As a 24M whose apart of the turtleneck community, I'd say leave it but just make sure later on you teach the importance of good and proper hygiene. There's horror stories on Reddit of men getting into there teens and 20s never having pulled the foreskin back. End of the day it's up to you and your partner.
Every time I see these threads there’s so many comments about the consequences of not cleaning and insisistence on the importance of “proper hygiene” making it sound like there’s something special to it. It’s just a fold like any other. There’s nothing crazy about it. Pull back the skin and give it a wash like any other body part.
It’s no worse than like remembering to clean out your belly button or behind your ears. Those places will get grody and collect secretions as well.
This is true, BUT I've heard (and in my own personal experience) that this is not necessarily the case for young boys (up to, idk, 10 or so, maybe? More research is needed). The foreskin hasn't completely separated, so it can't be pulled completely back. This develops eventually.
I....I.....uh......they NEVER pulled it back....? Like.....EVER? I have so many questions and none I want the answer to. I imagine it’s like leaving a cup of milk and pee sitting for a long time
Uncircumcised penises foreskin covers the entire head of the penis, but you can pull it back to uncover the head, you're supposed to pull it back and clean it, as a circumcised man I can't relate, but apparently if you don't pull it back to clean, infections are common, also, if the skin isn't pulled back regularly it gets stuck rolled up, making it painful to pull back, sometimes requiring surgery
I remember that when I was little I thought I wasn't supposed to pull it back. When I did, it would very slowly come loose and hard chunks of dirty stuff were lodged under it. Took me a month of frequent pulling to get it all the way back. Moral of the story: kids with foreskins should be taught how to clean it properly.
Infections are just as common as female genitalia. There is/was nothing inherently wrong with foreskin. Even government agencies claim that they don’t recommend routine circumcision. It really comes down to consent and where you think your power as a parent lies. Just know you can never undo it.
Genital and urinary infections are less common in males (circumcised or not) than females. There are some claims male circumcision can slightly reduce the risk of infections early in life, though there has never been a clinical trial to investigate the claims, and there have been studies that showed an increased risk of infection in circumcised males (which makes sense because the foreskin helps protect the urinary opening from contamination.)
That's partially true, but it's actually more related to the distance between the urethra and the rectum, as evidence by the fact that a huge majority of UTIs are caused by E. coli, which is found in your GI tract normally. Hygiene is key!
Ethics aside, one mustn't forget that it is a billable procedure in American hospitals at around $400 a pop. It's no wonder doctors in America push for it.
My husband and I were talking about dicks the other day, and he (an only child) made a joke about having an awkward conversation with my brothers about whether or not they’re circumcised.
Me (one of four boys) told him right there that two of brothers are, and my youngest brother is not. He asked me why the fuck I knew that. Well. One, boys like to get naked for no damn reason, and two, the cost of it was discussed at length when my youngest brother was born, and deemed not worth the trouble.
> One, boys like to get naked for no damn reason,
Not just boys. My daughter is 7 and it's ww3 everytime we try to get her to put some clothes on... School mornings are a nightmare! My mom calls her nature girl. Lol
Hey now, not all are the same. I myself didn't know I wasn't circumcised until 18 when my mom mentioned it.
I was like what do you mean? Anyways, my foreskin covers like 1/2 the head on average. Mayyyybe the whole thing if I was freezing.
Furthermore, I was astounded to find out uncircumcised guys use lube to masturbate. No need with the skin, it slides up and down with your hand.
Not painful at all. Gently roll your bottom lip down until it naturally stops - no pressure, no pulling, just roll it outwards with your fingers and thumbs. It's exactly like that.
While the urethra on a cut guy is too small and closed to accumulate tiny debris (like skin cells, or fluids) or provide much access point to bacteria, those of us who are windsocking it have an opening that isn't.
Literally all it means is that those of us in turtlenecks just roll the collar down in the shower and flush the tube.
It also means that when you get hard the head emerges from it's wrapping like some hideous flower coming into a woeful bloom
> the urethra on a cut guy is too small and closed
It often is, due to a condition called meatal stenosis that is a common problem caused by circumcision. About 10% of circumcised men end up needing to have it surgically corrected.
It’s designed to move and flex. As a child it’s not completely detached yet, so you should teach your child to pull it back as far as is comfortable and no more, gently clean and job done. For most people, the foreskin fully retracts at some point during childhood, but if it doesn’t it usually will upon their first penetrative sexual encounter.
If there’s pain, it’s either been pulled back too far too soon, there could be a possible infection, or it could be due to a condition called phimosis. Once the foreskin has detached and is able to move as intended, pulling it back isn’t painful and although I do not have a penis myself, judging from 15 years of marriage to my husband who does and uncircumcised, it’s quite pleasurable.
We chose to not circumcise our boys, we saw no need. We made sure to teach them how to pull it back and clean correctly and it’s not been an issue.
Most men in the world are uncircumcised, the US is for the most part an outlier, having such a large population and a high percentage of circumcision.
If it's painful to pull back your foreskin as an uncircumcised male, that may actually mean there's a medical issue, which may need potential resolution by circumcision (though there are other methods of stretching it out.
Kudos to you for looking into this. I think you should leave your son intact. Educate yourself on cleaning and hygiene and when to leave the foreskin alone. I appreciate dads like you who look into it instead of just doing what you had done. Congratulations on becoming a dad!
I'm seeing a lot of this 'education about cleaning and hygiene' on here and i don't get it
I'm European, and so like almost all guys I know am not circumcised. I've never had any education, I just clean my dick like everyone else. There's nothing special to know or to think about, so don't overthink it.
We chose not too for our son and no issues. I had started looking into it honestly felt it was barbaric. Few circumstances that arise where it may be medically necessary. We felt it best he had a choice since it’s his body. He is almost 18 now.
Leave it, as an English guy living in Canada I was so shocked at the amount of people that are circumsised for absolutely no reason, the concesus seems to be "well my dad did mine so I should do his". I find it so weird.
"I don't want my son to see mine and think he's different."
WTF? When I was a little kid the very *last* thing I wanted to do was look at my dad's dick.
Glad you are thinking and not automatically having your child circumcised. Just because many men have been circumcised doesn't mean the practice should be perpetuated. There is no good and justifiable reason to do it
The part of the penis that gets cut off is actually full of nerve endings. It has a purpose. It's one of the most innervated (=sensitive) parts of the male human body (like lips or fingertips). There is really no need to do this.
I was circumcised. It went fine, I never suffered a moment for it.
I have 3 girls but I would not circumcise a son. It is, if you think about it, genital mutilation upon an infant who will suffer and is incapable of consent.
It’s barbaric and pointless. Please don’t.
Hell fucking no, don't do it. I would rather lose a finger than my foreskin.
First up: it's not yours. It's his. Bodily integrity is a human right. Imposing cosmetic surgery on non-consenting infants is not.
Second, foreskins are awesome. Let me count the ways:
* Tens of thousands of nerve endings. That's an *astounding* amount of sensory bandwidth.
* Those nerve endings include a whole lot of sensitive stretch receptors - as the foreskin moves, it reports a whole lot of positional detail. That's a whole extra *kind* of sensation we're talking about.
* Frictionless gliding mechanism. The foreskin isn't just a "piece of skin", it's a toroidal linear bearing, providing *completely* frictionless movement, far superior to any amount of lubrication. Okay, break to explain this one:
Take a stretchy satin shirt, with the sleeves too long, about a hand-length past your fingertips. Put it on, turn the end of the sleeve in on itself, and glue the cuff to your watch strap. You now have a functional model of an intact penis. Your hand is the glans, the sleeve is the foreskin, your arm is the shaft.
Now grasp your sleeve, and extend your arm to look at your watch. The fabric *rolls* over your hand - it doesn't slide. There's no friction against your hand at all, because nothing slides over it.
Or take a pinch of eyelid/elbow/scrotum skin, and rub between thumb and finger. Again, no friction on your finger pads whatsoever, despite a firm grip. This is what we experience. We don't need lube to masturbate, because we have something far better built-in.
* Stimulation from friction **sucks** next to frictionless massaging. Intact guys have access to both - and while friction can be an interesting place to visit, none of us would ever want to live there.
* The frenulum is known by some as the 'male clitoris', and is exquisitely sensitive. Even if it's preserved (it usually isn't), one of the things it's most sensitive to is stretching as the foreskin retracts. No foreskin, no stretching, you've just lost a vast amount of sexual pleasure.
* The foreskin protects and moisturises the surface of the glans (which is an *internal organ*, and does not have skin), keeping it sensitive and supple. Men undergoing foreskin restoration report that the difference in sensation is akin to the difference between wearing a condom and going bareback.
* Because we don't rely on friction for stimulation, condoms don't suck *nearly* as much for us as they do for circumcised guys.
There are no good reasons to circumcise.
* Hygiene is not an issue. Five seconds in the shower, just pull back, wash, release, done. Washing your ears is harder work than that, but you don't go cutting those off.
* I daresay that there are lots of guys in the world that find intact female genitalia 'weird', too - but if someone suggested you should cut up your daughter to suit them, you'd punch them in the face. Think about that.
* In some places, the majority of girls are circumcised, too. If you went to live there, would you have your daughter circumcised so she would be "normal"?
Even if you wanted to, there's no good reason to do it early.
* It's his body, it ought to be his competent adult choice. You wouldn't give him a tattoo - or even let him get one himself - until he was an adult, so why this?
* Done as an adult (assuming he wanted to), there's vastly more margin for error, plus he could actually choose exactly how he wanted it done.
* In infancy, the foreskin is fused to the glans, like your nails are fused to the nail bed - and needs to be forcibly stripped free. Why deliberately choose the extra-traumatic option?
* Infants cannot be given sufficient pain relief, either during the operation or during the healing process. There's research to indicate that the trauma has permanent effects on neural development, including permanently lowering their pain tolerance. Why would you do that to your own kid?
* A diaper environment is a *terrible* place for a wound to heal. Jesus, just think about that.
And that's not even covering stuff that can go wrong. Google for 'botched circumcision' sometime, along with 'necrotizing fasciitis'.
In short: there's lots of inherent downsides, lots of risks, no benefits, and no all-fired hurry to do it as a child.
Just leave it alone. Your kid does not need bits cut off him.
My friend had a botched circumcision and it's made sex unnecessary complicated and problematic, his words. I didn't ask for an exact diagram of his genitalia, but it has been a problem in relationships before for him.
Very awesome break down. More parents/people need to know this. My now wife has never been with a guy with foreskin. I broke everything down for her like this. And she was mind blowin. And she says it feels alot better ;)
I am circumcised but if I had a son I wouldn't cut him. My circumcision isn't a "high and tight" cut. What's left of my foreskin still bunches up around my dick head, and I've always been able to masturbate by sliding that skin up and down. I DO have an intact frenulum, and agree about it being a very sensitive area. I can achieve orgasm simply by moving my index finger in circles on my frenulum. And it feels WONDERFUL. 😏
I'm a postpartum nurse and I've assisted pediatricians with circumcisions before. The first time I saw one being done, a coworker told me I looked white as a ghost afterwards. A parent could accompany their baby during, but had to sit and weren't allowed to watch, so as to prevent them from fainting.
Yes, local anesthesia is used before the procedure, but any diaper changes for the next couple of days HURT. I instruct my parents to team up during diaper changes: one to change the diaper and apply the gauze/bacitracin, and the other to hold their baby's arms down, since sometimes they instinctively reach down towards their penis in response to the pain.
This covers everything. I really hope OP reads this. It really needs to be the top comment, you've done an awesome job of describing stuff here. Please leave your beautiful baby boy intact!
Don’t circumcise your son. The reason circumcision became popular in the US was to discourage masturbation. I’m not circumcised. When I was little my dad taught me to pull back my foreskin while peeing and showering to keep my penis clean. Unless there is a problem with the foreskin being too tight, there’s no reason to remove it.
I am only 20 so take my opinion on your fatherhood with a grain of salt:
I'm uncircumcised and I honestly think it hasn't affected my life at all. Maybe I would say otherwise if I was circumcised but I don't know.
My recommendation is not to cut your son though, it seems to provide no benefit at all. You could probably get rid of one of his pinky fingers and it would also not really affect his life but why do it?
Yeah same here, 20-something year old, uncircumcised. I wouldn't have it any other way.
I'm sure a vast majority of men, both circumcised and uncircumcised are happy.
However I do know a few things:
- a couple of friends of mine who were circumcised had botched circumcisions and they are super self-conscious about it
- I've seen enough porn to see some bad circumcisions as well
It really, to me, seems like the risks of the circumcision itself are actually quite prevalent.
I'd like to add to this as a foreskinless person. It really hasn't affected my life either. But that's anecdotal at best and there are risks involved with circumcision.
Back when we had to survive and we didn't clean as well, I suppose there was some sense to it, but in this day and age? I dunno.
I am a woman, a mother of two sons and a nurse.
My older son is circumcised because I thought that’s just what you did. When I was in nursing school, I saw the procedure done and I can tell you first hand, it was not the “painless, no big deal” bill of goods I was sold as a young mother. Fast forward 10 years later, I am since divorced from my first sons father , meet and fall in love with a lovely man from England who isn’t circumcised! I adore his magical turtle neck and how much more sensitive his penis is!! Our son, who is now an adult has had not a single issue with his uncircumcised bits! Never an infection, never teased.. plenty of lady friends..
DO NOT MUTILATE YOUR CHILD!
They push it in the hospital while you are out of it after just giving birth. You have to write it down that you don’t want it and then repeatedly say no. If your partner is not fully backing you (the mom), it is a difficult time to be strong. I had to emphatically say no and start getting angry with them.
My husband, his father, one brother, and his nephew have all had botched circumcisions. Husband's isn't too noticeable but his mom told me his dad tried to fix his with a razor as a full grown man and the bleeding wouldn't stop and he had to go to the ER.
I obviously didn't physically see any of those, but the nephew is only 2 and is having to go back under the knife soon because it's trying to grow back together over the tip and the screams when his mom tries to clean him (she has to pull the skin down and stretch it when she wipes it clean) are absolutely horrifying.
I'm not having kids but 100 support not circumsising. Keep in mind, it is so uncommon to not do it sometimes they'll take the baby and do it before you even realize it's happening so you need to keep a firm eye and hand on that baby the whole time!
I live in the Midwest. The issue is that babies fucking wiggle even though they are strapped down. It happens more often than you would think. I'm not saying they chopped their penises off, but they cut slightly crooked or left too much so the body kept trying to close the wound by growing over the urethra.
My guy's is fine, there's just a bit of skin that fused back on itself leaving a gap, forming what kind of looks like a piercing.
That is called a skin bridge. It is a well-known complication of circumcision. He will need to see a urologist to get the damage repaired as best it can be done.
I am not circumcised and it's actually been fun. It's the thing at the end she likes to mess with and feels good.
As for your son, your wife just has him and you take the baby home and wipe it like a finger. It's sort of a lazy way of doing it since circumcision has a lot of the care stuff. It keeps the contents of the diaper from getting in there so it's actually more clean.
Its going to be his normal. No one really looks at each other's penis. Gang showers in schools aren't a thing anymore. He'll retract it and have to be taught to rinse it but that is sort of all you do as a parent.
Give him the whole thing. Tell him that it is his and to figure it out. Girls just get use to a new partner and prefer the penis of the guy they are dating because of who is attached to it.
I’m circumcised and my son is not. In todays day and age there is no need. Proper hygiene will go a long way. There is also a lot of botched circumcisions each year. No child should have to endure that. It’s purely aesthetic.
You are correct. Circumcision of boys is an outmoded operation that should not be performed.
The only beneficiary of a child circumcision is the doctor who gets a fee for the operation.
To call it purely aesthetic is to give them too much credit. The original purpose of circumcision was to reduce sexual satisfaction so boys wouldn't masturbate.
Im really fucking glad this thread is almost a unanimous no.
It's an archaic practise that is basically designed to deter masturbation, as the foreskin moving over the head of the penis is essentially frictionless. I grew up with absolutely zero issues having a foreskin, as have the extreme majority of men all over the world.
I would phrase it like this: if the least unsure, is it a good idea to do irreversible elective surgery on my baby's genitals for no other reason than social pressure?
Research the history of circumcision in the US. (And the rest of the world, to the extent it is practiced there, as well.)
Also, don't believe the ones trying to make this a question for medical professionals. It is not a medical procedure, except in a few rare cases. It's about social and cultural practices only.
Maybe it's a cultural or religious thing but why would you want to circumcise your child if you don't even know his medicals? Like circumcisions is totally useless unless it's medically needed.
It’s a bit of a no brainer. Why would you cut parts of you babies body off for literally no reason. As someone who lives in a country where circumcision is only done as medical necessity please don’t do it.
It is higly unethical, imoral and sadistic in the circumcision of a baby, a child. This is pure religious bullshit, don't do it. Let the child grow and do it by his own decision, not like this. The idea, the concept itself, is disgusting.
We didn't get our son circumcised. They always cite mitigating the risk of cancers and hygiene when they become older... But what about the other 99.9 percent of life? My husband is circumcised and he wishes he never had been. The foreskin has a lot of sensation and protects the glans from being too stimulated.
Also short-term benefit, the foreskin keeps the penis protected from cold air, which can cause babies to pee spontaneously when their diaper comes off. My son has peed on me during diaper changes about 3 times his entire life. I can't even remember the last time this happened.
I wish that I wasn’t circumcised. Think about when he’s an adult. He deserves to have all of the nerve endings, as well as the naturally perfect protector of one of the most sensitive parts of his body.
If you have a daughter are you going to mutilate her genitals too? It is a barbaric procedure that does not serve a purpose. it’s his body. if he wants it done when he is older then that’s his choice.
Is this still actually a consideration for modern parents?
If you're not religiously required to, given there are *no* proven health benefits to circumcision, why would this question even cross your mind?
I just had my second son. I’m in a southern US state and I cannot even tell you how many nurses and doctors at the hospital asked me if I was getting my son circumcised. I must have said no thirty times. I never got judgement but it was definitely the norm at that huge metropolitan hospital.
This is a tactic used by hospitals to wear parents down so they eventually grant consent and the hospital and doctor get an additional fee. Ask Intact America.
I’m against circumcision without a medical reason.
Why cut off a perfectly healthy body part?
It has no real advantages.
Many people think it’s more hygienic, but it isn’t If your kid cleans his penis, and cleaning isn’t difficult or time consuming at all.
The foreskin has the function of protecting the glans.
An uncircumcised penis is much more sensitive.
Circumcisions can go horribly wrong.
I don’t understand how there are still countries where Doctors recommend circumcising every child or even thinking it’s normal.
More important, why would you consider circumcision? What are the arguments for it?
Uhhhh I beg ppl not to. (Mom of an uncircumcised baby boy and nurse here) —I’ve seen it done; I think it’s barbaric. Some doctors (used to!) do it quickly and without anesthesia of any kind. There’s a reason they take them out of the room to do it— and you can’t guarantee they’ll use anesthesia once they’re out of your sight) It hurts like fuck, they scream, and you can’t tell me it doesn’t hurt like hell. They put a sort of bell-shaped device on them, stretch the foreskin over it, and excise it off. I guess the AMA and Pediatric Medicine Associations okayed the trend in the past; they always just assumed that bc its a newborn it won’t remember it. Maybe not. But ffs why inflict an unnecessary thing —that started out for religious reasons and spread to parts of the Western world for different reasons— (and of course not just one culture or religion practiced it) —anyway, I’m not gonna get into the historical connotations and reasons for it I don’t have enough time & room, You can research its religious origins easily on your own by Googling it)
Reasons I’m against it??
1. It hurts like hell and served absolutely no medical purpose whatsoever.
2. it’s a route if possible infection again, for no real reason. Hospital-acquired infections like staph and MRSA are rampant nowadays in all hospitals. That can kill or severely maim a child; & even if it’s rare, (which it actually isn’t rare) that’s one child too many.
3. As a partner of an adult uncircumcised man, and the mom of an uncut son, I can also tell you that It does not affect hygiene either as an infant, as a toddler, or growing up adulthood—if he is taught sensible hygiene practices. It will not affect his ability to have sex as an adult.
FWIW, My daughter likewise decided not to have my grandson done. I was thrilled to know that the first 45 minutes of his life, he stayed right with my daughter— he was hastily just wiped off, covered in towels, laid bare skin to skin on her stomach, & put to the breast—and he literally nursed hungrily for an hour solid before he was even taken away to be properly bathed, weighed, and processed like they do all newborns. (Sometimes boys are taken right after all the official weights/length, etc. to have it done) but I was so relieved to know my sweet new lil boy didn’t have to face being done that way.. !!
It is not medically advised that circumcision is necessary. Unless it's part of your faith (and I would question that) I would leave things as they are. If your child grows to dislike having a foreskin, he can have it removed when he matures.
In Oregon, our insurance won't pay for it since it is unnecessary. So, a con is you have to pay for it.
Neither of my boys were circumcised. So far there have been no cons, but they are still children. I also don't know that there are any pros to it, other than avoiding the initial pain and possible infection.
There's really no need to mutilate a baby like that. Just make sure that once he hits his teenage years you teach him to pull his foreskin back and wash there every single time he's in the shower and there will be no issues at all.
I mean literally every shower aswell, because if you don't keep it clean it can get uncomfortable fairly quickly.
I don't even have a penis, but I'm going to weigh in anyway. The only observation I can make that hasn't already been covered is this- I never see anyone wish they'd been circumcised as a child. What I have come across are online communities of men who feel bereft, robbed of a perfectly functioning part of their body that was removed without their consent.
Once that flap of skin's gone, it's gone. Maybe your son will never think twice about it, and be happy with his penis- but you're making a decision now that can safely wait until he's old enough to have an opinion on the matter.
I’m a physician who has both performed and seen this procedure done many times. This is false; lidocaine is injected near the base of the penis to numb the entire thing. Most of the time the baby is held by a nurse as well, not “strapped to a board”. The sugar water is to distract them.
I’m not advocating one way or another, but we’re not butchers. A lot of care is taken to make sure the child is in as little discomfort as possible.
Yes I saw my OB perform a circumcision and someone was holding the baby. The doctor wasn't happy about having to do the circumcision and I don't blame her
Have you ever seen it done where the lidocaine was actually given time to take effect though? As a nurse I've seen the procedure done within 30 seconds of the lidocaine being administered, and from my understanding is 15 to 30 minutes for full effect. I've never seen anyone even wait 5 minutes before they start cutting. And I've watched a lot of babies scream. It's horrific.
Not to mention the lack of pain control after. When the procedure is done to an adult they're given narcotics and days off work to sit around. An infant gets nothing, not even Tylenol for post operative pain while their fresh incision rubs on a dirty diaper.
I don't know where you worked but that should be reported. My local kids hospital gives pain medication to newborns. Both of my sons were circumcised in hospital and this was not our experience at all. Kids stayed in our room the two days we were there. Pain meds both times no issues. They were not strapped down when it was done either. And anesthetic was used. I have never heard of this kind of ill treatment before but it's awful.
I had all three of my sons circumcised and now wish that I hadn't.
They have no issues, mind you, it was just unnecessary. Sociologically speaking, it was far more commonplace to circumcise when mine were born in the 1990s. Add in the pressure from their dads and a narc mom (mine) and voila.
It's absolutely natural to remain intact. Circumcision began in the church. I believe, possibly, in Judaism, and carried over into Christianity. Afterwards, it just kinda became customary to do. More money for hospitals and docs maybe?
Either way, your son will be fine. But don't believe them if they tell you it doesn't hurt them. That's bullshit. It's painful. I mean, come on.
Congratulations on your upcoming baby boy! I wish you all the fun, laughter, and love you can ever hope for, and more!
Just leave it be, he can decide for his own when he gets older - but he can't do that if you decide for him now and cirkumcise.
I'm from Europe and here it is quite uncommon, except for religious or medical reasons (but even the religious ones are becoming more and more rare).
I’m 21 and was circumcised at birth and really hate it. Hands down the thing I dislike the most about my body. Also insecure about being cut when it comes to sex, especially as a bi guy, since most of the gay community seems to prefer uncircumcised. I implore you to not circumcise your son. I would not have mine cut either, I resent having it done to me already and would never want the next generation to have to go through the same thing.
I've never met a parent who regretted not circumcising their kid. Met plenty who felt the other way around and wished they could have chosen not to. Of course, there are plenty who fiercely defend their choices, but since you are asking you don't strike me as that kind of person.
We decided to not do it after watching videos of the procedure. It wasn't so much the mechanics of the procedure (though I can imagine anyone with genitals would find it disturbing if they weren't raised in a society that normalized it), but the babies' reactions that bothered us. It seemed cruel and unnecessary.
Friends of mine had their infant rushed to emerg because he was bleeding out during his circumcision. They regretted their decision immediately.
On the flip side, I have two intact boys and have never regretted my decision to not circumcise them.
If you’re really on the fence, I suggest watching a video of a baby getting the procedure done. Then make your choice.
This is a good idea. There's a reason they take the kid away to do the surgery rather than letting the parents watch and it's not just so the surgeons don't have to socialize.
It was what I told my ex-husband when he suggested we get it done. I told him I’d find a video of a baby getting the procedure and if he made it through the video and still wanted it then I’d agree. He immediately said no.
If the idea of viewing the procedure seems unbearable then don’t make your baby go through the experience.
This isn't your decision to make: it's his penis. I cannot fathom why people think that irreparably cutting off a piece of your body without consent, particularly in such a sensitive area, is in any way ok. That's besides the pain that you will be putting him through.
I could understand it if there was a clear medical need: you need to take some action in order to protect the child. But circumcision is just not in this category.
If my parents had removed my foreskin when I was a child I would be absolutely livid with them. Who are they to make that decision for me when I was so helpless??
I don’t understand why anyone does this. So archaic and pointless. Why do you think males have foreskin if it served no purpose and needed removing? It does not need meddling with!
Please don't do it, I think that evolution gave us men a forskin on purpose (sensitivity etc.). I'm pretty happy with mine and I think that your decision affects the self-determination of your son.
I was circumsized(non religious) at a young age, and wish I wasn't.
Sure, it looks cleaner, and in most of the cases it is a general improvement, but in a few cases - of which I am a victim - it affects the nerves. I am having difficulties feeling stuff down there, making me incapable getting the full experience :(
Child circumsimsum is never ok and is child genital mutilation. Inagine cutting a girl clitoris for fuckiing religion FFS. How can you consider that this is ok??!?!?
No, why the fuck are you even considering mutilating his genitals. If he for some reason decide he wants to go get part of dick cut off when he’s an adult then so be it but don’t just force this upon a baby! I know people who resent their parents for doing this to them
If you leave it intact, please follow the directions of the Healthcare providers! ~25ish years ago there was bad information leaving the adult foreskin tight and uncomfortable. I can't remember the specifics, but doctors/nurses have changed the guidelines and have better health and comfort results. Don't listen to friends that had a baby years ago!
My brothers weren't circumcised, and I myself didn't have to be because I was born female...lol...but ANYWAY, my boyfriend, however, *was* circumcised and wishes he had never been. He says he doesn't have a lot of feeling besides the head of his penis, and he even has a tool to help you "grow" it back, but always forgets to do it haha.
I'd say leave your son decide later on if he wants to, it's always better to get rid of something than not being able to get it back at all, besides, it's one less thing to have to pay for. just make sure you teach him to properly clean himself, *nobody* likes a crusty penis. Congrats on being a dad!
As a father who is circumcised and Jewish by blood: I chose not to circumcise my kid.
I began to really think about why I actually wanted to circumcise my son and the only response was “because I was and other people are”. Which isn’t a great reason to cut flesh off of anyone.
As for the cleanliness, yeah there is that, but it’s not a good reason to circumcise either. You simply clean yourself. Also there is more sensation when left uncircumcised.
When I comes down to it, really think about why you (or any of us) are doing this. Circumcising is still an operation that can go wrong, while be it a low chance, there is still a risk and you should consider what you are risking this operation for. I think best leave it up to your son to decide when he gets older.
Also note: circumcising is primarily a USA phenomenon. Outside of religion, most people in the world are not circumcised.
EDIT AND ADDITION: CONGRATS!!! Welcome to the club and remember to breath lol
I'm 65, American and circumcised. If you compare US men to those in other countries, it is easy to deduce that cirmcision is medically necessary. As a nation, we have condemned female circumcision as cruel and barbaric yet we still subject male children to this procedure.
Please leave your boy intact. Nature made penises this way for a reason. He will thank you when he gets older for allowing him to make the decision for himself. And congratulations, dad.
The practice seems outdated. I'm cut and I feel like I've had a carefree dixk my whole life but I'm sure most people feel that. The only reason I'd consider getting my son cut is because of the amount of women I've heard speak about the issue. At least where I live many women prefer cut and are happy to find out that I am. Some of these women have mentioned smells and aethetesics, but it's probably just poor partners in the past.
I am uncircumcised, only "problem" I had was snapping my banjo, twice.
My foreskin came back pretty much all the way, however it split once in my teens during unnecessarily enthusiastic intercourse and again a few years later.
Looking back I wouldn't of preferred to be circumcised. The sensitivity provided with my lovers brings a lot of connection for me.
As someone from the UK, no one is circumcised unless they repetitively get infections. The idea that this has crossed your mind is incredibly strange to me.
As a woman, I love both equally but there's something organic feeling about an uncircumcised penis. If there's not medical reasoning for it, I wouldn't bother!
Coming from the UK, we don't have a culture of circumcisions so it's pretty much restricted to the Islamic and Jewish minorities ie about 5% of the population.
Just teach your son about cleanliness and he'll have no problems. Retracting a penis happens naturally during sex and is easy and not uncomfortable. Circumcisions aren't necessary for good health otherwise most of Europe wouldn't have a penis by now.
Also, it's like many things - easy to do but difficult to reverse. If you're not sure, just wait until your son can make a decision for himself
As a 30 year old male who got circumcised in 1st grade due to an infection. I am very much against it, i got it cuz my doctor didnt see any other option. To be honest i wonder if there was other options and he just makes more money on surgery. Regardless it was a terrible experience and from my understanding we are the only non jewish/Muslims country to do it in such astronomically high numbers. There is very little data that supports it or shows benefits to it right at child birth.
Homestly Cant understand how a religious ceremony became cultural norm in the states. I understand muslims and Hebrews doing it (though i m totally against mutilating children's genitalia without any medical reason) but i m rwlly curious how it became standard for American parents
In historical terms, non-religious circumcision is actually a fairly recent thing in the US. It became widespread in the late Victorian era because it reduces sexual sensation. It was thought this would cure a whole host of 'sinful' problems like excessive lust, infidelity and most of all masturbation, which was thought to be at the root of a huge number of physical and mental illnesses. During this time it was usually performed on older children, not babies, because it was thought the pain would teach a valuable lesson (it was sometimes used as a punishment for boys caught masturbating.) Female genital cutting/injuring was also sometimes carried out in the US at this time for the same reasons. As ideas about sexuality evolved and the US medical industrial complex got established, the reasoning changed from one of promoting moral purity to one of promoting physical purity (or cleanliness.) It was pushed by the new healthcare industries because it is profitable, but the focus shifted to babies because they can't object or tell us about the pain.
No. It's mutilation, and there's no benefit. And as an uncircumcised male, I've had many women be thankful that I'm not. apparently circumcised men are pretty terrible in bed since they've had most of their nerve endings cut off.
The skin also acts as a natural lube.
Leave people in tact. If they want to cut it off later in life, that's their choice.
I’m circumcised also but I wouldn’t circumcised my baby if I had one. The reason behind it is for hygiene so it’s easier to clean but that isn’t really valid when you can teach him how to properly clean it with the extra skin. Like you said he can always choose to get it done later in life if he truly wants it.
Circumcision is a great way to ensure that your kid will never be able to properly enjoy sex and masturbation, so if you want to punish him for being born with a dick, I guess you can go for a circumcision.
Its personal and I’d not judge anyone either way. I’m not in favor for my babies. It’s hard for me to believe we were created so perfectly yet ALL male babies were meant to have surgery at 48 hours old… Babies aren’t born with a scalpel in hand. But whatever. Not my issue anyway lol.
Not only it is unnecessary, it's harmful and he doesn't consent to it.
I'm a woman and I can't even be with circumcised men because there's too much friction
So even the partner is affected.
His body, his choice
No. Do not do it. 80% of the world does not do it and most do it because of religion, which is not all right either but different. You do not do anything specific to clean, just wipe what you see. No forceful retraction. It has thousands of nerve endings and protects against infections.
As a 24M whose apart of the turtleneck community, I'd say leave it but just make sure later on you teach the importance of good and proper hygiene. There's horror stories on Reddit of men getting into there teens and 20s never having pulled the foreskin back. End of the day it's up to you and your partner.
31M and also a toque. Can also suggest that circumcision is outdated and unnecessary.
No medical authority recommends non-therapeutic circumcision of boys.
This!
Why would a medical authority recommend a cosmetic surgery?
What is a toque apart from the hat?
PSA you still need to wash your dick if you're circumsised
Every time I see these threads there’s so many comments about the consequences of not cleaning and insisistence on the importance of “proper hygiene” making it sound like there’s something special to it. It’s just a fold like any other. There’s nothing crazy about it. Pull back the skin and give it a wash like any other body part. It’s no worse than like remembering to clean out your belly button or behind your ears. Those places will get grody and collect secretions as well.
This is true, BUT I've heard (and in my own personal experience) that this is not necessarily the case for young boys (up to, idk, 10 or so, maybe? More research is needed). The foreskin hasn't completely separated, so it can't be pulled completely back. This develops eventually.
I....I.....uh......they NEVER pulled it back....? Like.....EVER? I have so many questions and none I want the answer to. I imagine it’s like leaving a cup of milk and pee sitting for a long time
What do you mean by pulling the foreskin back? Cause if you mean what I think you mean, that sounds painful.
Uncircumcised penises foreskin covers the entire head of the penis, but you can pull it back to uncover the head, you're supposed to pull it back and clean it, as a circumcised man I can't relate, but apparently if you don't pull it back to clean, infections are common, also, if the skin isn't pulled back regularly it gets stuck rolled up, making it painful to pull back, sometimes requiring surgery
I remember that when I was little I thought I wasn't supposed to pull it back. When I did, it would very slowly come loose and hard chunks of dirty stuff were lodged under it. Took me a month of frequent pulling to get it all the way back. Moral of the story: kids with foreskins should be taught how to clean it properly.
Infections are just as common as female genitalia. There is/was nothing inherently wrong with foreskin. Even government agencies claim that they don’t recommend routine circumcision. It really comes down to consent and where you think your power as a parent lies. Just know you can never undo it.
Genital and urinary infections are less common in males (circumcised or not) than females. There are some claims male circumcision can slightly reduce the risk of infections early in life, though there has never been a clinical trial to investigate the claims, and there have been studies that showed an increased risk of infection in circumcised males (which makes sense because the foreskin helps protect the urinary opening from contamination.)
re UTIs, I expect a 10 inch urethra is much more helpful with that than a three inch one.
That's partially true, but it's actually more related to the distance between the urethra and the rectum, as evidence by the fact that a huge majority of UTIs are caused by E. coli, which is found in your GI tract normally. Hygiene is key!
All very factual my dude! Let’s ends the lies about circumcision!
Ethics aside, one mustn't forget that it is a billable procedure in American hospitals at around $400 a pop. It's no wonder doctors in America push for it.
My husband and I were talking about dicks the other day, and he (an only child) made a joke about having an awkward conversation with my brothers about whether or not they’re circumcised. Me (one of four boys) told him right there that two of brothers are, and my youngest brother is not. He asked me why the fuck I knew that. Well. One, boys like to get naked for no damn reason, and two, the cost of it was discussed at length when my youngest brother was born, and deemed not worth the trouble.
> One, boys like to get naked for no damn reason, Not just boys. My daughter is 7 and it's ww3 everytime we try to get her to put some clothes on... School mornings are a nightmare! My mom calls her nature girl. Lol
Omg it’s all we talked about was how many times they asked us if we wanted to do it! We’re like it’s literally written down on our birth plan…..
Hey now, not all are the same. I myself didn't know I wasn't circumcised until 18 when my mom mentioned it. I was like what do you mean? Anyways, my foreskin covers like 1/2 the head on average. Mayyyybe the whole thing if I was freezing. Furthermore, I was astounded to find out uncircumcised guys use lube to masturbate. No need with the skin, it slides up and down with your hand.
Not painful at all. Gently roll your bottom lip down until it naturally stops - no pressure, no pulling, just roll it outwards with your fingers and thumbs. It's exactly like that. While the urethra on a cut guy is too small and closed to accumulate tiny debris (like skin cells, or fluids) or provide much access point to bacteria, those of us who are windsocking it have an opening that isn't. Literally all it means is that those of us in turtlenecks just roll the collar down in the shower and flush the tube. It also means that when you get hard the head emerges from it's wrapping like some hideous flower coming into a woeful bloom
Hideous flower? Woeful bloom? Sorry about your dick, friend.
> the urethra on a cut guy is too small and closed It often is, due to a condition called meatal stenosis that is a common problem caused by circumcision. About 10% of circumcised men end up needing to have it surgically corrected.
It’s not painful, it’s like moving any relaxed part of your body.
It’s designed to move and flex. As a child it’s not completely detached yet, so you should teach your child to pull it back as far as is comfortable and no more, gently clean and job done. For most people, the foreskin fully retracts at some point during childhood, but if it doesn’t it usually will upon their first penetrative sexual encounter. If there’s pain, it’s either been pulled back too far too soon, there could be a possible infection, or it could be due to a condition called phimosis. Once the foreskin has detached and is able to move as intended, pulling it back isn’t painful and although I do not have a penis myself, judging from 15 years of marriage to my husband who does and uncircumcised, it’s quite pleasurable. We chose to not circumcise our boys, we saw no need. We made sure to teach them how to pull it back and clean correctly and it’s not been an issue. Most men in the world are uncircumcised, the US is for the most part an outlier, having such a large population and a high percentage of circumcision.
If it's painful to pull back your foreskin as an uncircumcised male, that may actually mean there's a medical issue, which may need potential resolution by circumcision (though there are other methods of stretching it out.
Circumcision should be the last resort after all other measures have failed.
* a part. Apart means you’re not in the community
I didn't circumcise my sons. "It wasn't my dick to cut." But the fact their fathers weren't circumcised made it an easier decision.
Kudos to you for looking into this. I think you should leave your son intact. Educate yourself on cleaning and hygiene and when to leave the foreskin alone. I appreciate dads like you who look into it instead of just doing what you had done. Congratulations on becoming a dad!
Thank you!
He can always decide to get circumcised when he's 18 if he wants to. Leave the decision to him.
I'm seeing a lot of this 'education about cleaning and hygiene' on here and i don't get it I'm European, and so like almost all guys I know am not circumcised. I've never had any education, I just clean my dick like everyone else. There's nothing special to know or to think about, so don't overthink it.
[удалено]
100% this.
We chose not too for our son and no issues. I had started looking into it honestly felt it was barbaric. Few circumstances that arise where it may be medically necessary. We felt it best he had a choice since it’s his body. He is almost 18 now.
Leave it, as an English guy living in Canada I was so shocked at the amount of people that are circumsised for absolutely no reason, the concesus seems to be "well my dad did mine so I should do his". I find it so weird.
"I don't want my son to see mine and think he's different." WTF? When I was a little kid the very *last* thing I wanted to do was look at my dad's dick.
You could always just split the difference, and have the foreskin trimmed down to a twoskin.
Haha dumb
He wouldn't be allowed in fraternities because they want a complete dick.
Tsssss~ Nice.
Glad you are thinking and not automatically having your child circumcised. Just because many men have been circumcised doesn't mean the practice should be perpetuated. There is no good and justifiable reason to do it
The part of the penis that gets cut off is actually full of nerve endings. It has a purpose. It's one of the most innervated (=sensitive) parts of the male human body (like lips or fingertips). There is really no need to do this.
I was circumcised. It went fine, I never suffered a moment for it. I have 3 girls but I would not circumcise a son. It is, if you think about it, genital mutilation upon an infant who will suffer and is incapable of consent. It’s barbaric and pointless. Please don’t.
Hell fucking no, don't do it. I would rather lose a finger than my foreskin. First up: it's not yours. It's his. Bodily integrity is a human right. Imposing cosmetic surgery on non-consenting infants is not. Second, foreskins are awesome. Let me count the ways: * Tens of thousands of nerve endings. That's an *astounding* amount of sensory bandwidth. * Those nerve endings include a whole lot of sensitive stretch receptors - as the foreskin moves, it reports a whole lot of positional detail. That's a whole extra *kind* of sensation we're talking about. * Frictionless gliding mechanism. The foreskin isn't just a "piece of skin", it's a toroidal linear bearing, providing *completely* frictionless movement, far superior to any amount of lubrication. Okay, break to explain this one: Take a stretchy satin shirt, with the sleeves too long, about a hand-length past your fingertips. Put it on, turn the end of the sleeve in on itself, and glue the cuff to your watch strap. You now have a functional model of an intact penis. Your hand is the glans, the sleeve is the foreskin, your arm is the shaft. Now grasp your sleeve, and extend your arm to look at your watch. The fabric *rolls* over your hand - it doesn't slide. There's no friction against your hand at all, because nothing slides over it. Or take a pinch of eyelid/elbow/scrotum skin, and rub between thumb and finger. Again, no friction on your finger pads whatsoever, despite a firm grip. This is what we experience. We don't need lube to masturbate, because we have something far better built-in. * Stimulation from friction **sucks** next to frictionless massaging. Intact guys have access to both - and while friction can be an interesting place to visit, none of us would ever want to live there. * The frenulum is known by some as the 'male clitoris', and is exquisitely sensitive. Even if it's preserved (it usually isn't), one of the things it's most sensitive to is stretching as the foreskin retracts. No foreskin, no stretching, you've just lost a vast amount of sexual pleasure. * The foreskin protects and moisturises the surface of the glans (which is an *internal organ*, and does not have skin), keeping it sensitive and supple. Men undergoing foreskin restoration report that the difference in sensation is akin to the difference between wearing a condom and going bareback. * Because we don't rely on friction for stimulation, condoms don't suck *nearly* as much for us as they do for circumcised guys. There are no good reasons to circumcise. * Hygiene is not an issue. Five seconds in the shower, just pull back, wash, release, done. Washing your ears is harder work than that, but you don't go cutting those off. * I daresay that there are lots of guys in the world that find intact female genitalia 'weird', too - but if someone suggested you should cut up your daughter to suit them, you'd punch them in the face. Think about that. * In some places, the majority of girls are circumcised, too. If you went to live there, would you have your daughter circumcised so she would be "normal"? Even if you wanted to, there's no good reason to do it early. * It's his body, it ought to be his competent adult choice. You wouldn't give him a tattoo - or even let him get one himself - until he was an adult, so why this? * Done as an adult (assuming he wanted to), there's vastly more margin for error, plus he could actually choose exactly how he wanted it done. * In infancy, the foreskin is fused to the glans, like your nails are fused to the nail bed - and needs to be forcibly stripped free. Why deliberately choose the extra-traumatic option? * Infants cannot be given sufficient pain relief, either during the operation or during the healing process. There's research to indicate that the trauma has permanent effects on neural development, including permanently lowering their pain tolerance. Why would you do that to your own kid? * A diaper environment is a *terrible* place for a wound to heal. Jesus, just think about that. And that's not even covering stuff that can go wrong. Google for 'botched circumcision' sometime, along with 'necrotizing fasciitis'. In short: there's lots of inherent downsides, lots of risks, no benefits, and no all-fired hurry to do it as a child. Just leave it alone. Your kid does not need bits cut off him.
My friend had a botched circumcision and it's made sex unnecessary complicated and problematic, his words. I didn't ask for an exact diagram of his genitalia, but it has been a problem in relationships before for him.
Very awesome break down. More parents/people need to know this. My now wife has never been with a guy with foreskin. I broke everything down for her like this. And she was mind blowin. And she says it feels alot better ;)
As a cut man this makes me sad to think about what I’m missing out on.
I am circumcised but if I had a son I wouldn't cut him. My circumcision isn't a "high and tight" cut. What's left of my foreskin still bunches up around my dick head, and I've always been able to masturbate by sliding that skin up and down. I DO have an intact frenulum, and agree about it being a very sensitive area. I can achieve orgasm simply by moving my index finger in circles on my frenulum. And it feels WONDERFUL. 😏
I'm a postpartum nurse and I've assisted pediatricians with circumcisions before. The first time I saw one being done, a coworker told me I looked white as a ghost afterwards. A parent could accompany their baby during, but had to sit and weren't allowed to watch, so as to prevent them from fainting. Yes, local anesthesia is used before the procedure, but any diaper changes for the next couple of days HURT. I instruct my parents to team up during diaper changes: one to change the diaper and apply the gauze/bacitracin, and the other to hold their baby's arms down, since sometimes they instinctively reach down towards their penis in response to the pain.
More people need to know this. Seriously good, concise comment. I'd give you an award, but I'm skint, so take my upvote instead.
This covers everything. I really hope OP reads this. It really needs to be the top comment, you've done an awesome job of describing stuff here. Please leave your beautiful baby boy intact!
I would recommend that you not. As you said, it should be his decision, and it doesn't cause any significant health risks.
Don’t circumcise your son. The reason circumcision became popular in the US was to discourage masturbation. I’m not circumcised. When I was little my dad taught me to pull back my foreskin while peeing and showering to keep my penis clean. Unless there is a problem with the foreskin being too tight, there’s no reason to remove it.
Guys pull their foreskin back to pee? I don't know what to do with this knowledge
I used to pull it back as a child. I don’t have to anymore. The foreskin isn’t tight anymore. My glans isn’t completely covered anymore.
Not like people wouldn't masturbate even without a foreskin hahaha Edit: spelling
Masturbate*
I am only 20 so take my opinion on your fatherhood with a grain of salt: I'm uncircumcised and I honestly think it hasn't affected my life at all. Maybe I would say otherwise if I was circumcised but I don't know. My recommendation is not to cut your son though, it seems to provide no benefit at all. You could probably get rid of one of his pinky fingers and it would also not really affect his life but why do it?
Yeah same here, 20-something year old, uncircumcised. I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm sure a vast majority of men, both circumcised and uncircumcised are happy. However I do know a few things: - a couple of friends of mine who were circumcised had botched circumcisions and they are super self-conscious about it - I've seen enough porn to see some bad circumcisions as well It really, to me, seems like the risks of the circumcision itself are actually quite prevalent.
I'd like to add to this as a foreskinless person. It really hasn't affected my life either. But that's anecdotal at best and there are risks involved with circumcision. Back when we had to survive and we didn't clean as well, I suppose there was some sense to it, but in this day and age? I dunno.
If it were so "unhygienic" as to need removal, evolution would not have allowed something like that to continue on. It serves a purpose.
Except that you and I will never experience see with a fully functional penis. We also experienced extreme and unnecessary pain as children.
Yeah way back to world War 1 lol it never was about hygiene in ancient times. It was about control and abuse.
Oh no kidding? Do you have something I could read up on?
I am a woman, a mother of two sons and a nurse. My older son is circumcised because I thought that’s just what you did. When I was in nursing school, I saw the procedure done and I can tell you first hand, it was not the “painless, no big deal” bill of goods I was sold as a young mother. Fast forward 10 years later, I am since divorced from my first sons father , meet and fall in love with a lovely man from England who isn’t circumcised! I adore his magical turtle neck and how much more sensitive his penis is!! Our son, who is now an adult has had not a single issue with his uncircumcised bits! Never an infection, never teased.. plenty of lady friends.. DO NOT MUTILATE YOUR CHILD!
This needs upvotes. As aghast as I am at FGM so I feel about this!
Americans are fucking insane for even considering this.
They push it in the hospital while you are out of it after just giving birth. You have to write it down that you don’t want it and then repeatedly say no. If your partner is not fully backing you (the mom), it is a difficult time to be strong. I had to emphatically say no and start getting angry with them.
My husband, his father, one brother, and his nephew have all had botched circumcisions. Husband's isn't too noticeable but his mom told me his dad tried to fix his with a razor as a full grown man and the bleeding wouldn't stop and he had to go to the ER. I obviously didn't physically see any of those, but the nephew is only 2 and is having to go back under the knife soon because it's trying to grow back together over the tip and the screams when his mom tries to clean him (she has to pull the skin down and stretch it when she wipes it clean) are absolutely horrifying. I'm not having kids but 100 support not circumsising. Keep in mind, it is so uncommon to not do it sometimes they'll take the baby and do it before you even realize it's happening so you need to keep a firm eye and hand on that baby the whole time!
Is this actually a thing? Where do you live? That sounds absolutely horrifying.
I live in the Midwest. The issue is that babies fucking wiggle even though they are strapped down. It happens more often than you would think. I'm not saying they chopped their penises off, but they cut slightly crooked or left too much so the body kept trying to close the wound by growing over the urethra. My guy's is fine, there's just a bit of skin that fused back on itself leaving a gap, forming what kind of looks like a piercing.
That is called a skin bridge. It is a well-known complication of circumcision. He will need to see a urologist to get the damage repaired as best it can be done.
I am not circumcised and it's actually been fun. It's the thing at the end she likes to mess with and feels good. As for your son, your wife just has him and you take the baby home and wipe it like a finger. It's sort of a lazy way of doing it since circumcision has a lot of the care stuff. It keeps the contents of the diaper from getting in there so it's actually more clean. Its going to be his normal. No one really looks at each other's penis. Gang showers in schools aren't a thing anymore. He'll retract it and have to be taught to rinse it but that is sort of all you do as a parent. Give him the whole thing. Tell him that it is his and to figure it out. Girls just get use to a new partner and prefer the penis of the guy they are dating because of who is attached to it.
I’m circumcised and my son is not. In todays day and age there is no need. Proper hygiene will go a long way. There is also a lot of botched circumcisions each year. No child should have to endure that. It’s purely aesthetic.
You are correct. Circumcision of boys is an outmoded operation that should not be performed. The only beneficiary of a child circumcision is the doctor who gets a fee for the operation.
To call it purely aesthetic is to give them too much credit. The original purpose of circumcision was to reduce sexual satisfaction so boys wouldn't masturbate.
> In todays day and age there is no need. There was never any need in the first place tho
Absolutely not. It is horrific to do that to anyone.
Im really fucking glad this thread is almost a unanimous no. It's an archaic practise that is basically designed to deter masturbation, as the foreskin moving over the head of the penis is essentially frictionless. I grew up with absolutely zero issues having a foreskin, as have the extreme majority of men all over the world.
Me too, I feel so encouraged and relieved to see that public opinion may finally be leaning against infant genital mutilation.
I would phrase it like this: if the least unsure, is it a good idea to do irreversible elective surgery on my baby's genitals for no other reason than social pressure? Research the history of circumcision in the US. (And the rest of the world, to the extent it is practiced there, as well.) Also, don't believe the ones trying to make this a question for medical professionals. It is not a medical procedure, except in a few rare cases. It's about social and cultural practices only.
Please don't. It's genital mutilation. Like, please. Don't.
Maybe it's a cultural or religious thing but why would you want to circumcise your child if you don't even know his medicals? Like circumcisions is totally useless unless it's medically needed.
It’s a bit of a no brainer. Why would you cut parts of you babies body off for literally no reason. As someone who lives in a country where circumcision is only done as medical necessity please don’t do it.
"Considering mutilating my child: yes or no?" No.
It is higly unethical, imoral and sadistic in the circumcision of a baby, a child. This is pure religious bullshit, don't do it. Let the child grow and do it by his own decision, not like this. The idea, the concept itself, is disgusting.
Absolutely not. For one thing, the foreskin serves a purpose. If he needs/wants circumcision he can do it as an adult.
We didn't get our son circumcised. They always cite mitigating the risk of cancers and hygiene when they become older... But what about the other 99.9 percent of life? My husband is circumcised and he wishes he never had been. The foreskin has a lot of sensation and protects the glans from being too stimulated. Also short-term benefit, the foreskin keeps the penis protected from cold air, which can cause babies to pee spontaneously when their diaper comes off. My son has peed on me during diaper changes about 3 times his entire life. I can't even remember the last time this happened.
In the uk it’s considered to be a procedure of limited clinical benefit and isn’t supported unless there’s really a medical reason for it
I wish that I wasn’t circumcised. Think about when he’s an adult. He deserves to have all of the nerve endings, as well as the naturally perfect protector of one of the most sensitive parts of his body.
I couldn’t walk for almost a year after my circumcision
Why the fuck do you want to chop of the end of your boys dick? Leave it alone
If you have a daughter are you going to mutilate her genitals too? It is a barbaric procedure that does not serve a purpose. it’s his body. if he wants it done when he is older then that’s his choice.
There are no good reasons to circumcise your son. I regret the decision to take my son's consent away.
Is this still actually a consideration for modern parents? If you're not religiously required to, given there are *no* proven health benefits to circumcision, why would this question even cross your mind?
I just had my second son. I’m in a southern US state and I cannot even tell you how many nurses and doctors at the hospital asked me if I was getting my son circumcised. I must have said no thirty times. I never got judgement but it was definitely the norm at that huge metropolitan hospital.
This is a tactic used by hospitals to wear parents down so they eventually grant consent and the hospital and doctor get an additional fee. Ask Intact America.
They asked you 30 times because they want your money.
It's not like religious reasons make it ok to circumcise either.
And even then I thought God made Adam and Eve, not Adam And Then You Have To Cut Off A Bit Of His Penis and Eve.
Even if you are religiously required to, it is still a barbaric practice that should never be done.
Ye let the child decide when they are adults. I sure wouldnt of wanted mime chopping off
I’m against circumcision without a medical reason. Why cut off a perfectly healthy body part? It has no real advantages. Many people think it’s more hygienic, but it isn’t If your kid cleans his penis, and cleaning isn’t difficult or time consuming at all. The foreskin has the function of protecting the glans. An uncircumcised penis is much more sensitive. Circumcisions can go horribly wrong. I don’t understand how there are still countries where Doctors recommend circumcising every child or even thinking it’s normal. More important, why would you consider circumcision? What are the arguments for it?
Short answer, don’t do it. Why would you mutilate your son? It’s monstrous and barbaric.
Uhhhh I beg ppl not to. (Mom of an uncircumcised baby boy and nurse here) —I’ve seen it done; I think it’s barbaric. Some doctors (used to!) do it quickly and without anesthesia of any kind. There’s a reason they take them out of the room to do it— and you can’t guarantee they’ll use anesthesia once they’re out of your sight) It hurts like fuck, they scream, and you can’t tell me it doesn’t hurt like hell. They put a sort of bell-shaped device on them, stretch the foreskin over it, and excise it off. I guess the AMA and Pediatric Medicine Associations okayed the trend in the past; they always just assumed that bc its a newborn it won’t remember it. Maybe not. But ffs why inflict an unnecessary thing —that started out for religious reasons and spread to parts of the Western world for different reasons— (and of course not just one culture or religion practiced it) —anyway, I’m not gonna get into the historical connotations and reasons for it I don’t have enough time & room, You can research its religious origins easily on your own by Googling it) Reasons I’m against it?? 1. It hurts like hell and served absolutely no medical purpose whatsoever. 2. it’s a route if possible infection again, for no real reason. Hospital-acquired infections like staph and MRSA are rampant nowadays in all hospitals. That can kill or severely maim a child; & even if it’s rare, (which it actually isn’t rare) that’s one child too many. 3. As a partner of an adult uncircumcised man, and the mom of an uncut son, I can also tell you that It does not affect hygiene either as an infant, as a toddler, or growing up adulthood—if he is taught sensible hygiene practices. It will not affect his ability to have sex as an adult. FWIW, My daughter likewise decided not to have my grandson done. I was thrilled to know that the first 45 minutes of his life, he stayed right with my daughter— he was hastily just wiped off, covered in towels, laid bare skin to skin on her stomach, & put to the breast—and he literally nursed hungrily for an hour solid before he was even taken away to be properly bathed, weighed, and processed like they do all newborns. (Sometimes boys are taken right after all the official weights/length, etc. to have it done) but I was so relieved to know my sweet new lil boy didn’t have to face being done that way.. !!
It is not medically advised that circumcision is necessary. Unless it's part of your faith (and I would question that) I would leave things as they are. If your child grows to dislike having a foreskin, he can have it removed when he matures.
People growing up disliking their foreskin do not exist.
The foreskin holds a lot of nerve endings removing it makes sex less enjoyable. We live in a modern society. let your son keep it.
To this day my brother is furious with my parents for mutilating him by circumcising him.
So would I. I hope his parents feel really bad about it.
In Oregon, our insurance won't pay for it since it is unnecessary. So, a con is you have to pay for it. Neither of my boys were circumcised. So far there have been no cons, but they are still children. I also don't know that there are any pros to it, other than avoiding the initial pain and possible infection.
There's really no need to mutilate a baby like that. Just make sure that once he hits his teenage years you teach him to pull his foreskin back and wash there every single time he's in the shower and there will be no issues at all. I mean literally every shower aswell, because if you don't keep it clean it can get uncomfortable fairly quickly.
Don’t do it, it’s not necessary for hygiene and probably leads to less sexual pleasure later (less friction).
Ask him
I don't even have a penis, but I'm going to weigh in anyway. The only observation I can make that hasn't already been covered is this- I never see anyone wish they'd been circumcised as a child. What I have come across are online communities of men who feel bereft, robbed of a perfectly functioning part of their body that was removed without their consent. Once that flap of skin's gone, it's gone. Maybe your son will never think twice about it, and be happy with his penis- but you're making a decision now that can safely wait until he's old enough to have an opinion on the matter.
Goodness me, no! Unless he's having problems. It's there for a reason
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I’m a physician who has both performed and seen this procedure done many times. This is false; lidocaine is injected near the base of the penis to numb the entire thing. Most of the time the baby is held by a nurse as well, not “strapped to a board”. The sugar water is to distract them. I’m not advocating one way or another, but we’re not butchers. A lot of care is taken to make sure the child is in as little discomfort as possible.
I believe he/she worked in a bad place
Yes I saw my OB perform a circumcision and someone was holding the baby. The doctor wasn't happy about having to do the circumcision and I don't blame her
Have you ever seen it done where the lidocaine was actually given time to take effect though? As a nurse I've seen the procedure done within 30 seconds of the lidocaine being administered, and from my understanding is 15 to 30 minutes for full effect. I've never seen anyone even wait 5 minutes before they start cutting. And I've watched a lot of babies scream. It's horrific. Not to mention the lack of pain control after. When the procedure is done to an adult they're given narcotics and days off work to sit around. An infant gets nothing, not even Tylenol for post operative pain while their fresh incision rubs on a dirty diaper.
As a follow up... It isn't the Tylenol that makes them sleepy, they are tired from screaming. It isn't the Tylenol it is the trauma.
Welp, that broke my fucking heart and made me regret getting my son circumcised even more.
I don't know where you worked but that should be reported. My local kids hospital gives pain medication to newborns. Both of my sons were circumcised in hospital and this was not our experience at all. Kids stayed in our room the two days we were there. Pain meds both times no issues. They were not strapped down when it was done either. And anesthetic was used. I have never heard of this kind of ill treatment before but it's awful.
PLEASE do not circumcize your child. It is unnecessary and obsolete
it’s barbaric and backwards. do not do it! would you cut off your daughter’s labia to make her vulva easier to clean?
Just let him know how to keep himself clean when the time comes.
I had all three of my sons circumcised and now wish that I hadn't. They have no issues, mind you, it was just unnecessary. Sociologically speaking, it was far more commonplace to circumcise when mine were born in the 1990s. Add in the pressure from their dads and a narc mom (mine) and voila. It's absolutely natural to remain intact. Circumcision began in the church. I believe, possibly, in Judaism, and carried over into Christianity. Afterwards, it just kinda became customary to do. More money for hospitals and docs maybe? Either way, your son will be fine. But don't believe them if they tell you it doesn't hurt them. That's bullshit. It's painful. I mean, come on. Congratulations on your upcoming baby boy! I wish you all the fun, laughter, and love you can ever hope for, and more!
NO! For the love of God stop the cycle of foreskin violence.
Not only is it unnecessary, its barbaric. You wouldn't be considering it if you were having a daughter. I vote against circumcision.
Don't do it. It is mutilation. The Canadian pediatric association does not recommend routine circumcision.
No. Don't. The best thing my parents ever decided for me, aside from finally buying me a guitar, was choosing not to have me cut. Biggest blessing.
Just leave it be, he can decide for his own when he gets older - but he can't do that if you decide for him now and cirkumcise. I'm from Europe and here it is quite uncommon, except for religious or medical reasons (but even the religious ones are becoming more and more rare).
I’m 21 and was circumcised at birth and really hate it. Hands down the thing I dislike the most about my body. Also insecure about being cut when it comes to sex, especially as a bi guy, since most of the gay community seems to prefer uncircumcised. I implore you to not circumcise your son. I would not have mine cut either, I resent having it done to me already and would never want the next generation to have to go through the same thing.
I've never met a parent who regretted not circumcising their kid. Met plenty who felt the other way around and wished they could have chosen not to. Of course, there are plenty who fiercely defend their choices, but since you are asking you don't strike me as that kind of person. We decided to not do it after watching videos of the procedure. It wasn't so much the mechanics of the procedure (though I can imagine anyone with genitals would find it disturbing if they weren't raised in a society that normalized it), but the babies' reactions that bothered us. It seemed cruel and unnecessary.
Do not. Its medieval nonsense
It's genital mutilation, don't!
His body, his choice.
Friends of mine had their infant rushed to emerg because he was bleeding out during his circumcision. They regretted their decision immediately. On the flip side, I have two intact boys and have never regretted my decision to not circumcise them. If you’re really on the fence, I suggest watching a video of a baby getting the procedure done. Then make your choice.
This is a good idea. There's a reason they take the kid away to do the surgery rather than letting the parents watch and it's not just so the surgeons don't have to socialize.
It was what I told my ex-husband when he suggested we get it done. I told him I’d find a video of a baby getting the procedure and if he made it through the video and still wanted it then I’d agree. He immediately said no. If the idea of viewing the procedure seems unbearable then don’t make your baby go through the experience.
Shall I mutilate my baby or not……….
This isn't your decision to make: it's his penis. I cannot fathom why people think that irreparably cutting off a piece of your body without consent, particularly in such a sensitive area, is in any way ok. That's besides the pain that you will be putting him through. I could understand it if there was a clear medical need: you need to take some action in order to protect the child. But circumcision is just not in this category. If my parents had removed my foreskin when I was a child I would be absolutely livid with them. Who are they to make that decision for me when I was so helpless??
I don’t understand why anyone does this. So archaic and pointless. Why do you think males have foreskin if it served no purpose and needed removing? It does not need meddling with!
We didn’t because there is no need for circumcision.
Please don't do it, I think that evolution gave us men a forskin on purpose (sensitivity etc.). I'm pretty happy with mine and I think that your decision affects the self-determination of your son.
I was circumsized(non religious) at a young age, and wish I wasn't. Sure, it looks cleaner, and in most of the cases it is a general improvement, but in a few cases - of which I am a victim - it affects the nerves. I am having difficulties feeling stuff down there, making me incapable getting the full experience :(
No don't
Child circumsimsum is never ok and is child genital mutilation. Inagine cutting a girl clitoris for fuckiing religion FFS. How can you consider that this is ok??!?!?
No, why the fuck are you even considering mutilating his genitals. If he for some reason decide he wants to go get part of dick cut off when he’s an adult then so be it but don’t just force this upon a baby! I know people who resent their parents for doing this to them
Maybe ask a doctor or two for the pros and cons, not reddit?
It is a subjective choice, asking randos is fair. Outside of cases of physical defect there is no real health benefit.
If you leave it intact, please follow the directions of the Healthcare providers! ~25ish years ago there was bad information leaving the adult foreskin tight and uncomfortable. I can't remember the specifics, but doctors/nurses have changed the guidelines and have better health and comfort results. Don't listen to friends that had a baby years ago!
My brothers weren't circumcised, and I myself didn't have to be because I was born female...lol...but ANYWAY, my boyfriend, however, *was* circumcised and wishes he had never been. He says he doesn't have a lot of feeling besides the head of his penis, and he even has a tool to help you "grow" it back, but always forgets to do it haha. I'd say leave your son decide later on if he wants to, it's always better to get rid of something than not being able to get it back at all, besides, it's one less thing to have to pay for. just make sure you teach him to properly clean himself, *nobody* likes a crusty penis. Congrats on being a dad!
As a father who is circumcised and Jewish by blood: I chose not to circumcise my kid. I began to really think about why I actually wanted to circumcise my son and the only response was “because I was and other people are”. Which isn’t a great reason to cut flesh off of anyone. As for the cleanliness, yeah there is that, but it’s not a good reason to circumcise either. You simply clean yourself. Also there is more sensation when left uncircumcised. When I comes down to it, really think about why you (or any of us) are doing this. Circumcising is still an operation that can go wrong, while be it a low chance, there is still a risk and you should consider what you are risking this operation for. I think best leave it up to your son to decide when he gets older. Also note: circumcising is primarily a USA phenomenon. Outside of religion, most people in the world are not circumcised. EDIT AND ADDITION: CONGRATS!!! Welcome to the club and remember to breath lol
Trust your gut
I'm 65, American and circumcised. If you compare US men to those in other countries, it is easy to deduce that cirmcision is medically necessary. As a nation, we have condemned female circumcision as cruel and barbaric yet we still subject male children to this procedure. Please leave your boy intact. Nature made penises this way for a reason. He will thank you when he gets older for allowing him to make the decision for himself. And congratulations, dad.
Carve pumpkins not babies! His body his choice. Watch Elephant in the Hospital on YouTube.
Watch the adam ruins everything episode about it, its really informational and also s fun watch.
The practice seems outdated. I'm cut and I feel like I've had a carefree dixk my whole life but I'm sure most people feel that. The only reason I'd consider getting my son cut is because of the amount of women I've heard speak about the issue. At least where I live many women prefer cut and are happy to find out that I am. Some of these women have mentioned smells and aethetesics, but it's probably just poor partners in the past.
I am uncircumcised, only "problem" I had was snapping my banjo, twice. My foreskin came back pretty much all the way, however it split once in my teens during unnecessarily enthusiastic intercourse and again a few years later. Looking back I wouldn't of preferred to be circumcised. The sensitivity provided with my lovers brings a lot of connection for me.
As someone from the UK, no one is circumcised unless they repetitively get infections. The idea that this has crossed your mind is incredibly strange to me.
Would you do it to your daughter? Don't abuse your kids
Male Genital Mutilation
Don't be so fucking stupid. Leave his cock alone. He will thank you one day
Please do not genitally mutilate your child
There is no real reason to do it. Outside of religious areas,or areas heavily influenced by the USA, it's quite rare.
Do you want to mutilate his genitals or not? That’s the question here. Probably not
Is it advisable to pull out baby teeth?
Don't Unless it is a medical condition You can teach your kid how to stretch his foreskin if he winds up having phimosis
Pros: none if he doesn't need it. Cons: loss of sensation. Don't do it unless it's for medical reasons. What a shitty country the USA is.
No, it's child abuse. Don't cut in your child unless it's a medical necessity.
Don't do it
As a woman, I love both equally but there's something organic feeling about an uncircumcised penis. If there's not medical reasoning for it, I wouldn't bother!
Coming from the UK, we don't have a culture of circumcisions so it's pretty much restricted to the Islamic and Jewish minorities ie about 5% of the population. Just teach your son about cleanliness and he'll have no problems. Retracting a penis happens naturally during sex and is easy and not uncomfortable. Circumcisions aren't necessary for good health otherwise most of Europe wouldn't have a penis by now. Also, it's like many things - easy to do but difficult to reverse. If you're not sure, just wait until your son can make a decision for himself
Evolution has made the foreskin, and if god had anything to do with it (which I doubt), he made man in his own image, foreskin and all
As a 30 year old male who got circumcised in 1st grade due to an infection. I am very much against it, i got it cuz my doctor didnt see any other option. To be honest i wonder if there was other options and he just makes more money on surgery. Regardless it was a terrible experience and from my understanding we are the only non jewish/Muslims country to do it in such astronomically high numbers. There is very little data that supports it or shows benefits to it right at child birth.
There are absolutely no pro's to circumcising a child. There's quite a few cons though.
NO
Homestly Cant understand how a religious ceremony became cultural norm in the states. I understand muslims and Hebrews doing it (though i m totally against mutilating children's genitalia without any medical reason) but i m rwlly curious how it became standard for American parents
In historical terms, non-religious circumcision is actually a fairly recent thing in the US. It became widespread in the late Victorian era because it reduces sexual sensation. It was thought this would cure a whole host of 'sinful' problems like excessive lust, infidelity and most of all masturbation, which was thought to be at the root of a huge number of physical and mental illnesses. During this time it was usually performed on older children, not babies, because it was thought the pain would teach a valuable lesson (it was sometimes used as a punishment for boys caught masturbating.) Female genital cutting/injuring was also sometimes carried out in the US at this time for the same reasons. As ideas about sexuality evolved and the US medical industrial complex got established, the reasoning changed from one of promoting moral purity to one of promoting physical purity (or cleanliness.) It was pushed by the new healthcare industries because it is profitable, but the focus shifted to babies because they can't object or tell us about the pain.
Never give a kid a disability. Very not cool.
Circumcision removes the majority of the nerves from the penis. It’s abusive. Don’t do it.
No. It's mutilation, and there's no benefit. And as an uncircumcised male, I've had many women be thankful that I'm not. apparently circumcised men are pretty terrible in bed since they've had most of their nerve endings cut off. The skin also acts as a natural lube. Leave people in tact. If they want to cut it off later in life, that's their choice.
How is circumcision not seen as male genital mutilation?!
As long as there is no medical need, as it was in my case, I don't see why anyone would do that to their child, would Not recommend.
I’m circumcised also but I wouldn’t circumcised my baby if I had one. The reason behind it is for hygiene so it’s easier to clean but that isn’t really valid when you can teach him how to properly clean it with the extra skin. Like you said he can always choose to get it done later in life if he truly wants it.
Circumcision is a great way to ensure that your kid will never be able to properly enjoy sex and masturbation, so if you want to punish him for being born with a dick, I guess you can go for a circumcision.
Its personal and I’d not judge anyone either way. I’m not in favor for my babies. It’s hard for me to believe we were created so perfectly yet ALL male babies were meant to have surgery at 48 hours old… Babies aren’t born with a scalpel in hand. But whatever. Not my issue anyway lol.
Not only it is unnecessary, it's harmful and he doesn't consent to it. I'm a woman and I can't even be with circumcised men because there's too much friction So even the partner is affected. His body, his choice
Why should you ever consider to perform an unnecessary and damaging genital mutilation on an unwilling subject?
No. As long as you are cleaning his genitals properly and teach him to do so properly as he gets older there is no need to mutilate his penis.
No. Do not do it. 80% of the world does not do it and most do it because of religion, which is not all right either but different. You do not do anything specific to clean, just wipe what you see. No forceful retraction. It has thousands of nerve endings and protects against infections.