Circumcision?

[Claire236]

I've never started a thread in AIBU before as it can be quite scary so please be nice. My dh was circumcised as an adult for medical reasons & ds1 had to have an operation so has in effect been circumcised. ds2 (almost 5 months) is as nature intended but I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to have him circumcised. Firstly as that way he will grow up looking the same as his brother & dad which I think could make a difference to how he feels when he gets a bit older. Secondly because it seems more hygenic. I'm unsure due to the fact that ds1s op for horribly painful & I wouldn't want to put ds2 through that for no good reason. I haven't spoken to my GP about this so don't know when is normal to have it done or anything but I'd really like to know if people think I'm BU considering this.

scaredone - My grandmother was a nurse in her younger days. She actually opened one the first family planning clinics in Zimbabwe back in the 50 or 60's. She does on occasion come out with some extremely bizarre things though, hence the reason that i take it all with a pinch of salt!

I still cringe when i remember the time that i was about 13 and she told me the thrill she used to get rolling a black(?!) condom onto my Grandfather in their younger days!!!

oh and yes it was recently that she told me (she asked if my dp was circumcised!) but i am not sure if it something she knew from her nursing days or a recent discovery.

my ds has been circumcised too as his daddy is muslim and ds had undescended testes and when he had that operated he was circumcised too, i dunno if i would have had a seperate operation for it but i do think that its outrageous that some people just because they are ignorant to religion say its barbaric tbh

littlemoominmamma - I don't have an issue with circumcision for medical reasons (which is what you're describing) and I doubt anyone would. But having an operation 'in case' there might be medical reasons later seems terribly perverse.

Why would anyone put their DC through a needless operation? Bizarre

omg no one take a blind bit of notice of me i cant even string a sentence together!

you say ds1's operation was "horribly painful" and you "wouldn't want to put ds2 through that for no good reason"

Is that not an answer in itself?

"this its quite a normal thing"

Do we cut any other bits off and consider it "normal" ?

Sorry, but I am sad that for religious reasons (from hundreds to thousands of years of 'tradition') it is common practice for boys (or girls) to be circumcised, without themselves having a chance to veto it.

It certainly couldn't have been any scientific studies re HIV back then, and while it might have had something to do with general cleanliness (or lack of, considering it wasn't many tens of years ago when people only bathed a few times a year) it just seems to me to be some rather mysterious aspect which "believers" go along with to prove their subservience to their chosen (?) faith.

As you can probably gather, I rebelled against being brought up with religion controlling my thoughts. That's not to say I do not try to do "good deeds" or that I have no moral values, just that I don't feel inclined to be a member of any religious group, and find quite a few have traditions with which I disagree.

I had to follow "chosen" with that "?" because to my mind, many have had no choice whatsoever.

(Apologies for possible thread hijack if anyone cares to follow this tangent!)

nobody here has mentioned keloid scarring?

If you or your partner suffer from keloid scarring then it is entirely possible that your kids will too.

(keloid scarring is when the scar becomes very enlarged, raised and often changes colour.)

If you circumcise your child and then discover the keloid scarring imagine how you would feel.....

Please check beforehand

Elenio, I was just curious. I know my grandma often states things as a fact because they were facts when she was you.
Yours sounds a bit scary and too open .
Her achievements are great though!

Mehdismummy, I am not sure I am following you, sorry. So you don;t think you would have had a separate circumcision if he hadn't had the other problem?
I am not ignorant to religion at all by the way, I am actually quite interested in different ones and like to hear and learn about them.
But even having lived with a Jewish family (and Americans) for an extended period has not changed my mind about finding circumcisions, when not entirely necessary, barbaric. it is after all cutting off someone else's body part without their consent. And quite honestly I think it should be banned, just as female circumcision.
Unless of course it is for medical reasons.

I am not ignorant of religions at all (far from it) nor the religious reasons for circs but still strongly disagree with mutilation on any grounds other than health for a baby/child.

One doesn't need to know the specific details of any particular religion to know that they are all nonsense and to object to all of their requirements for doing harmful things such as chopping bits off people for no medical reason.

littlemoomin
4-5 is the normal age for boys to be circumcised in ex h's country. I dont think it causes more suffering.

My husband is circumcised which is normal in his country of birth for religious reasons. My son is not. His family have bought it up in the past as in his culture they get it done between the ages of 8-11. I have been very clear with them that I am from a different culture and that under no circumstances will it be happening during his childhood. If he decides as an adult that he wants it done then it's his decision. I don't think not having a matching willy to daddy has harmed him in any way.

My father was circumcised as apparently it was quite the norm in middle-class families in the 20s even if not for religious reasons. I don't think there's anything shocking about the idea but would certainly ask medical advice.

As for it causing loss of sexual pleasure, I can only say that my two best lovers were both Jewish and I reckon it's a complete myth. I also think it's much nicer for the woman. not sure that's an argument for sending a baby for the snip, though. I only have girls so have never had to think about it.

Oh yes it's a great idea, lopping off the badly designed bits.

Mother nature/God obviously made human bodies beautiful and perfect creations except for that pesky foreskin thingy on little boys.

WHat was SHe/He thinking? Good job we know better and have sharp instruments to slice off the unnecessary bits of our boy babies. Heck, let's bring religion into it as well

COMMEUEIMAGE: Ok this might be too personal and too far to ask on here but why would a circumcised penis be nicer for a woman? Don't answer if you think it's crossing a personal boundary, I am just curious.

I just find it easier not having to faff about with foreskin. And I think the cock looks and feels nicer without it. Maybe my circumcised men have just been lovelier and it's made me biased...

Fair enough. Having only been with uncircumcised men I have no idea to be honest. Or a comparison.

The only piece of writing of mine I have ever been ashamed of is one I wrote about 20 years ago to the effect that circumcized cocks were sexier than uncircumcized cocks. I agreed to write it on the grounds that it was a moderately interesting debate, and it made a change from articles about how women's bodies should be changed for men's benefit, and I certainly thought it very unlikely that anyone would read it and immediately advance on the nearest male with a sharp knife...
But
Still

It wasn't a good thing to have done. And I regret it.

As a man myself, let me tell you, men don't generally don't get naked together. Like, ever. I seriously doubt that would ever be an issue.

I am undecided about the issue of circumcision on babies. I can see the hygienic benefits, but I have heard from a lot of different sources that 'foreplay' is much more difficult without foreskin. I know that I would personally never do it myself.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

Oh and I'm fairly 100% certain thanks to friends who have had circumcisions as adults that while circumcision does not eradicate sexual pleasure, IT DOES DIMINISH IT. NOTICEABLY.

I may be in the minority ladies, but I think an intact willy is far superior...very manly...just MHO!!!

Can I ask those on here whose sons have had it done; was it really awful?

My DS1 is going to have his done for medical reasons, it's unavoidable and I'm so worried for him.

He's 8 so he's fully aware of what's going to happen too.