Not circumsizing your son--what was your experience?

[Anonymous]

Adhesions aren't of concern in an uncirced boy -- they will resolve typically between 2 and adolescence. They're of much greater concern if the boy IS circumcised and they fall on the scar line. Also, the circed boy needs to be retracted and cleaned, where the uncirced one does not. Not comparable.

Yeast typically isn't an issue, or could be treated just like it would be in a woman.

[Anonymous]

Two boys, neither circ'ed. No problems, so it is truly a non-issue. Every now and then I freak out and scream at husband, "What am I supposed to do with these things?" He shrugs and says he doesn't know because his is different. The insanity-fueled stand-off results in non-action which, as luck would have it, is exactly what should happen.

[Anonymous]

Why don't people circumcise?

[Anonymous]

Um, because not circumcising is the default?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't mean to hijack the thread...but honestly, what is the reason that people opt for circumcision if there are no religious reasons? I was born in Europe and no one circumcises their children there unless it serves religious purposes. I was shocked to learn that the majority of men in the US are circumcised regardless of religion.

Because penises are so icky and kids will tease you in the locker room. I mean really, how can you keep your privates clean if you don't wack some of that extra ickiness off? Plus I want my son to have a good sex life and no one will sleep with him if he is not circed.

As of 2.5 years ago when we decided not to circ our son, only 50% of boys in the US were still getting circumsized (at least in hospitals), so I don't think it will be that big of an issue as they get older.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone with a noncircumcized son had trouble with daycare providers retracting the foreskin?

My son has never been in daycare, but when he has a new caretaker, nanny or babysitter, I just tell them to not do anything with the penis. It takes a 5 second conversation and hasn't been a big deal.

[Anonymous]

American pediatricians often give terrible advice to the parents of uncircumcised boys. My son is fine, has never had a serious problem but two pediatricians have come up with reasons that he needed to be circumcised. My in-laws are European and both doctors so we had their advice to back us up. My friend was also told to circumcise his son at age six for some minor reason. Always get a second or third opinion.

[Anonymous]

My DH had to be circed at 4 and still remembers it, which is why we chose to circ. Luckily my OB did a great job. My ped even remarked on it.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in Europe and never heard of anyone "having to be circumcised". Penises (peni?) are pretty normal things and I can't believe that nature designed them in such a way that we need to chop the ends off. I am sure that the medical establishment in Somalia finds all kinds of justifications for female circumcision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:American pediatricians often give terrible advice to the parents of uncircumcised boys. My son is fine, has never had a serious problem but two pediatricians have come up with reasons that he needed to be circumcised. My in-laws are European and both doctors so we had their advice to back us up. My friend was also told to circumcise his son at age six for some minor reason. Always get a second or third opinion.

My dad is European but his family moved to the US when he was 5. Back then an uncirced penis in the US I suppose was particularly odd. For whatever reason the pediatrician told my grandparents that he needed to be circed (as did he younger brother). My grandmother told me it was so traumatic for him that he didn't want to be touched afterwards for weeks. I just found out about this from her within the last year. She still regrets it, and my mom didn't even know anything about it, so clearly he chooses not to discuss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DH had to be circed at 4 and still remembers it, which is why we chose to circ. Luckily my OB did a great job. My ped even remarked on it.

I hear this kind of logic a lot and it strikes me as very strange. Do people imagine that the pain and trauma is not as bad for a newborn as it is for a 4 year-old simply because a newborn can't talk about it or remember it? The chances that your son would "have to be circumcised" at a later date are slim to none. It is more likely that your DH didn't really need it either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DH had to be circed at 4 and still remembers it, which is why we chose to circ. Luckily my OB did a great job. My ped even remarked on it.

The reason your dad, and all the other poor boys/men of the past 40 years, "had" to be circed is because of bad medical advice.

As a PP mentioned, boys do not "need" to be circed in countries where they do not routinely circ; it is only in this country where the foreskin is viewed as a ticking time bomb. Just think how easy it would be to think a girl needed to be circed -- oh, she has a yeast infection! Cut off some skin. Oh, she has a bacterial infection! Cut off some skin. Oh, she has some smegma! Cut off her skin. See how easy it is to come up with a reason? Anyway, the only real medical reason to amputate the foreskin is gangrene, blunt trauma (eek!), or the most severe case of phimosis. Most US doctors are trained to see problems with the foreskin which are not really problems, and frequently advise parents to handle the foreskin in a way which greatly increases the probability of trouble. Any retraction or forced separation of the foreskin will cause micro-tears and potential infection, which is why it is especially important that no one ever tries to retract the foreskin. It will gradually loosen somewhere between 3 years and puberty.

My personal experience with intact sons is pride that I was able to leave my sons as nature intended, and feeling great that I am one more person to curb this awful, uninformed, bizarre, gruesome fad in the US. My boys have never had any problem whatsoever, although I did have a pediatrician reach for the foreskin once. After that, I always have said - before the diaper or underwear came off - that they were not allowed to touch my son's penis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't mean to hijack the thread...but honestly, what is the reason that people opt for circumcision if there are no religious reasons? I was born in Europe and no one circumcises their children there unless it serves religious purposes. I was shocked to learn that the majority of men in the US are circumcised regardless of religion.

Because penises are so icky and kids will tease you in the locker room. I mean really, how can you keep your privates clean if you don't wack some of that extra ickiness off? Plus I want my son to have a good sex life and no one will sleep with him if he is not circed.

Er, actually, uncirced adult here, and no problem ever finding a partner, but thanks for asking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DH had to be circed at 4 and still remembers it, which is why we chose to circ. Luckily my OB did a great job. My ped even remarked on it.

I hear this kind of logic a lot and it strikes me as very strange. Do people imagine that the pain and trauma is not as bad for a newborn as it is for a 4 year-old simply because a newborn can't talk about it or remember it? The chances that your son would "have to be circumcised" at a later date are slim to none. It is more likely that your DH didn't really need it either.

This. I feel so sad for the newborn babies who have to go through this unnecessary and traumatizing procedure. I have been biting my tongue while reading the other circumcision thread, but it makes me SO SAD. And I have seen a circumcision performed (at a Bris) and it is horrible. I wonder how many people would allow their defenseless infants to be circumcised if they actually had to watch it (someone on the other thread mentioned not wanting to/understanding why someone would watch their child be circumcised) - if you can't watch it - why are you subjecting a defenseless infant to it?

As to pre-emptively circumcising to prevent later circumcision - there are so many potential problems with every body part that could happen later in life - do you pre-emptively remove all of them because something could happen when you or your child is older? Yes, children will remember painful medical procedures on any part of their body, but why do it before there is anything wrong?

For the record, I have an uncircumcised son and he has had no medical issues related to being uncircumsised. Suprisingly, the only problems I have seen in this or the other thread is from people whose children WERE circumcised and developed adhesions and other problems...interesting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't mean to hijack the thread...but honestly, what is the reason that people opt for circumcision if there are no religious reasons? I was born in Europe and no one circumcises their children there unless it serves religious purposes. I was shocked to learn that the majority of men in the US are circumcised regardless of religion.

Because penises are so icky and kids will tease you in the locker room. I mean really, how can you keep your privates clean if you don't wack some of that extra ickiness off? Plus I want my son to have a good sex life and no one will sleep with him if he is not circed.

Er, actually, uncirced adult here, and no problem ever finding a partner, but thanks for asking.

Ummm......I think they were trying to be sarcastic.

Those of us who have done our research know that uncirced is better for women, anyway.