Circumcision: Would you (or have you) have it done to your son?

[LibraLiz1973]

Poll question: Circumcision: Would you (or have you) have it done to your son?

The other thread was very interesting- the question was about your feelings on your own circumcision.
Reading through the thread I noticed a few people said they would not have it done to their child.

So what's your take on it?

Explain...

[Breeze54]

1. This will be a long story...ready?

First son was circumcised. No problems. He was fine besides being jaundiced
and in intensive care for 7 days. But I wasn't! I was a basketcase!
I was sick and feverish and it took me a long time to recuperate.
He just screamed bloody murder for 4 months! Argh!!! :crazy:

Second son was circumcised at the insistance of my gynacologist! :wtf:
WHY does the GYN get to decide and DO the circumcision?????
He fucked it up and my son ended up bleeding and on antibiotics, after I rushed
him to the ER and for the first three weeks of his life and he was PISSED OFF!!
It burned every time he pee'd!! :grr: Then they had the gaul to send me a bill for it
for $1800.00!!! I told them, "I won't sue, :grr: ; if you don't send me another bill!!"
The bills stopped! ;) My son ended up with an allergy to Penicillin and had asthma!!!

Third son, as I was told, was born with a 'natural' circumcision and I was told he
didn't need one. When I worried, (persisted) about if he would have any problems,
the pediatric doctor said, "Well; he might pee to the left! But who cares??" :rofl:
I never authorized for him to have one done and he's been fine, as far as I know! ;)

If I had it do do over again, with all three? I would NOT do it... EVER!!!!

[SarahB]

9. Sort of like me.

My first two boys were circed because of my brother (who wasn't circed at birth ended up being circed at 17 because he developed infections due to lack of ability for self care due to severe cognitive delays). I never wanted my boys to have to go through that later in life. Well, my oldest two like their mom are very fair-skinned and despite frequent diaper changes were constantly red and rashy on their glans all through infancy and toddlerhood. I started to do more actual research on the subject the next time and saw no reason to do it. I didn't want fear dictating my decisions and I have no regrets. My youngest is almost 6 and he's quite happy with his penis as it is. We deal with body matters and sexuality on an age-appropriate level, so no problems with the "different" thing either.

p.s. Here's a great article for dealing with potential issues that can come up surrounding intact boys and dealing with the medical establishment:

http://www.mothersagainstcirc.org/fleiss.html

[ChoralScholar]

2. My son is circumcised

A friend whom I turned to for advice, got an infection and had to have a circumcision at age 14. So, you know what his advice was.

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. I would, but I'd hire a Mohel to do it. I wouldn't let the hospital.

[Critters2]

23. That's interesting.

You'd do this in addition to baptism? (It actually makes sense to me, but apparently, Paul would disagree).

[Rabrrrrrr]

25. I wouldn't be looking for the bris ritual, but, if I did decide to circumcise,

I'd want a Mohel to do it. They do way more than any doctors do, and so are much better at it.

[Madrone]

4. Not just no.

Hell no.

That's something I won't bend on, and any man that's ever entertained the thought of being in a relationship with me has come around to my way of thinking on the matter if they weren't there already.

[bridgit]

5. I didn't have my son circumsized...

[Breeze54]

6. What a cutie patutie!

;)

Here are my two oldest... 1982 -- visiting Dad


The blonde is my 2nd oldest.

[LibraLiz1973]

8. He's adorable

Is there a specific reason you didn't or just didn't feel like it?

[LibraLiz1973]

7. For anyone that didn't post or explain

Why would you not have the circumcision??

I've never really stopped to think about it but it does seem like something that alot of people have strong opinions about.
And there are alot more people saying NO than I'd have thought.

I don't have kids yet, but, I guess I should start thinking of this stuff.

[gollygee]

10. As I said in the other thread

at one time I dated a guy who didn't have enough skin left after his circumcision. The foreskin is a fold of skin and there's no way to know during babyhood how much of it will be needed when the kid becomes sexually mature. In his case, not enough was left. It wasn't a good thing. I don't know how common that is, but I bet there are other things that can happen as a result of circumcision too. It's surgery. On a baby. I don't get why so many people do it without even thinking about it.

We have a daughter and will be starting to try to have another baby here in another month. If we have a boy, we will not have him circumcised. If something happened as a result, I'd feel terrible. Men all over the world aren't circumcised and manage just fine. As for infections (as mentioned upwards in the thread) women are just given antibiotics. For men, they suggest surgery? I don't understand that. I bet if a boy or man had a UTI in the UK or another country where circumcision is uncommon, he'd just be given antibiotics and would be fine.

[SarahB]

17. Read my link in post #9. nt

[seemunkee]

11. Mohel at my in-laws house

It was a party.

[Critters2]

22. I've been to two brisses (sp?)

And they were great parties!!

[Deep13]

26. Not for everyone.

:shrug:

[LeftyMom]

12. I didn't have his skull drilled to let the evil spirits out either.

I tend to prefer evidence based care to superstitious bullshit. :D

[Deep13]

20. Oh great! So his head is still infested with ghosts!?

I'm calling child services. :evilgrin:

[LibraLiz1973]

31. Your nuckin futs!

Let the evil spirits out!!


:rofl:

[zanne]

13. My ex-husband was not circumcised.

I didn't mind one little bit.

[City Lights]

14. Our son is not circumcised.

But then neither is my husband, father, or father-in-law.

[China_cat]

15. I did with my first 2 sons

but only because it was a day and age when you were given no choice in the matter...the consent forms you signed (well, your HUSBAND signed) when you were admitted included permission to circumcise if the infant was male.

[BarenakedLady]

16. I didn't

There was no reason for me too.

[Marrah_G]

18. Both boys were done, no regrets

[Deep13]

19. No reason to do non-anesthetic surgery on a newborn.

You only need to see one to be against it forever. Watch the Penn & Teller's Bullshit episode on the subject, but not after you eat.

[pdx_prog]

21. I have two sons.....both circumsized...

It's a cleanliness issue. When they are 12 and have to have it done because they can't keep themselves clean then you can explain to them why you didn't trim their lipsticks when they were a baby.

Besides.....what woman finds non-circumsized wee-wee's attractive? Not to mention the ribbing they take in the high school locker rooms....

:crazy:

[redqueen]

24. this woman does n/t

[Shine]

30. In our community, it's about 50/50...so there's no teasing going on

also, plenty of women find uncircumcised men attractive. :eyes:

I have a 13 yr old son who wasn't circumcised and he's been fine. If they're taught proper hygiene, they'll be fine.

[BarenakedLady]

33. There are plenty

And I'm sure my son will have no trouble finding one (or a guy, if the case may be).

The cleanliness issue is a fallacy.

[supernova]

36. Untrimmed penii

are just as attractive as the trimmed ones.

Just because it has come to be customary here in the States, doesn't mean that it's the norm everywhere. If you go to Europe, most European and British males are uncut.

[blondeatlast]

27. Hubby was uncut and insisted that we have it done for son. Mr. has since gone through it

when he had the vasectomy.

[Left Is Write]

28. My son is uncircumcised.

[Shine]

29. We chose not to circumcise our son.

As far as I'm concerned, there's NO medical reason for it and it causes trauma to the infant.

That said, it's a personal decision and I defend the right for people to choose what works best for them.

[Book Lover]

32. You want to touch my child with what and why??

Did not have it done to him, and would never do so. If my father who grew up in rural pre-WWII Italy could manage to keep himself clean, USians with indoor plumbing should be able to manage just fine.

[Lyric]

34. Yes, he's circumsized. No, I don't regret it.

And I'd probably do it again if I had another boy, unless there was some medical reason not to.

[jpgray]

35. To my mind it's not as significant an issue as many think it is

It's mostly cosmetic in a society with ready prophylactics, widespread if still backward sex education, etc. In other words the supposed link to reduced HIV/STD susceptibility has less importance.

Mostly I think fathers will have a wish to have their sons resemble themselves, and mothers will worry constantly about whether or not it is the right thing to do. I think in this case women are worrying overmuch about something men mostly never think about, at least with regard to their own selves. From what I've learned, most men just accept this part of themselves as nothing bad or evil, cut or uncut. We males would be in a lot of trouble if we obsessed about a similarly cosmetic procedure for women, but it makes good sense that mothers are deeply worried about something that affects their sons which they can't experience, and of which it would be hard to fully understand the implications.

[MrsMatt]

37. didn't do it

call me crazy, and perhaps I've read too many conspiracy novels, but one of the reasons (albeit far down the list) we didn't circ him was that we were concerned that it could possibly mark him out as an American. Our last name is ethnic and the spelling has not been anglicized. His name (and his sister's name) are very non-American as well. If he was ever in a situation where Americans (based on name and other identifying physical charateristics) were being separated from other Europeans by people who have a grudge against Americans, he'd at least have a shot at not being singled out.

[Dora]

38. It's a risk. We did it. Our son was fine.

The doctor doing the circ had been doing circs for 60 years. The nurse said he was a circumcision god. My husband witnessed the event. They used a local, topical anesthetic, and allowed plenty of time for it to "take" before cutting. The doctor took a very small amount of skin. Our son never even cried out. And he's always been very happy.

He did at one point have a problem with fusing, but it resolved with proper care.

The big risk with circumcisions is if it's a bad circumcion, it makes life pretty unpleasant for the man. Really - quite a drag. Altered function, painful erections, sexual dysfunction. Can you imagine a boy trying to figure out why it hurts every time he gets an erection? It's a problem, and a legitimate concern of the critics. A bad circumcision is indeed a mutilation.