Circumcision ... :(

[Mrs P]

In terms of stats, for me I've never seen a boy uncircumcised or know of anyone who didn't do it.

At the end of the day it needs to be a mutual decision. Dh isn't done but he is happy to have our son done when he is born so I'm lucky in that regard, I always worried about that discussion

[elleandsam]

Who goes around asking about their friends sons genitals? I have no idea whether or not my son's friends are circumcised or not.

[Sonja]

Usually through changing their nappies or helping them with toileting. Of those I've not seen a circ'd boy in the past few years. And yes sometimes it's come up in conversation usually when it's been an issue between the parents and one of my friends has asked my opinion.

[PR2bMum]

Don't know that I've ever 'asked' anyone nor would I. Like Sonja said, it either comes up in conversation or you see when you are changing their nappy. It's quite often discussed leading up to birth as they are asking who does it, recommendations for surgeons etc. It's even something that has been discussed by pregnant work colleagues at the lunch table, be they asking opinions on it getting done or what ever.

[Waggers70]

I only know of one circumcised boy in all those I know. Looking back into the past (scary!) none of my boyfriends were circumcised. DH is not circumcised neither is my father. It's funny that this is such a taboo subject among grown men - just watch the blush when you ask if they've been done!

As for our personal decision - our son will not be circumcised as we both believe it to be an unnecessary procedure.

Op good luck with communicating with your husband over this matter. Perhaps he needs to speak to men his own age who are intact and realize that an intact penis is just as functional and hygienic as a circumcised one

[Boobycino]

If it's "to look like his dad" then he's talking about cosmetic surgery on his sons genitals to suit his own ideas of what a Baby's penis should look like and I'm sorry but that sits really badly with me.

Because its cleaner is simply untrue.

I'm not exactly going to get my inner and outer labias removed because i have to wash around some skin in the shower and it would be easier to clean my genitals if it was a flat surface...

[Witwicky]

Anecdotal evidence is not statistical. It obviously varies from area to area.

Medicare statistics are quite solid and show that the majority of male infants in Australia are no longer being routinely circumcised.

[JohnC]

This is the situation in regard to Medicare data:medicare table.jpg
This table is for a forthcoming update to the Circumcision Information Australia statistics page that I'm drafting at the moment.

What it shows is some pretty big variations between states, so it is quite possible that people's perceptions of how many boys are circumcised may legitimately vary. Nonetheless any boy circumcised nowadays will definitely be in a very small (and ever-shrinking) minority. That being the case, I think it strengthens the case that it should be their decision.

So in terms of the OP's dilemma (which is unhappily rather common), I think this autonomy argument is a clincher.

There is no doubt that conformance with peer group matters a great deal, while I have never heard any man ever comment on his father's penis (and most kids would regard the idea as totally weird).

[JohnC]

Dh isn't done but he is happy to have our son done when he is born so I'm lucky in that regard, I always worried about that discussion

What I really don't understand is the ethical basis for denying a child the opportunity to make his own decision about his own penis when he is old enough to do so.

[Mrs P]

What I really don't understand is the ethical basis for denying a child the opportunity to make his own decision about his own penis when he is old enough to do so.

I don't understand a lot of things parents choose to do with their kids but so long as they're not abusing them I don't care. I have my own reasons for getting it done and if when he is older he would have preferred to have not been done, feel free to tell me you told me so. I am yet to come across a man who has issues with it.