Let’s talk circumcision

Where I come from being circumcised isn’t something common.  I honestly always thought that the only ones circumcised were Jewish boys.  But while I was pregnant and at my doctors office, he asked me if he was going to be circumcised.

My first thought and response was I don’t think so. I mean, I never gave much thought to it. What I did know for a fact is that it would be painful, so before even doing research of any kind and being asked again at the doctors office I said confidently, NO.  I than began searching for information and there are tons of it.

Now, if you are a mother/father that has circumcised your son I’m sorry to have to tell you this, unless medically necessary (meaning your son was born with a defect in his penis) you made a decision based on some story going around that it’s easier to clean, it won’t get infected, it’s safer against STD’s or whatever else you may have heard.

Those are all marvelous things but untrue.

Most people are under the assumption that you have to pull the skin back of an intact penis to clean and that is absolutely not true.

You wipe around it just like you would a finger. Pulling on the skin will most likely cause it to get infected and be very painful to your son.

Now ladies, have you looked at yourself down there? I hope so.. if no, go ahead, take a look.  Do you think that looks easier to clean than a penis? I think not.  Now have you stopped by the pharmacy and looked at the shelves? yes? Anything about penis cleaning? No huh? All of those cleaning products are geared towards women.

So I guess the harder sexual organ to clean is a vagina with all those crevices and spaces.  Maybe this is just TMI for some of you but it needs to be put out there.  Most people don’t research this information and just act based on what their doctor says or what their friends did or for whatever reason.

Here are some facts about leaving your son’s intact via Intact America

Circumcision is a painful, risky, unethical surgery that deprives over a million boys each year of healthy, functional tissue, while wasting health care dollars that could be spent on medically necessary services. Learn more about the myths and facts of infant circumcision, visit our Resources page, read the “Ten Reasons NOT to Circumcise Your Baby ” below – and learn why you should keep your newborn son intact.

10 Reasons NOT to Circumcise Your Baby Boy

1. Because there is no medical reason for “routine” circumcision of baby boys. No professional medical association in the United States or the rest of the world recommends routine neonatal circumcision. The American Medical Association calls it “non-therapeutic.” At no time in its 75 years has the American Academy of Pediatrics ever recommended infant circumcision.
2. Because the foreskin is not a birth defect. The foreskin is a normal, sensitive, functional part of the body. In infant boys, the foreskin is attached to the head of the penis (glans), protects it from urine, feces, and irritation, and keeps contaminants from entering the urinary tract. The foreskin also has an important role in sexual pleasure, due to its specialized, erogenous nerve endings and its natural gliding and lubricating functions.
3. Because you wouldn’t circumcise your baby girl. In the United States, girls of all ages are protected by federal and state laws from forced genital surgery, whether practiced in medical or non-medical settings, and regardless of the religious or cultural preferences of their parents. There is no ethical rationale for distinguishing between female and male genital alteration. If it is wrong to remove part of a baby girl’s healthy genitals, then it is wrong to do the same to those of a baby boy.
4. Because your baby does not want to be circumcised. Circumcision painfully and permanently alters a baby boy’s genitals, removing healthy, protective, functional tissue from the penis and exposing the child to unnecessary pain and medical risks –for no medical benefit. What do you think your baby boy would say if he could tell you?
5. Because removing part of a baby’s penis is painful, risky, and harmful. We know babies are sensitive to pain. Many circumcisions are performed with no analgesic, but even when pain control is employed, the pain is not eliminated. As with any surgery, complications can and do occur with circumcision. These include infection, abnormal bleeding, removal of too much skin, loss of all or part of the glans, urinary problems, and even death. All circumcisions result in the loss of the foreskin and its functions, and leave a penile scar.
6. Because times and attitudes have changed. The circumcision rate in the United States is now below 40% (and much lower in some parts of the country), down from 81% in 1981. More than 60% of all baby boys in the U.S. leave the hospital intact, as more and more parents realize that circumcision is unnecessary and wrong.
7. Because most medically advanced nations do not circumcise baby boys. People in Europe, Asia and Latin America are often appalled to hear that American doctors and hospitals remove part of a boy’s penis shortly after birth. Approximately 75% of the men in the world are not circumcised and remain intact throughout their lives.
8. Because caring for and cleaning the foreskin is easy. A natural, intact penis requires no special care, beyond gentle washing while bathing. Later, when the foreskin can be retracted (something that often does not occur until adolescence), a boy can be taught to pull back his foreskin to wash his penis. Forcible retraction of the foreskin results in pain and injury, and should not be done. Read our Foreskin Care flyer for more information.
9. Because circumcision does not prevent HIV or other diseases. Over the years, the claims that circumcision prevents various diseases have repeatedly been proven to be exaggerated or outright fabrications. Most men in the United States are circumcised, but our STD rates are as high as or higher than those in countries where circumcision is rare.
10. Because children should be protected from permanent bodily alteration inflicted on them without their consent in the name of culture, religion, profit, or parental preference. Under accepted bio-ethical principles, parents can consent to surgery on behalf of a child only if it is necessary to protect the child’s life or health. “Routine” circumcision fails this test because it painfully and permanently removes a normal and healthy part of a boy’s penis, does not protect the child’s life or health, and in fact creates new risks. Removing the foreskin is no more justified than removing a finger or any other healthy body part.

I know coming to terms with what you did isn’t easy, you might even turn away and say you did what was right.  I hope you don’t.  Unless your son has an issue that has to be medically corrected, he was born perfect.  Keep him that way.  If you still feel strongly about your decision I invite you to visit YouTube and search for circumcision videos. I almost positive you will take a different stance.

To the parents that had their son’s circumcised and are now fully informed and regret their decision, I urge you to share this information with other people in hopes they’ll spare another boy from this barbaric procedure.

You are now informed.  Carry on and Share!

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