Circumcision question...

[SamanthaJane]

Okay, its not really relevant at the moment because i am having a girl... but it may be if i ever have a son....

Today when i was visiting my sister in the hospital her sister in law and mother in law were in the room going on about how its so bad that people don't circumcise their baby boys ...

I said that i wasnt intending on doing it if i ever had a boy and they said..

"WHY?!?! Thats disgusting! You can't clean the baby until he is 5 if you dont circumcise him. What if sand or dirt gets caught in there??? You can't clean it out, it just has to stay there... how could you be okay with that ?!?! And when they are old they have the exact same problem, they wont be able to clean it when they are older because it will be too difficult. Why do you think men died in the war? Because they couldnt keep themselves clean down there so they died. Besides those reasons, an uncircumcised penis is so ugly, i hate the look of them. Your boy would be the odd one out....." :ecomcity: And then I kinda tuned out at that point...

Then they finished saying "ohh... but, everyone is different i guess..." :rolleyes:

:banghead: Are they right ??? Have i been misinformed ??? I thought that the hygienic thing wasn't really true ???

[misskittyfantastico]

http://www.bubhub.com.au/community/forums/showthread.php?t=36666

this is a link to a thread regarding circumcision myths...it may be helpful to you:)

[WeThree]

Wow, I always am suprised when I hear of people who actually still think this kind of stuff, it is they who have been misinformed, not you :)

[SamanthaJane]

Thanks for the link :)

[Dannii79]

The foreskin serves three functions: protective, sensory, and sexual.
In most cases, the foreskin is still fused to the glans at birth and will separate over a variable period of time over the first few years. During the diaper period, the foreskin protects against abrasion from diapers and feces. Throughout life, the foreskin keeps the glands soft and moist and protects it from trauma and injury.
Parts of the foreskin, such as the mucosa (inner foreskin) and frenulum, are particularly sensitive and contribute to sexual pleasure. Specialized nerve endings enhance sexual pleasure and control.

The foreskin is easy to care for and the intact penis is easy to keep clean. (http://www.cirp.org/pages/parents/care/) The foreskin usually does not fully retract for several years and should never be forced. When the foreskin is fully retractable, boys should be taught the importance of washing underneath the foreskin every day.
Gently rinsing the genital area while bathing is sufficient. Harsh soap and excessive washing can irritate the penis, which can lead to inflammation of the glands (balanitis).
Smegma is a white waxy substance, consisting of natural secretions and shed skin cells, that may occur around the folds of the genitalia in both males and females. In the past it was feared that smegma might be carcinogenic (and this fear was used as a justification for circumcision), but this fear has been disproven. Good general hygiene and common sense are key to preventing infection.

Circumcision is surgery, and like all surgery it has risks. (http://www.cirp.org/library/complications/) These include:

Excessive bleeding
Injury to the glands
Infection (raw wound is exposed to feces and urine in diaper)
Complications from anaesthesia, if used
Surgical error, including removal of too much skin
In rare cases, complications can be life-threatening.Up to 20% of circumcised males will suffer from one or more of the following complications, to some degree:

Meatal stenosis (narrowing of the urethral opening due to infection and subsequent scarring, that occurs almost exclusively in circumcised boys)
extensive scarring of the penile shaft
skin tags and skin bridges
bleeding of the circumcision scar
curvature of the penis
tight, painful erections
psychological and psychosexual problemsThe surface of the glands becomes dry if not protected by the foreskin. It is believed that dryness and abrasion may cause progressive loss of sensation in the glans, especially in later life. Circumcised men on the whole do enjoy sex and are able to orgasm.

[xkwzit]

There was also a poll of who would and wouldn't - great for letting ppl know that, actually, it is now the circ'd boys who are the minority. You can find it here (http://www.bubhub.com.au/community/forums/showthread.php?t=31252).

It hasn't been routine in the UK for 30 odd years and Australia seems to be moving in the same direction.

Cheers

[WeThree]

LOL SJ, I came in to make sure you were not mad at my original reply, or had not seen it, saw that you had, (but were not mad, thank goodness,lol) so came in to fix it up, but then saw you had changed your post as well!
Gee thats rather confused me now.... :o :laughing:

[RedPanda]

Geez, they sound sooo old-school! Firstly, he wouldn't be the odd one out. Most people these days do NOT circumsize. Secondly, penises are ugly no matter what you do with them. You can circumsize them, stick a bow around them and coat them in chocolate, they are still unattractive (IMO anyway!).

It's fine for them to have an opinion, but they really should do their research before spouting off ridiculous things such as "that's how people died in the war". What rot! People who wish to circumsize should just embrace the reality, and confess their real reasons, which are usually that their DH is circumsized, or that they just prefer it!

[cmd'smum]

omg :eek: My they are uninformed about the consequences that circumcised males have to deal with!!

If they ever bring it up again, ask them whether they would circumcise a baby girl :no: why a boy then?:rolleyes:

They arn't even sposed to be pulling back the skin and cleaning underneath until the forsekin while a boy is little :shame:

The girls have provided some really good links and info on circumcision.

[Ashleigh<3]

LOLZ! @ One of their leading reasons towards promoting it...

"Why do you think men died in the war? Because they couldnt keep themselves clean down there so they died.":rolleyes:

I don't want to turn this into one of those arguing threads so i will just say I’m with you Sam. I don't want my 'boy', (if he happens to be a boy)circumcised.
I've spent a long time looking up information on this procedure and I’m satisfied with the decision Adam and I have made.
If there comes a time where our baby has a health issue within that area and it's recommended that we do have him circumcised, we will be all up for putting our little ones health first! That's what it really should be about.
All young boys should be cleaned/taught about personal hygiene wether they be circumcised or not. There is no excuse!:D

[Ashleigh<3]

Secondly, penises are ugly no matter what you do with them. You can circumsize them, stick a bow around them and coat them in chocolate, they are still unattractive (IMO anyway!).


:laughing: :laughing: :laughing: I'm with you on that one!

[SamanthaJane]

LOL SJ, I came in to make sure you were not mad at my original reply, or had not seen it, saw that you had, (but were not mad, thank goodness,lol) so came in to fix it up, but then saw you had changed your post as well!
Gee thats rather confused me now.... :o :laughing:

:laughing: I definitley wasnt mad, quite the opposite :p

[SamanthaJane]

Thanks for all the replies ladies!

And LMAO hazel :laughing:

[xkwzit]

LMAO when I realised that it was YOU Samantha, who started the poll that i posted a link to for you (like you needed a link to your own poll :laughing: :laughing: ).

But hey - it's all good info - right ? :D

Cheers

[SamanthaJane]

Xkwzit - lol, i had totally forgotten i had started that poll until i went to the link! So thanks for the reminder :D

Stupid pregnancy brain! :rolleyes:

[chubbybubby]

DP is done but as soon as I found out I was preg, I decided I would not be doing that to my son. If DP had objected I would have told him to shove it! DP didn't really care either way so it was not an issue. The way I see it, I have no right to modify my baby! If he wants to be circ'd, he can choose to do it when he is older. You can't reverse being circ'd though. I also could not put my baby through that much pain. As his mother, I am supposed to protect him from pain, not inflict it on him.

[cobysmummy]

my son is circed... and i was unsure about the whole procedure and putting my son through pain... until we were at the docs waiting and a 16 year old boy was waddling his way in... he was in so much pain... and it made me feel better.. better because he will remember the pain and procedure for the rest of his life... coby on the other hand.. i chucked the boob in his mouth and he had forgotten what had happened...

and these days they dont "cut" anything... they tie a peice of string around it and it falls off in a few days.. and he had numbing cream on...

each to their own i say... its just the same as vax-ing

[Mister Noodle]

For me, it's not about the pain, it's about having part of your body missing.

If someone wanted to tie a cord around some other part of your child until it turned black and fell off... you'd be appalled, pain or no.

[Mum&bubs]

My DP is circumised and i just want to say thank god i do not have a son! We get into many arguements about if we ever have a boy & if we would get him done too or not. I DO NOT want my son (if i ever had one) done- never have, never will but DP on the other hand wants him done and it will be something we will never agree on :laughing:

[pookiesossige]

Geez, they sound sooo old-school! Firstly, he wouldn't be the odd one out. Most people these days do NOT circumsize. Secondly, penises are ugly no matter what you do with them. You can circumsize them, stick a bow around them and coat them in chocolate, they are still unattractive (IMO anyway!).

It's fine for them to have an opinion, but they really should do their research before spouting off ridiculous things such as "that's how people died in the war". What rot! People who wish to circumsize should just embrace the reality, and confess their real reasons, which are usually that their DH is circumsized, or that they just prefer it!

GREAT post Hazel! It's really helped me with my diet, I no longer feel like chocolate :laughing:

[stellarella]

I cannot believe there are people out there who think you cant clean an un-circed penis, OMG, it is sooooo ridiculous.

firstly I have a little boy and his penis is just fine without needing to pull the skin back to clean it, a little boys penis has a tiny opening and its self cleaning anyway....my grandmother tried to tell me to force the skin back to clean it when he was like a week old....i told her to buzz off!! At around 5 yrs the foreskin will naturally become easier to retract and once it can you should teach your little boy how to clean it, just olike you teach him to clean his teeth....SIMPLE.

which leads me to the next point, my brother is un-circed, my cousins are un-circed, my nephews are un-circed, in actual fct boys who are circumcised are the odd ones out!!

thirdly, DP is un-circed and trust me, its very simple to clean a mans penis.....he cant imagine not having the foreskin there to protect the sensitive head...he thinks it would be unbearable.

WHY oh WHY are we so afraid of an un-circed penis, they are in no way unnattractive, as I have seen and experienced both, when a mans penis is erect the foreskin retracts and you cant tell the difference.

Pease lets get with the times, we are not living in the dark ages anymore, we have facilities to keep ourselves clean, lets just do that and stop chopping our bits off :eek: