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Male circumcision

Main reason for infant male genital mutilation

  • this is a barbaric practice that should fade away

    Votes: 13 41.9%
  • i believe there are health reasons

    Votes: 8 25.8%
  • we want Jr. to look like daddy

    Votes: 7 22.6%
  • covenant with god

    Votes: 3 9.7%

  • Total voters
    31

talloulou

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Why is male circumcision still so commonly done in the US? What's the main reason for this socially acceptable genital mutilation?
 
In the past, it was advantagous to circumcize for hygene and health reasons. It was more than just a "religious mandate." Like the "don't eat pork" law, it had it's reasons.

But in todays society, with hygene being and everyday occurance coupled with the strides made in medicine, circumcision is somewhat pointless and some doctors have even recommended against it.

I got all my kids clipped as my parents did the same. The doctor who delivered my last born son tried to talk me out of circumcizing him but I had it done anyway. I sometimes wonder if I did the right thing but he's 15 now and none the worse off for it. They made sure I was way down the hall when they cut them too. It's supposed to be blood-curdlling I am told. They say it is very traumatic, but truthfully, I don't even remember mine.:shock:
 
This is interesting. i think its probably just a tradition. in the uk we have a tradition of not circumcising and anyway uncut looks so much better
 
Willoughby said:
This is interesting. i think its probably just a tradition. in the uk we have a tradition of not circumcising and anyway uncut looks so much better

Uncircumsized penises are UGLY. I'm sorry, but it's true. Yuck.
 
aps said:
Uncircumsized penises are UGLY. I'm sorry, but it's true. Yuck.

But maybe that's just because you are used to seeing it one way vs the other. I didn't circumcise my son becaue to me it seemed unnecessarily brutal for no tangible good reason. But in person or real life I've never even seen an uncircumcised adult male penis! That's how common circumcision is in the US.
 
From a woman's point of view I don't know what difference it makes. I guess since it's not a health risk anymore it should not be done. I just feel sorry for the little baby having a part of his skin cut off. As for looks I have never seen a circumcised member in person so I couldn't judge on looks.
 
talloulou said:
But maybe that's just because you are used to seeing it one way vs the other.

I dunno. I see one and I think, "gross."

Are you circumsized? I hear that sometimes uncircumsized men will have painful erections because the skin is too tight to allow a full erection.

LMAO. talloulou, I just realized you are a woman! Please forgive me. :rofl
 
I still remember as kids we use to pick on my cousin who was not circumsized, we called him "cheeto weenie". He died on us about three years later of a liver disease, and we will never forgive ourselves, but that's another story. I think it has many benefits, yes, one is that it looks better, but more importantly, I think it is certainly a hygentic issue to be sure. I really think it's up to the parent, but they also must think of the child, it's something he will have to live with, not you.

I can't believe I'm discussing this of all things!:3oops: :shock:
 
americanwoman said:
From a woman's point of view I don't know what difference it makes. I guess since it's not a health risk anymore it should not be done. I just feel sorry for the little baby having a part of his skin cut off. As for looks I have never seen a circumcised member in person so I couldn't judge on looks.

Ohhh, interesting about your not ever seeing a circumcised one.

The kid will NEVER remember it being done. I had my ears pierced at 2 weeks old. My mother said I screamed during the process. No memory whatsoever.
 
Deegan said:
I still remember as kids we use to pick on my cousin who was not circumsized, we called him "cheeto weenie". He died on us about three years later of a liver disease, and we will never forgive ourselves, but that's another story. I think it has many benefits, yes, one is that it looks better, but more importantly, I think it is certainly a hygentic issue to be sure. I really think it's up to the parent, but they also must think of the child, it's something he will have to live with, not you.

I can't believe I'm discussing this of all things!:3oops: :shock:

I just adore your openness, Deegan. It is what endeared me to you.

Well, I have to agree that it looks like a cheeto. :shock:

When it's done at birth, the kid will NEVER know what it's like to have the extra skin.
 
Deegan said:
I still remember as kids we use to pick on my cousin who was not circumsized, we called him "cheeto weenie". He died on us about three years later of a liver disease, and we will never forgive ourselves, but that's another story. I think it has many benefits, yes, one is that it looks better, but more importantly, I think it is certainly a hygentic issue to be sure. I really think it's up to the parent, but they also must think of the child, it's something he will have to live with, not you.

I can't believe I'm discussing this of all things!:3oops: :shock:

Dammit, I just spewed my coffee all over my keyboard! Cheeto Weenie? That's hil-f'ing-larious... sorry

Anyways, I'm going to be having my first child, a son, in like 4 weeks and I guess I'll be having him circumsized. My in-laws are full of nurses who just swear to the fact that it needs to be done. Why? I don't know... Health reasons are what they tell me. I work in IT, they work in the health industry... They know more than me...
 
aps said:
I just adore your openness, Deegan. It is what endeared me to you.

Well, I have to agree that it looks like a cheeto. :shock:

When it's done at birth, the kid will NEVER know what it's like to have the extra skin.

Thank you aps, and it's the very thing I love about you as well.;)

I agree with you, my son had it, and I would do it again in a heart beat, it's served my well thus far, and I think it is not as attractive undone.
 
I don't remember what it felt like and as far as I know I didn't become traumatized from the experience.

So all in all it was no skin off of my...... oh, yeah I guess it was.
 
Deegan said:
Thank you aps, and it's the very thing I love about you as well.;)

Awww shucks. :blushing:

:cheers:

I agree with you, my son had it, and I would do it again in a heart beat, it's served my well thus far, and I think it is not as attractive undone.

Anytime a female friend has talked about seeing an uncircumsized one, they have said they think it's ugly and they don't want to do anything to it if you know what I mean......

I had a friend who circumsized her first but not her second because the first screamed so much. Oh brother.

Now, I know it's a Jewish tradition, but the whole circumsizing in front of a group of people is too weird to me.
 
I had a friend who's mom circumcized him with pinking shears. We call him Frilly Dilly.


Just kiddin' of course......:rofl
 
aps said:
Awww shucks. :blushing:

:cheers:



Anytime a female friend has talked about seeing an uncircumsized one, they have said they think it's ugly and they don't want to do anything to it if you know what I mean......

I had a friend who circumsized her first but not her second because the first screamed so much. Oh brother.

Now, I know it's a Jewish tradition, but the whole circumsizing in front of a group of people is too weird to me.

That's one of the reasons my wife used to explain to me why we should circumsize our son. Would you want his future gf's or wife to see that and go... I'm not getting anywhere near that!

As for me, I'm not going anywhere near the room when they do it to him... As it is, all men hurt when they see another man get kicked in the ... you know where... I can't imagine how I'd feel to be around my son when they do that to him... Probably break my heart anyways...
 
Ugly is subjective. For example, I think the genitalia on a woman is one of the sexiest things in the world. But my old pappy used to say that, "There's only one thing that can look at it and it pukes."
 
Captain America said:
Ugly is subjective. For example, I think the genitalia on a woman is one of the sexiest things in the world. But my old pappy used to say that, "There's only one thing that can look at it and it pukes."

Yes, my Dad use to call it, "bumping uglies":rofl
 
reaganburch said:
Dammit, I just spewed my coffee all over my keyboard! Cheeto Weenie? That's hil-f'ing-larious... sorry

Anyways, I'm going to be having my first child, a son, in like 4 weeks and I guess I'll be having him circumsized. My in-laws are full of nurses who just swear to the fact that it needs to be done. Why? I don't know... Health reasons are what they tell me. I work in IT, they work in the health industry... They know more than me...

The american academy of pediatrics doesn't support or recommend circumcision anymore. Why would they decide to change their stand on it if there were GOOD health reasons to support it?

I think many nurses and drs. just like family members like what they are used to and tend to support what they are used to. I just couldn't do it to my son because it was what I was use to. That, to me, seemed like not a good enough reason. I do think many drs. are trying to change public opinion on this matter. My family members flipped out when I decided not to circumcise my son and they thought he'd have all kinds of problems with cleaning it and stuff. They acted like a natural penis was some disgusting alien thing while they view the circumcised penis as normal. But that's really total silliness. He's seven and he has no problems.

The way I looked at it was he could have it done as an adult if he desired, I can't imagine why any adult would but it can be done as an adult. However it can not be put back to it's natural state once it has been mutilated.
 
talloulou said:
Why is male circumcision still so commonly done in the US? What's the main reason for this socially acceptable genital mutilation?

Why? For the reason that appears to drive so much of what goes on in the
world: money. Circumcision is a huge business in the US, and the doctors
involved aren't going to turn away profits because of any petty reason like
the practice is unnecessary. Originally done to prevent (hah!) the sin of male
masturbation, it quickly became a very nice little earner.

So far, the only "reason" that's been given here is that women would be turned
off by a non-mutilated penis. Funny, that sounds so much like the reason given
by the people in other parts of the world who like to slice to the labia and clitoris
off young girls.

Such is the power of fashion!
 
Thinker said:
So far, the only "reason" that's been given here is that women would be turned
off by a non-mutilated penis. Funny, that sounds so much like the reason given
by the people in other parts of the world who like to slice to the labia and clitoris
off young girls.

I always find it funny that women cringe at the idea of female circumcision in other parts of the world but they have no problem mutilating their very own sons here in the US. They always say yeah but THOSE countries are barbaric:rofl I really see circumcision as a left over barbaric practice.....but I guess old habits die hard.
 
talloulou said:
I always find it funny that women cringe at the idea of female circumcision in other parts of the world but they have no problem mutilating their very own sons here in the US. They always say yeah but THOSE countries are barbaric:rofl I really see circumcision as a left over barbaric practice.....but I guess old habits die hard.

I think the female circumcision is different than a man's circumcison. First, the whole reason that circumcisions were done on men was for health reasons. And it's not just about cleanliness. Some men will have painful erections due to the outer skin layer. If you don't believe me, look it up.

Second, female circumcision is done to take away a woman's pleasure, whereas a man's circumcision does not take away his ability to have an orgasm.

I find it rather odd that you would belittle those who choose to have it done on their sons. Again, their son will have NO memory of it. If you have evidence to the contrary, I would like to see it.

Finally, I review medical records from people who were in the military. I would say that of the men who enter service without being circumsized will undergo one during their active duty. Gee, I wonder why.
 
For some reason the hospital my son was born in did not do the procedure at birth and my wife had to take him in 3 months later to get it done............She was waiting outside the operating room and could hear him screaming when the doctor was cutting the foreskin............My wife started crying and wanted to go into the operating room and take my son out of there.......She felt the procedure was barbaric..........
 
Navy Pride said:
For some reason the hospital my son was born in did not do the procedure at birth and my wife had to take him in 3 months later to get it done............She was waiting outside the operating room and could hear him screaming when the doctor was cutting the foreskin............My wife started crying and wanted to go into the operating room and take my son out of there.......She felt the procedure was barbaric..........

Did you read this one Navy?

Finally, I review medical records from people who were in the military. I would say that of the men who enter service without being circumsized will undergo one during their active duty.

Are you having as hard of a time believing that as I am?:roll:
 
The American Academy of Pediatrics recently looked into the issue of circumcision again, and on March 1, 1999 published a new Circumcision Policy Statement. http://parenting.ivillage.com/newborn/ncare/0,,43xq,00.html

Though it is clear that research shows the potential medical benefits of circumcision the report concludes that these data are not sufficient to recommend routine circumcision of newborn males. <snip>

Several readers have written in with questions concerning circumcision. As with many other issues in medicine, this one tends to stir the masses into the avid pro versus con camps. The debate is not limited to the general public -- many doctors disagree over this issue. <snip>

http://parenting.ivillage.com/newborn/ncare/0,,43xq,00.html
 
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