In Britain is it normal for men to be circumcised or not?

[Treesandgardens]

I’ve just watched an episode of Good Trouble where one of the characters is very surprised that her boyfriend is uncircumcised. She talks about it with her friends and they all clearly regard it as very unusual. It reminded me that there is an episode of Sex and the City where one of the characters is also very surprised to find that a man is uncircumcised.

This makes me wonder: what’s the situation with this in Britain? I’ve always assumed that the vast majority of British men are uncircumcised, but I’ve not been with many men so don’t know whether this is the case. Just curious!

My father was circumcised, but he wouldn't allow any of his sons to he circumcised. As someone upthread said - it was the norm in his generation for boys of his background to be circumcised. It seems to have died out a lot now, and I only know Jewish and Muslim men that have had it done (as infants).

Neither feel any different inside you.

DH is circumcised. He’s from a predominantly Muslim country and it’s the norm to do it pre-puberty. He certainly doesn’t seem to have a problem with desensitisation and it’s not leathery even though he’s 52! I do prefer it. I think it looks better and much better for oral. I used to hate giving it to previous uncircumcised boyfriends.

He did try to get me to do our sons but I refused as I’d rather it was their choice.

I've seen lots of penises but only one circumcised. He was Jewish.

Other than religion most men not circumcised here

I am a man. Old enough to have been at school when showers were taken after PE. Circumcision other than for certain religions is rare.

Had mine done as an adult, so know life with and life without. Personally, I prefer it. It looks better, automatically cleaner and feels different, but in a good way.

It is uncommon, and have been asked if I'm Jewish in changing rooms. Some new partners have also been a bit nervous about how to handle it too. Even been asked "do I do anything different?!" 🙂. In general, I'd say a bit more than half of UK/European women like it a lot, and the other half aren't that fussed, or at least not enough to remark about it.

I’ve never seen one. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious but I also thinks it’s awful? I mean doesn’t it come into the equation that the child in question might not want their genitals mutilating? It’s not like they can have it re-attached later is it? On the other hand they can always decide for themselves to do it when they’re old enough. I wonder how common THAT is.

I think I've slept with four circumcized men (out of quite a few!). One from the US, one Jewish, one who had it done as a child for medical reasons, the other I don't know why.

I have no idea if the circumcision made them better in bed, they are all good. I find it better for oral but not great for masturbation.

It's not the norm, but not all that rare. I am circumcised (medical reasons at age 10). I went to a school with large Jewish and Muslim contingents so mine was far from the only "cut" dick to be glimpsed in the changing room. I've never been made to feel weird about it.

To the PP who used this term: one can debate the ethics of circumcising infants who can't consent, but we should be able to do so without resorting to terms like "mutilation". It's nothing like even the least destructive forms of FGM, by comparison. If it's been botched then that's a different story, but a normal, successful male circumcision, whatever your feelings on whether it should happen, is physically harmless. Telling the world's 1 billion + circumcised men that we've all been "mutilated" is a bit much really!

one can debate the ethics of circumcising infants who can't consent, but we should be able to do so without resorting to terms like "mutilation".

Which term would you prefer?

@SimplySteveRedux

one can debate the ethics of circumcising infants who can't consent, but we should be able to do so without resorting to terms like "mutilation".

Which term would you prefer?

"Circumcised" works pretty well

How about we all decide for ourselves what words we use.

Got to have mine in January next year after battling for nearly 4 years to save mine, it split once during Sex and never quite healed well enough to work properly again meaning the minute I have intercourse it splits again which makes anything painful, decided to bite the bullet and just get it took off, be another 6 weeks of pain and soreness but the end result should hopefully bring pleasure back into the rudes not pain

Peridito: from my personal expirience, I think you are right.
My ex, who was circumcised for religious reasons, says religion wants men to be less sexually driven, hence the cutting: to get less pleasure out of sex.

When the NHS was created, circumcision was not one of the procedures covered. Consequently, unless done for religious (almost always done before they can consent) or serious medical reasons, it's rare here.

In the US, medical insurance usually covers it, so it's been much more common.

Yes, it reduces sensation. If you know someone with a foreskin, draw a line around it at the level of the glans when they're soft. Then see where the line ends up when they have a full erection, foreskin retracted. That's how much sensitive skin they lose.

Interestingly there is a computer game just out called cyber punk2077 where you get to choose penis size and whether the character is circumcised

For a computer avatar!

Pretty much every guy I know is circumcised, and every guy i have dated has been, but I am Jewish. I think in the wider community its very unusual except for medical reasons.

USA I think something like 90% of boys are.

@Malpki

Had mine done as an adult, so know life with and life without. Personally, I prefer it. It looks better, automatically cleaner and feels different, but in a good way.

It is uncommon, and have been asked if I'm Jewish in changing rooms. Some new partners have also been a bit nervous about how to handle it too. Even been asked "do I do anything different?!" 🙂. In general, I'd say a bit more than half of UK/European women like it a lot, and the other half aren't that fussed, or at least not enough to remark about it.

I know this thread is a bit old but seriously, you are stating that you think over half of UK women prefer a circumcised penis? Based on what? Your experience of a handful of women? Women who I presume were into you at the time do would no doubt enjoy your Penis regardless of its state. Such a weird comment.

@withmycoffee

Admittedly my own sample of data doesn't run into the hundreds. My comment is based off my own experience and other men I know who've been circumcised (not that it's a consistent topic), or women that have been with men that have, spanning 20+ years.

As someone who's had it done, in a country of plenty that don't, being curious, at some point I went on an Internet search to figure out if I was weird, and what mainly UK women thought of it. There were a number of sources (about as reliable as Mumsnet, so pinch of salt) that had discussions/polls about it. The majority haven't been with a circumcised penis, I'd guess around 60-70%. Of the rest that had, it appeared that half of them preferred it, and half of them didn't care, and the odd few that found it uncomfortable. It also matches my own experience there or thereabouts.

That's my experience, I'm sharing what I know. Apologies if you're somehow riled by it.

No it's not normal and hopefully it will be made illegal to carry out surgical procedures for cosmetic reasons on babies who can't give consent soon. Same as FGM

@ShimmyAndShine

No it's not normal and hopefully it will be made illegal to carry out surgical procedures for cosmetic reasons on babies who can't give consent soon. Same as FGM

Totally Agree with you !!

It’s genital mutilation whatever name you call it to justify slicing off skin from genitalia.

There are those who feel this is absolutely not the same as FGM because of ethical or religious motivations- but at the biological level it’s removing parts of genitals regardless of sex, without consent. ( not elective surgery as an adult).

Like the recently deleted thread on domestic violence against main, by a DW who hit her DH and had an overwhelming support for her actions and many ways to justify it.

In a utopian equal society - You cant claim FGM abhorrent-but MGM is ok because lots of women prefer the way it looks, and it’s ok because lots of boys in certain countries tries and religions do it.

It’s wrong.

I’m British and was circumcised as a baby for non-religious reasons (in 1987). It is definitely quite rare in the U.K., although much more common in upper class circles. It’s notable that King Charles III had a routine infant circumcision, but the status of his sons and grandsons is not known. My wife is glad that I am circumcised and definitely prefers it.

'Better'? Why?

@Namechanged1010 you've decided for some reason that women prefer a circumcised penis. Any other widespread opinions you have decided upon?
Personally I could not give a rats arse but removing a piece of skin from a healthy baby for no medical reason is just plain odd