significantly less memorable if it's done early in life - however, his was done out of preference, not necessity.
As for toques being "smellier" than helmets - sorry, but my dick doesn't smell like anything except body wash. "seemingly clean" doesn't mean they actually are clean. if you teach your son proper hygene (namely, showing everyday), there shouldn't be a problem.
OP - look at it this way - if you do it now, there's no turning back. There are innumerable cases of this procedure going wrong and scarring for life (albeit, there are significantly more successful procedures), so much like any surgical procedure, it's got to be a risk you're willing to take.
It's interesting that people still want this done - how many other voluntary/cosmetic surgical procedures would you consent to have done on your newborn? ↑
Name: grumpydory | Date: Feb 13th, 2008 12:48 AM
my ex had his done at 18yrs old simply out of preference but i noticed when we were together that the the skin around where he was cut was hard instead of soft like it would have been had his mother had it done at infantsy, so i wonder if is he just a rare occurance with it turning out that way, im also tryin to figure out whether or not to circumsize my son
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Name: hope-31 | Date: Feb 23rd, 2008 4:43 PM
my dh is not circumsised and we are ttc and i want our sons(if we have any) to be circumsised and he does not. i am not really 100% sure why i feel srongly about it but i feel it will just make it easier for personal hygeine,at least when their young. my dh's 9 yr old nephew is not and it seems that every summer after a trip to the beach he has to go to the er cuz grains of sand are in the foreskin. it just seems life would be easir in the end thats all. as an adult there should not be a problem with cleanliness but as a chid lets face it they barely want to wash their hands. ↑
Name: Bridget | Date: Feb 26th, 2008 1:03 PM
We were going to circ our son (I didn't really want to just because of the whole"scalpel near my son" factor but Daddy is cut so I figured I'd let him win this battle) Well, Daddy got a vasectomy a week before our son was born and decided then and there that no doc was coming near our kid with a sharp instrument for anything cuz it hurt. So, I won in the long run and my reasons for not wanting my son to be cut were that foreskin must have a purpose otherwise penis's (penii) wouldn't have it so why take it from my son, it's his and he can cut it later if he wants to and since he will know it will hurt, he'll REALLY have to want to. And if our son asks why his and Daddy's penis' look different, we'll tell him the truth (modified for whatever age the question arises) Heck, little boys ask why Daddy's is bigger too, so what's the big deal really? Sort of OT but many times I see folks wonder about "how to tell my child ---fill in the blank---" when the truth is almost always easier. "Daddy's penis looks different because he was circumcised as a baby because the doctors thought it was a good idea for babys back when he was born but now the drs know it's not necessary so we didn't circumsize you" Next question:"What's circumsize,Mommy?" "It's when the doctor removes some of your foreskin" (I would omit the word "cut" from this conversation)"What's foreskin", etc. The truth is best and easiest. ↑
Name: Cat24 | Date: Feb 29th, 2008 8:16 AM
don't take this the wrong way brd but you would say that because its something you have never experienced hence the old saying 'what you don't have you don't miss'. what are the so called benefits that an uncut male couldn't have? ↑
