WTF? "Half of all uncircumcised males will, over the course of their lifetime, develop some kind of medical issue related to their foreskin."

[missingwelliesinsd]

Question as a Brit in the USA. I just read this news article on the never-ending debate (in the USA at least) of whether it's better to circumcise male babies. Some paper just issued by the Mayo Clinic concluded that the benefits out weigh the risks 100-1 and it would be unethical to not circumcise a male baby just it it would be if you don't get immunizations for your child. WTF?

I know that circumcising can help reduce STD transmissions - but hey, just use a condom! What I can't believe is that "50% of non-circumcised males have medical issues with their foreskins." That would make 50% of most of the male population of Europe having foreskin issues at some point. Can this be right? I tend to think it's just American prejudice against foreskins after decades of snipping. I'm TTC and if I do and we have a boy, no way am I snipping the poor thing.

Here's the article:
jezebel.com/circumcision-rates-decline-in-the-u-s-1557539810

Benefits to removing appendix: no risk of appendicitis

Benefits of removing adenoids: no risk of inflammation, no blocking the Eustachian tube causing deafness

Benefits of removing tonsils: no risk of tonsillitis or tonsil cancer

Why not go the whole hog?

Oh yeah, because there's no cultural or religious reasons behind these is there. It's not been normalised by society. People haven't been brainwashed into thinking it's acceptable.

shak one last thing!

You don't sign a form for ear piercing, not in Britain anyway as it's not considered a medical procedure.

Shakshuka

What are the medical benefits that appeal to you? Is sexual transmitted disease that you are fearful of?

squoosh

I think it's fair enough not to recommend routine circumcision. The AAP is indeed only one body, albeit a very respected one. But other bodies also don't recommend not circumcising. If they did, and had the evidence supporting their decision available, i'd certainly look at it.

When my daughter had her ears pierced in England, I signed a form saying I was aware of the risks. That may have just been the policy of where she had it done. I'm surprised that children are allowed to just go and pierce their ears without parental consent.

No, nursey, because the operations to remove appendices and tonsils are far far more complicated. That's why.

They're actually relatively simple.

The only fact that complicates them is going under general anaesthetic

But since we're talking about babies.. they don't need it do they.. if you take circumcision into consideration. We could just do it whilst they're awake couldn't we like circumcision? It'll only hurt them for a minute

Adults and children are given general anaesthetic for medical circumcision.
Adults and children are given general anaesthetic for apis and tonsil removal.

Do you see the point I'm making here?

If I was American/Muslim/Jewish I may well have a completely attitude to circumcision. It's unsurprising to me that the American Academy Of Pediatrics is pro routine circumcision, they're American and circumcision is the cultural norm there. It's also unsurprising to me that the NHS doesn't recommend the routine circumcision of baby boys as circumcision isn't the norm in the UK.

Most of our attitudes to circumcision are culturally formed. The removal of a baby's healthy foreskin to help protect against STIs later on in life seems to me to be an unnecessary measure.

Circumcision is so common place in the USA that some people genuinely don't know how I care for an uncircumcised penis. I know of women who retracted their infants foreskin to clean underneath, as they were keen to show that it's not unhygienic to have a foreskin. But it's fused in infancy and should be left well alone until the child retracts it - which can be quite an age apparently, though my son has partially retracted his since around 2 and now does fully at 4 (I discourage him from fiddling too much, but I think it's healthy and normal for kids to explore their own body, you just need to teach healthy attitudes and societal norms!). Anyway, retracting it too early caused bleeding, infections, and ultimately ended in circumcision anyway. Because they didn't know to just wipe it clean like a finger.

*completely 'different' attitude.

Someone removed their own tonsils with nail clippers a few years back. Doctor said afterward they'd done a pretty good job.

But I'd recommend people have a general for a tonsilectomy, and for a circumcision.

That was quite a performance! Needed the popcorn there.

It is mutilation and it should stop.

You don't need a general anaesthetic to circumcise a newborn nursey. Absolutely not. It's a very different procedure than in an adult or older child. Local anaesthesia is more than sufficient.

Are you a doctor billybanter that you know what kind of anaethesia is best for a newborn circumcision?

Squoosh

Attitudes towards circumcision may be culturally biased but assessment of scientific evidence should not be.

No it definitely shouldn't be.

Personally I find it far more healthy to leave children's sex organs alone and intact. Boys and girls.

I find that's a sensible and sane attitude to children in general.

I'd certainly look at it so why have you and others dismissed evidence to the contrary then? It's all there several times throughout this thread.

I wouldn't advise newborn circumcision under anaesthetic or otherwise.

I leave that to doctors.

You don't need a general anaesthetic to circumcise a newborn nursey. Absolutely not. It's a very different procedure than in an adult or older child. Local anaesthesia is more than sufficient.

In that case I'm sure tonsillectomies would be just the same :)

BillyBanter, actually a general anaesthesia is not recommended for infant circumcision.

'But given that European and North American analyses of the data yield slightly different results (perhaps a difference in emphasis rather than an explicit difference in recommendations, since the organisations have to be so careful not to step on anyone's cultural or religious toes), doesn't that suggest that there is a cultural bias?'

Yes, is certainly suggests that to me Corus.