Circumcision

selune said:

When we made this decision, we read a lot on it and I wonder if that doc. has. From what I've read you are to never forcibly retract the foreskin. By age 4 it should be loose enough, before that, just keep the area clean Some boys do not fully retract until about 10 and that is not a problem. Please encourage your daughter to look up info, because this should not be a painful experience for her son. Here is one nocirc site on cleaning, there are many others.
http://www.mothersagainstcirc.org/easy.htm

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Thank you, selune! I'll definitely check this out and pass it along to my daughter, too.

My son was circumcised on his second day. It is cleaner and the norm and those are the main reasons.

I have a nurse friend and she works in surgery on ...... ahem, men.... and their southern issues. We were talking about this the other day and she says she sees a number of older children who are there to get circumcised because things start sagging of stretching out and hanging down too far or they can't keep it clean.

selune said:

When we made this decision, we read a lot on it and I wonder if that doc. has. From what I've read you are to never forcibly retract the foreskin. By age 4 it should be loose enough, before that, just keep the area clean Some boys do not fully retract until about 10 and that is not a problem. Please encourage your daughter to look up info, because this should not be a painful experience for her son. Here is one nocirc site on cleaning, there are many others.
http://www.mothersagainstcirc.org/easy.htm

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This information is correct. A one year old should never have his foreskin forcibly retracted. It's fused to protect the head of the penis and protect from infections, etc during the infant/toddler years. That doctor should have known better and this shows the value of doing your own research.

Leanna said:

My son was circumcised on his second day. It is cleaner and the norm and those are the main reasons.

I have a nurse friend and she works in surgery on ...... ahem, men.... and their southern issues. We were talking about this the other day and she says she sees a number of older children who are there to get circumcised because things start sagging of stretching out and hanging down too far or they can't keep it clean.

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Data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey



55.9% in the US hardly makes circumcision the norm. It seems awfully vain to have circumcision surgery because things sag or stretch or hang down too far. Am I to go get a tummy tuck because my skin is a little stretchy around my mid section from having a baby? As far as being cleaner, it stays as clean as you keep it. Should we have our kid's teeth pulled out because they won't brush them properly and will need dental work in the future?

If trends continue by 2010 we may see less than half of boys circumcised putting circumcision in the minority.

I hope he appreciates it. I really went to bat for this course of inaction. I have been told that I might regret it and that my son will be mad at me if he has to have it done when older.

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I believe he will appreciate it. I certainly do, having not been circumcized.

And with all due respect I really don't think this is a decision mothers are qualified to make.

I meant no disrespect by the above statement - just a personal opinion. Ignore it if you don't like it.

I was willing to leave this decision up to my FH, but...

We've talked about this together (B is 'cut'), and he ended up leaving the decision up to me, as (in his words) 'my (meaning his) reasons for wanting them done are rather shallow, and yours have depth'...

I guess that's because of my nursing experience. When it came to discussing it, my reasons for doing it were more medically valid than his reasons (ie mine based on health research around my hospital, his based on aesthetics and the fact everyone else he knows is done).

Sasch

I know this thread is a bit old, but I came across an article today that relates to it.

link

Preliminary studies show that male circumcision may reduce the risk of female to male transmission of AIDS.

Johannes Calvinus said:

I believe he will appreciate it. I certainly do, having not been circumcized.

And with all due respect I really don't think this is a decision mothers are qualified to make.

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The lack of the proper equipment does not make us unqualified. We are equally able to understand medical information regardless of presence of penis. We are also equally as able to listen to the Lord on such matters. My husband was all for it and I was rather against it. He started to wain and wasn't sure and I was still sticking to my guns so to speak. Then I met with the perdiatrician (who saw all five of the kids in my family) and I changed my mind. The instance of urinary tract infections during the first year is higher in uncircumscised boys. This totally changed my mind and we will be circumscising Levi. Before I went to the appointment I prayed that God would show me EXACTLY what we needed to do becuase we had disagreed so much. I have no doubt that we are making the right decision and I ended up making the final one as my husband had gotten to the point where he didn't care either way.

Both my boys, ages 4 and 6, are uncircumcised, and have never had a UTI. Interesting that your doctor would have said that. I will have to research that one. I know that the instace of infection could be higher if the foreskin is retracted by force, or before it natrurally retracts on its own. I can see where one who is not told how to properly care for the foreskin (by leaving it alone the first few years) could cause problems for the child.

IncogNEAT-O said:

Preliminary studies show that male circumcision may reduce the risk of female to male transmission of AIDS.

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I'm not tryin to knock you er what ya posted er anythin, but I gotta say, I'm not gonna circ' any of my boys so they'll have a less chance of catchin aids from some gal they ought not be messin round with in the first place. Folks today are jes tryin to find better an easier ways to stay in their sin instead of gittin out of it. Sorta off-topic, but I seen me a comerical the other day for this miracle pill that will let you get drunk an not have a hang over. No this would not be good enough reasons for my to hack my sons.

EmSchmem said:

The lack of the proper equipment does not make us unqualified. We are equally able to understand medical information regardless of presence of penis. We are also equally as able to listen to the Lord on such matters.

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By all means women folk ought to do their research but they should do it throughly, personnally what you said bout the UT infections... that jes leads me to believe that that doc formed his opinion an gave it to ya'll. There undoubtably risks both ways an folks need to weigh it on both sides of a scale an I fear to often folks jes let so an so say sumthin an changes their position. The worst is when you ask someone why your gonna do it an they cain't give an answer. On a personal note, I don't think women are qualified to make a decision on this but of course give way if a husband is not there er unwillin to take a stand on it. Gals can be circ' jes like boys and yet there's no real discussion bout that in the word.

EmSchmem said:

The instance of urinary tract infections during the first year is higher in uncircumscised boys.

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One of the reasons for this is diapers. They are far to restrictive an when they pee and sit in it for any length of time at all things like this are likely. Though UT infections affect cut boys as well and if neither is given enough free time, naked time or sheet time then wether your cut er not there are chances of problems. Like wise most folks don't know how to care for an uncut baby and don't often clean well enough.

This topic can really get me up on a soap box real quick like cause of how many folks simply do not know what the topic is all bout er what their position on it should be and it's a decision that affects no one else but the one receivin the choppin, and it's their lives that must endure thins one way er the other.

My doctor wasn't trying to influence in anyway. He feels that this debate is as old as the hills and when it comes down to it each parent or set of parents has to make their own decison. It was merely one of many studies he cited and it was the one that stuck out to me. I had many problems with UTIs as a kid and they were awful. Underdeveloped bladders run in my family so it was a wise decision for our son.

It is true there are more UTI's.... if you do any reading, that will become clear. That doesn't mean that you have to circumsize, but you should know that.

Also, Addicted to Jesus, I know people talk about "air time" but the idea of letting my son pee all over my house doesn't sound like much fun to me, lol. Air makes little boys go pee!! You should know that, of course, so I won't bore you with details

I think its a personal decision and certainly nothing to get angry about. Who cares who circumsizes and who doesn't? Let's just decide for ourself and do it.

Leanna said:

Also, Addicted to Jesus, I know people talk about "air time" but the idea of letting my son pee all over my house doesn't sound like much fun to me, lol. Air makes little boys go pee!! You should know that, of course, so I won't bore you with details

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I'd gladly clean up some piddle for the health of my son. Though there are many many other ways to handle sumthin like this. One thing we did was get a cloth rain coat, left our daughter on it an if she had to go no harm no fowl. Also outside, my grass could use all the help it can get these days hehe Our bodies weren't designed to be stuck in restrictive anythin continuously and all of us need free time as it were. Even stickin a sheet on er sumthin is far better then always stayin in restricitive under pants jeans etc.

Hmmm well my son has never had a diaper rash or UTI or anything (knocks on wood!!), I think its because he's kept nice and clean with frequent diaper changes.

Actually, since this has been resurrected...

I've been around 5 senior doctors where this has got mentioned lately, and all of them think that you should have children circumcised.

I've also been around quite a number of 'more junior' surgeons/doctors (registrars, residents, etc) and they are all very emphatic about the fact that circumcisions are a good idea.

I was SOOOO shocked - I seriously thought doctors especially were in the 'no way, no reason' kind of group - but they were pulling information out left right and centre, how in their experience that circumcision is a great idea - particularly having been done at a very early age.

Knock me down with a feather - this is doctors from ALL spectrums of the field - urology, pediatrics, burns, general surgery, dermatology, vascular, plastics, etc etc.

Sasch

PS. Maybe I didn't mention my son is circumsized, hehe...

Sascha Fitzpatrick said:

I was SOOOO shocked - I seriously thought doctors especially were in the 'no way, no reason' kind of group - but they were pulling information out left right and centre, how in their experience that circumcision is a great idea - particularly having been done at a very early age.

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The only thin I can say bout this is it boils down to the same o'l thin really. What's good for you today will kill you tomarra. Coffee is out but eggs are in, then it's eggs are out an coffee's back in with a touch of alchol etc etc etc.

I'm not entirely opposed to circumcision, but I am defintely against folks that do it jes cause that's what folks do, without havin any sort of a reason of their own. Sure there are benifits, there are also downsides, so it should be up to each parent to decide for themsef's, my only beef is when folks don't decide for themsef's, they let someone else tell em why this an that an never look into the reasons for emsef's.

A perfect example is birth control usin a pill. Doc's swear up an down that the pill doesn't cause or have any risk at all at causin abortions, yet the manufacture's of the thins specifically say pills have three functions, first bein to suppress ovalation, and secondly to thickin the mucus of the cervix to pervent sperm from enterin the uterous and thridly to thin the linin of the uterine wall.... so if fertilization does occur then the newly formed embroy/ baby is lost through the cervix anyways. I think to often folks don't look into thins far enough for emsef's an to rely on a colledge educated idiot solely is dangerous. Theres nuthin wrong with doc's etc but far to often in my experence dealin with em... espeically vet's, they stick out their opinion more so then the actual research. A doc sat there for 30 mins today arguin with my wife over the pill sayin she was simply wrong bout it, while the manufacture states the chance/risk of abortion exsits. Sure this is only one doc, but when weighin the options of hackin my sons off cause of hygene or the chance of UT's... these aren't acceptable reasons certainly not if care is given, that comes back to landin on the shoulders of the parents an teachin their children how to take care of emsef's. For some, I fear they are jes in to much of a rush these days, call it laziness if you will to take care of these thins an devoute adaquate time to their care.

Bein a cut male..... I have no idea what it's like to have foreskin intact, often wonder what it's like an I'll never know, yet.... if I were allowed to make the decision mysef later in life, I could have had it removed then I'd have known both ways, no biggy I spose to most but I'd have liked to have known, I like my 5 brothers were cut... yet we were all cut for the wrong reason, we were cut because that's what you do back then. No other reason an that's simply not good enough. After researchin it mysef, I find no Biblical reason to still cut our sons anymore, after all, Jesus came to bridge the gap between us and Him as well as Jews an gentiles. There is no longer a need to set aside a people by this mark.