OK, now that I’m sure I’ve got your attention, I can’t believe I never realized this before. When we think of genital mutilation, most people think of the African practice of removing a young girl’s external genitalia purportedly to reduce libido.
International organizations have joined together to help end the horrific practice of female genital mutilation. But there is a socially accepted form of genital mutilation that happens to newborn baby boys every day here in America and elsewhere. It’s called circumcision.
In 1975 the American Academy of Pediatrics stated, “there is no absolute medical indication for routine circumcision of the newborn.” They restated their position in 1983, 1999 and again in 2005. But I guess Americans were already accustomed to circumcising their infant boys and so an estimated 60-75% of men in the US are currently circumcised.
On the other hand, more and more parents are beginning to question this unnecessary surgery and Intact America estimates that 60% of baby boys leaving the hospital today remain intact. Hooray for progress!
I even have some Jewish friends who had a ceremonial Bris for their son, doing all the traditional songs and prayers, but leaving out the actual cutting and replacing it with a ceremonial sweep of the knife.
There are lots of reasons I would choose not to circumcise my own child. First of all, I don’t believe in removing a person’s body parts without their consent. So, basic human rights is probably the biggest reason I won’t circumcise a child. An infant cannot consent to such a surgery.
What makes us think we have the right to decide for a child that a part of his body is unnecessary? If my daughter came to me asking me to cut off her finger or toe, I certainly wouldn’t agree so why is the skin protecting the head of a penis somehow expendable?
In fact, I’m quite certain that if I were to ask a doctor to surgically remove any other body part from my child, I would swiftly be reported for attempted child abuse.
Now I know there have been some interesting studies coming out of Africa that have shown that circumcision of adult heterosexual men can reduce the likelihood of HIV infection.
Although some previous studies have been flawed, I do think this new round of studies provides some hope to certain African populations and I have no objection to adult males choosing to become circumcised for HIV prevention.
Although, I would hope that acquiring and using condoms, which is more effective at the prevention of HIV infections, would be considered preferable to circumcision in most cases.
Either way, circumcising infant boys in America is not indicated for HIV prevention or otherwise. The point I’m trying to make here is that circumcising infants is cruel and unnecessary.
If you want to know more details about the procedure of circumcision (which includes strapping an infant to a plastic board to induce immobility) you can learn more here:
The Facts Behind Circumcision
http://www.intactamerica.org/learnmore
I also enjoyed this article from Intact America and found it to be helpful
Ten Reasons Not to Circumcise Your Baby Boy http://www.intactamerica.org/resources/decision
And if you have a baby boy who is intact, Terri’s article on how to care for an uncircumcised penis was very informative. I didn’t know that the foreskin shouldn’t be fully retracted at birth and even at six years old, 80% of boys do not yet have fully retractable foreskin.
Check out her great article here: http://onelovelivity.com/childofnatureblog/leave-de-boy-penis-alone-aka-he-is-intact-do-not-retract/
And please let me know your thoughts and feelings about infant circumcision in the comment section below.
Have a great week! Warmly, Shelly
Totally agree with this, Shelly. Thanks for posting.
Totally agree with this, Shelly. Thanks for posting.
I couldn’t think of a single good reason to do that to my baby boy, and so didn’t. I have a friend whose partner wanted to circumcise their baby boy. She requested that he watch a video of an actual circumcision. Once he did, he changed his mind!
@JillNagle Wow, I bet that was a powerful deterrent. I’m glad I don’t need to see that to make up my mind! Thanks for stopping by Jill. Love you!
I couldn’t think of a single good reason to do that to my baby boy, and so didn’t. I have a friend whose partner wanted to circumcise their baby boy. She requested that he watch a video of an actual circumcision. Once he did, he changed his mind!
@JillNagle Wow, I bet that was a powerful deterrent. I’m glad I don’t need to see that to make up my mind! Thanks for stopping by Jill. Love you!
Thank-you for reading and mentioning my article. I hope this piece changes the minds of anyone thinking of circumcision.
@onelovelivity You are so welcome Terri! Thank YOU for writing such a well researched and informative article. I appreciate you and your blog SO MUCH! And I was hoping the same thing when I decided to write this.
Thank-you for reading and mentioning my article. I hope this piece changes the minds of anyone thinking of circumcision.
@onelovelivity You are so welcome Terri! Thank YOU for writing such a well researched and informative article. I appreciate you and your blog SO MUCH! And I was hoping the same thing when I decided to write this.
Thanks, Shelly…your post is one that will certainly get people talking. Most Americans don’t think of it as mutilation, but perhaps after reading your article and the one by onelovelivity, they will. 🙂
@viviankirkfield1 Thanks Vivian. That’s what I was hoping for. Unfortunately I’ve also managed to offend some of my friends who have chosen to circumcise 🙁 But I’m still glad I shared my recent insight with everyone. Thanks for being here and for sharing!
In the final analysis, Shelly, it is up to each parent to decide what is right for their child. Of course, the parents who choose to do this or that, will not like it when someone says that this or that is wrong or bad or harmful for the child…we all want to feel we are doing what is right and good for our children. But if you feel strongly about something, you certainly have a right (and probably an obligation) to give your opinion, just as they have a right to make their choices. 🙂 It’s a sensitive topic…no pun intended. 🙂
Thanks, Shelly…your post is one that will certainly get people talking. Most Americans don’t think of it as mutilation, but perhaps after reading your article and the one by onelovelivity, they will. 🙂
@viviankirkfield1 Thanks Vivian. That’s what I was hoping for. Unfortunately I’ve also managed to offend some of my friends who have chosen to circumcise 🙁 But I’m still glad I shared my recent insight with everyone. Thanks for being here and for sharing!
In the final analysis, Shelly, it is up to each parent to decide what is right for their child. Of course, the parents who choose to do this or that, will not like it when someone says that this or that is wrong or bad or harmful for the child…we all want to feel we are doing what is right and good for our children. But if you feel strongly about something, you certainly have a right (and probably an obligation) to give your opinion, just as they have a right to make their choices. 🙂 It’s a sensitive topic…no pun intended. 🙂
I agree. But I think it’s also important to avoid judging people who chose to do it to their son because they were not well informed. Sometimes, some issues just don’t come up on a new parent’s radar until it’s too late. I personally have friends who deeply regret doing it and have vowed to keep any future sons intact.
With that said, I think it’s important for us to keep educating people on the harmful effects of circumcision. Many people truly do not believe it is harmful. I’ve heard all sorts of things like “babies don’t feel pain” or “it wasn’t that bad; my son slept the whole day afterward.” What they are not realizing is that he slept because he was in shock.
Hopefully, with enough education, we can get the circumcision rate down to 0. Thanks for posting. One more educational piece done. 🙂
@HeatherMontoya Yes, thank you for this Heather. Although I didn’t mention it in my post, my intention was not to make anyone wrong for having circumcised in the past, rather I was hoping my article might spark some thought in someone who might be considering it right now. I don’t judge anyone who has chosen to circumcise. I just hope that more and more people will choose not to as they learn more about it. Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment and for all your loving support.
@AwakeShelly Of course. I know you didn’t mean it in a way to make anyone feel bad for doing it, but I know how people tend to get offended when someone says something against a decision they have made. One of my big things is not judging others for their decisions (at least I try), but people tend to take it that way. They don’t realize we are just trying to educate.
I agree. But I think it’s also important to avoid judging people who chose to do it to their son because they were not well informed. Sometimes, some issues just don’t come up on a new parent’s radar until it’s too late. I personally have friends who deeply regret doing it and have vowed to keep any future sons intact.
With that said, I think it’s important for us to keep educating people on the harmful effects of circumcision. Many people truly do not believe it is harmful. I’ve heard all sorts of things like “babies don’t feel pain” or “it wasn’t that bad; my son slept the whole day afterward.” What they are not realizing is that he slept because he was in shock.
Hopefully, with enough education, we can get the circumcision rate down to 0. Thanks for posting. One more educational piece done. 🙂
@HeatherMontoya Yes, thank you for this Heather. Although I didn’t mention it in my post, my intention was not to make anyone wrong for having circumcised in the past, rather I was hoping my article might spark some thought in someone who might be considering it right now. I don’t judge anyone who has chosen to circumcise. I just hope that more and more people will choose not to as they learn more about it. Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment and for all your loving support.
@AwakeShelly Of course. I know you didn’t mean it in a way to make anyone feel bad for doing it, but I know how people tend to get offended when someone says something against a decision they have made. One of my big things is not judging others for their decisions (at least I try), but people tend to take it that way. They don’t realize we are just trying to educate.
I have so much to say on this topic. I had to debate both sides to myself many times, and debate with others. And all the mentioned studies, and don’t forget the misleading study about yeast infections in circumcised males, are part of the lively discussion. I’ve also sought out men who were circumcised at a later age, and asked the bottom-line questions. And Yes, sex was better before the cut. So is masturbation. Which as most men can agree happens more often than sex+1.
But I think what finally got me to the gist of it is the fact that I just don’t want to cut my perfect baby. I just think it’s cruel. I don’t care what studies and cases each side can cite and argue about, it’s just that I don’t want to cut them. My instinct is to protect them, not deliver them for sick form of paganism.
Lastly, I see it as a body part that serves an important purpose, it serves to protect the glan and secret necessary lubricants improve sexual pleasure.
Now, I observed that my strongest charge is with women who claim that a cut cock is more visually appealing. Which means that if I had a daughter, and my sexual preference is a smaller libia minora and a hoodless clitoris, that I should have the surgery done at her birth? Seems awfully weird to think that I would presume control over her sexual organ and future performance. Seems weird that a woman would allow her “conditioned” preference determine another persons sexual.
I also had to contemplate the religious angle, being that my wife is Jewish. The matrilineal lineage demanded that the boy be a Jew, and that meant keeping the covenant with G-d by detaching the prepuce of my baby boy. Really? come on! Are we really cutting foreskins because God told us so? Most of the Jews I know, including my inlaws are Athiests. Yet, they tell me about the covenant with God. WHAT GOD? You are Athiest. There is no God, therefore, No Covenant. Sounds to me like a really cruel joke of, “You’re a Jew, whether you like it or not.”
As you may have guessed, I did not circumcise my boy. And when I see a bunch of naked babies playing in the yard, running around, jumping in and out of wading pools, and rolling around on the grass and riding tricycles, I don’t worry as much about his most sensitive part. But when I a circumcised boy doing the same, I sort of cringe a little.
Thanks for the spark of conversation.
@ThomasKuoh You’re so welcome Thomas. I must admit I’m a little bit embarrassed that you used the phrase “cut cock” on my parenting website, but I guess I’m just going to go with it as I really enjoyed some of your other points. I especially resonated with the part about wanting to protect and not wanting to cut. I’m with you there. Thanks for posting!
@AwakeShelly Oops, I apologize, I got carried away with alliteration. =)
I have so much to say on this topic. I had to debate both sides to myself many times, and debate with others. And all the mentioned studies, and don’t forget the misleading study about yeast infections in circumcised males, are part of the lively discussion. I’ve also sought out men who were circumcised at a later age, and asked the bottom-line questions. And Yes, sex was better before the cut. So is masturbation. Which as most men can agree happens more often than sex+1.
But I think what finally got me to the gist of it is the fact that I just don’t want to cut my perfect baby. I just think it’s cruel. I don’t care what studies and cases each side can cite and argue about, it’s just that I don’t want to cut them. My instinct is to protect them, not deliver them for sick form of paganism.
Lastly, I see it as a body part that serves an important purpose, it serves to protect the glan and secret necessary lubricants improve sexual pleasure.
Now, I observed that my strongest charge is with women who claim that a cut cock is more visually appealing. Which means that if I had a daughter, and my sexual preference is a smaller libia minora and a hoodless clitoris, that I should have the surgery done at her birth? Seems awfully weird to think that I would presume control over her sexual organ and future performance. Seems weird that a woman would allow her “conditioned” preference determine another persons sexual.
I also had to contemplate the religious angle, being that my wife is Jewish. The matrilineal lineage demanded that the boy be a Jew, and that meant keeping the covenant with G-d by detaching the prepuce of my baby boy. Really? come on! Are we really cutting foreskins because God told us so? Most of the Jews I know, including my inlaws are Athiests. Yet, they tell me about the covenant with God. WHAT GOD? You are Athiest. There is no God, therefore, No Covenant. Sounds to me like a really cruel joke of, “You’re a Jew, whether you like it or not.”
As you may have guessed, I did not circumcise my boy. And when I see a bunch of naked babies playing in the yard, running around, jumping in and out of wading pools, and rolling around on the grass and riding tricycles, I don’t worry as much about his most sensitive part. But when I a circumcised boy doing the same, I sort of cringe a little.
Thanks for the spark of conversation.
@ThomasKuoh You’re so welcome Thomas. I must admit I’m a little bit embarrassed that you used the phrase “cut cock” on my parenting website, but I guess I’m just going to go with it as I really enjoyed some of your other points. I especially resonated with the part about wanting to protect and not wanting to cut. I’m with you there. Thanks for posting!
@AwakeShelly Oops, I apologize, I got carried away with alliteration. =)