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Circumcision: Should this child be circumcised, or not? What are the pros and cons?
I don't wish to stir up a lot of controversy but rather to get info and opinion on circumcision. My friend just had a baby and wasn't sure whether to have this procedure performed. She's asking male friends their view.
She doesn't nor do I like the idea of inflicting pain on a child. I've read this operation takes 10-20 minutes and is hard on the infant. However, I've also read that an intact foreskin is hard to clean for a child, there can be cheesy discharge that hardens under the head and that the foreskin can crack or tighten as an adult needing the procedure. I don't know if any of this talk of preventing STDs, AIDS or cancer is true either.
I'm just hoping I can go back to my friend with a better idea of what I feel about it after hearing from people hear especially parents who did and didn't have it done and whether they would do it again based on what their experience was.
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My sons and my husband are uncircumcised.
Does it prevent STDs, Aids, Cancer? False.
It is hard for a child to clean? False.
The foreskin doesn't detach from the head of the penis until around 14 years of age. At that time, he will have to pull the foreskin back and wash beneath it when he showers.
My husband has never experienced foreskin cracking or tightening. Neither my husband or my sons (ages 4 and 5) have ever had cheesy discharge that hardens under the head.
As said before, there is no medical reason to circumcise. Most people do it "to look like Daddy"
We didn't choose to not circumcise for that reason, but because we felt it is how their body is meant to be by nature.
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There is absolutely no medical reason to perform a circumcision on a healthy newborn with a normally formed penis. There are rare circumstances where it is medically necessary, but you would have been told about it if it was.
Yes, some extra steps need to be taken to keep the area under the foreskin clean, but it really is very simple to do. There can be a discharge, but this is avoidable if the area is kept clean. It is possible for an adult to develop a condition which will necessitate circumcision later in life, but this is rare. In the end, circumcision on an infant is performed overwhelmingly for religious reasons, and any medical reasons for it which are trotted out are very weak arguments indeed, used only by the people doing it for religious reasons so that they can justify it. The bottom line is that it's cosmetic surgery done without the infant's consent.
My son is uncircumcised. He is now two years old and has no problems whatsoever with hygiene or anything else. He's never had an infection in or around the penis. If he decides to get circumcised when he becomes an adult, that will be his choice.
I, on the other hand, am circumcised, and I would rather I hadn't been. I'm reasonably sure that it was painful at the time, though of course I have no memory of it.
It boils down to this: before undergoing surgery or having it done on someone in your care, the question one should ask is, "Why is it necessary?" In my opinion, and that of the majority of doctors not blinded by their own religion, the available reasons for routine infant circumcision don't come close to justifying it.
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As a female with no children, I can't give any personal experiences on the matter, but I have done some research on it so I'd like to pass on some information I have found.
Circumcision is a highly debated topic and you're likely to get strong opinions from both side of the fence. Some studies have indicated that circumcised males are less likely to develop UTIs, penile cancer, STIs, and HIV. Some studies even indicate a 60% decrease in HIV transmission in circumcised males compared to uncircumcised males.
Circumcision can increase the risk of meatitis (inflammation of the opening of the penis), and the risks that come with having any kind of surgical procedure are included. Also, the American Academy of Pediatrics state that "there is no absolute medical indication for routine circumcision of the newborn."
Of course, all of these things are debatable, including any studies conducted. The best thing your friends can do is conduct as much research as possible on the issue, consider the pros and cons, and make a decision together.
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