Can we please talk about Male Circumcision?

[KaseyM]

It seems to be an undeniable truth that whenever there is a thread about, well anything to do with the inustices that women face in the world, it will usually turn back into a conversation about the injustices that men face in the world, one of them being male circumcision.

I get the impression that those coming on here saying "well what about male circumcision" in that lovely WATM way actually believe that feminists either a) invented male circumcision or b) approve of it.

So, just for the record and so that in future we can direct any further derailings to this can we state categorically once and for all each of our individual positions on Male Circumcision.

So I'll start: I disagree with it 100%.

Anyone else?

It is a big deal for some men. It is also a big deal that we live in a society where it seems to be OK to perform a non medically necessary surgical procedure on someone to young to consent. I think it should be banned.

But it should not be considered in the same light as FGM.

Any surgery that is non medical on a child who realistically can not consent, should be treated with extreme caution.

'But it should not be considered in the same light as FGM.'

OK. When 2 people experience DV, and person A was injured and suffered more than the other, do you say 'Well, person A had it worse, so lets just focus on person A' even though both want support do you?

Genital mutilation is genital mutilation. Physically, FGM is worse, given long term effects, I can't imagine how horrendous it is. But don't kid yourself that MGM is a walk in the park, google some images. I have watched documentaries where men have described being aged 7 or 8 and being told they were going to a party, and when they arrived, they were pinned down onto a table and had their foreskins cut off, whilst they screamed and begged them to stop. Grown men with ptsd, no not all of them, but plenty of them.

It's not the same as FGM, but it's still brutality, and it's still barbaric and it still needs to be brought to the attention of a society that still thinks it's no big deal.

As I said. Awful and should be stopped. And there are some men who are badly damaged.

But the vast majority aren't.

The are no women who undergo FGM who are not badly damaged.

'OK. When 2 people experience DV, and person A was injured and suffered more than the other, do you say 'Well, person A had it worse, so lets just focus on person A' even though both want support do you?'

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Mutilation.

IMO people who love to bang on about how it is wrong under any circumstances and how there are always alternatives haven't had to witness the horrors (and agony) of Paraphimosis/Balantis.

But some arguments on MN will never end

"Did you see where I said I think infant male circumcision should be banned and that it is wrong to perform non medically required surgical procedures on people too young to consent?

LaRegina- I don't think anyone ever says there are always alternatives. We are talking about non medically necessary circumcision.

Well I have never said that it was wrong under any circumstances, as DH has been circumcised (sorry DH!), and it's very likely my DS will have to be as well (medical reasons). There is a world of difference between that and doing it for religious reasons/so it's cleaner...without anesthetic etc...

another feminist against male circumcision of children for non medical reasons. If they want to be circumcised as adults or there is a real medical need as a child fine but for religious/cultural reasons I don't think it should be allowed.

But just to be clear, for the benefit of any MRA who happen to be about.

It is not feminist's fault that baby boys are circumcised. It is quite often the fault of patriarchal religions. Men need to stop circumcising their baby boys- it's not just up to women.

And infant circumcision of boys should not be considered as equivalent to FGM.

LaRegina, some of my family members have had to have circumcision for medical reasons. Noone here is saying that men and boys have to suffer without circumcision where it's necessary!

Should be for medical reasons only, and even then - if it can wait until the child is older and more able to make an informed decision, then the better.

Sunshine (and others) sorry, I had not read all of the thread. I was just going on other threads I have read in the past on here where some posters were adamant that there are just about always alternatives.

No worries LaRegina. I can't imagine letting some poor chap suffer without treating them, that would be evil. :)

I'm shocked that people think there's always an alternative tho.

A man who has been circumcised is still an entire man. He hasnt been castrated. He can still both have sex and experience sexual feelings and pleasure. I dont agree with it, but why does it always have to be mentioned when talking about FGM. Its not even the same fucking ballpark

A female who has been genitally mutilated, is virtually a eunuch. It is wrong to even liken it to FGM

Yes rather than FGM, it would be more accurate to say female castration.

Although I disagree with the idea of circumsision of children and would never inflict it on my child, I prefer it if partners have had it done. Out of all of my previous partners only 5 were circumsised and those were the only ones I could bear to engage in oral sex with, I found it a lot cleaner and more bearable aesthetically.

Nigella- I think that might have been because the uncircumcised men didn't wash properly. It is obviously easier to wash a circumcised penis. But then it's easier to wash a bald head too. Not a good reason for shaving your hair off....

They were hygienic people, I think that through the course of the day they had a greater tendency to sweat and harbour more odour than a circumsised one.

Well, I would expect a man wanting to get a blow job to be freshly washed, whether circumcised or not.........

Your sexual partners are adults, Nigella.

So they're old enough to choose to get circumcised if it's a price they'd happily pay for a blow job from you.

Can you imagine the MiL threads "AIBU to not want my MIl to live with us for 6 months every year- she says that I owe her because she had him circumcised so that I would find it easier to give him blow jobs"