Chop, Chop, Whiz, Whiz!
May 31 '01 (Updated Jun 11 '01)
The Bottom Line The second major decision you will make for your son. The first one was giving him the gift of his name.
To Cut or not to Cut... that is the question!
Read this cutting edge opinion in good humor...If you don't have a sense of humor, skip this one!
Circumcision, mention of the mere word makes my husband's toes curl! Now, don't get snippy, let's talk about it for a minute. For the people who take this to be life or death serious... you are probably not going to like this review. WARNING: If you have a sensitive stomach or get grossed out easily, read no further. This essay also contains the "P" word associated with circumcision and other mild adult language.
Since there is limited factual evidence of what the best decision is, it is purely a personal dilemma. Each side of the debate has its own series of "facts" supporting it. Therefore, like many things in our society, people tend to apply the evidence solely to support their side of the argument. Unfortunately, since each human is unique, it is very difficult to substantiate "facts" from either side of the debate. It all comes down to the "fact" that this is a very personal decision that can be made by no one other than the parents of the child. Whatever decision you make, it is good. Remember, if you don't circumcise him, he can always make this decision for himself as an adult... Yeah, right!
So here is our story and how we made our decision:
Fact: The only other time the genitals of a man will be touched with a knife will be for that vasectomy after that sixth child! Good thing it isn't his mother making the decision--its his wife! :-)
Okay, we have a son. We remember agonizing over the decision whether trim his future manhood or not. Finally, after many talks, it came down to three things. Our decision was based on our own opinions, it is what we felt comfortable doing.
First, it is not only easier to train a little boy to use the toilet when the pee isn't shooting all over the place, but also easier to teach better hygiene. It also prevents the bathroom from smelling like a subway in Europe between cleanings. Call me lazy, but with two kids and many other things going on, this seemed like a sure shot!
Second, we not only took into consideration potty training, but old age. When our son gets really, really old (like 90) and in a retirement home or too feeble, a nursing home; Who is going to clean around this foreskin? Do you actually think that someone who makes five bucks an hour is going to clean all that cheese out? Really, I mean why should a grown man die with itchy genitals?
Third, we felt that since our son would see his father naked occasionally, they should match. You know "Mano a Mano!" We felt like it would cause him to feel different. We didn't want him to feel this way.
We do think, however, that an uncircumcised man has greater sexual sensation. This is a result of the fact that the head of his penis is not constantly exposed to the rubbing of his undergarments. This constant rubbing, unless you wear pure silk underwear (then you've got other problems that arise!)desensitizes the head. My husband attested that a little less sensation, however, promotes longevity. Hmmm, now there's something to chew on.
Back to the facts for all of you people out there who have infants or are going to have a male child:
What is critical either way: If you don't go circ-o, Update: June 11, 01: It seems that there are many people who have been told differently about how to handle the foreskin during infancy. Please check with your pediatrician as to what the correct way to clean around and whether he recommends receding it. Many of my friends have been told to do this (gently recede), but there seems to be a movement to just leave it alone. (a better option in my untrained opinion.)
If you do get him snipped, make sure that you recede the remaining foreskin back so that it can't fuse to the head of the penis. This is cumbersome and scary in the beginning, but later on it becomes easier. If it does become fused, the pediatrician will pop it back (%@#&!)during a check up. I consider this almost like ripping tape off of your pubic hair! The baby screams like mad. After that instance, you can bet, you'll recede it and grease it (with vaseline) every time you change him. Fortunately for my son it was very mildly fused. I can't say the same for another friend of mine--that kid will probably have nightmares about masturbating.
In closing, whatever you decide to do, please make sure you are the one deciding. What your Mother or Mother-in-Law thinks is not necessarily what you want. This decision is almost as hard as selecting a name for your child! Good luck and thanks for reading.
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tammyinmiami
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Location: Miami, FL USA
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About Me:
"Love yourself unconditionally, exist peacefully, and cherish friends and family."
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