Advice On Circumcision
posted on 10/08/2009
Advice On Circumcision
http://advice.com/request/2009/03/17/Advice+on+Circumcision
With very little searching on the Internet, a person will quickly come to the conclusion that routine infant circumcision is a controversial topic. As a man who was circumcised at birth and has restored his foreskin, I can definitely say that life is much better with a restored foreskin than as a circumcised man. My female partner used to get sore from sex and we needed lubricant. Now, she does not get sore and we don't need lubricant. We both enjoy sex a whole lot more now that I have a restored foreskin.
How Some Men Feel About Being Circumcised
The Internet is a great educational tool and many young men are learning what happened to them when they were circumcised. Many young men question why their parents choose to circumcise them.
Unlike men who were circumcised years ago and who are in denial about the ill-affects of circumcision, the youth of today are much better informed and are more willing to question why. Many young men are questioning why they were circumcised when there was so little, if any, true benefit to the surgery. They are questioning why their parents consented to the surgery when there was all sorts of information available about how circumcision is primarily a cosmetic surgery performed for the benefit of the parents.
Chances are, when a newly circumcised boy grows up, he will want his foreskin. Parents should be aware that there are many young men who are very angry at their parents for having them circumcised as an infant. http://www.RestoringForeskin.org has stories of many men who are restoring and resent their parents.
Many men believe that it is their sex organ and that they should have a say in whether a part of it is going to be cut off. Routine infant circumcision takes that choice away from them. A common refrain is "let the adult man decide if he wants to be circumcised."
Female Problems Related to Sex and Circumcised Men
The Journal of the New Zealand Medical Association has an interesting article that many common problems reported by women, such as vaginal dryness and being sore after sex, is a "normal female response to coitus with a man with an iatrogenically deficient penis," that is, a man with a circumcised penis. Unfortunately, many circumcised men are in denial that their penis is anything other than perfect. This article dispels some of those misperceptions.
Effects of male circumcision on female arousal and orgasm, Journal of the New Zealand Medical Association, 12-September-2003, Vol 116 No 1181
http://www.nzma.org.nz/journal/116-1181/595/
Penile Cancer and Circumcision
Some people claim that circumcision is a good defense against penile cancer. The American Cancer Society states that "circumcision is not of value in preventing cancer of the penis."
http://www.cirp.org/library/statements/letters/1996-02_ACS/commentary.html
Penile cancer is a disease of men in their 60's. It is postulated that penile cancer is a disease related to hygiene and it has been noted that the rate is decreasing.
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/311/7018/1471
Also, the American Cancer Society estimates that 300 men will die of the rare penile cancer in the US in 2009. This number of penile cancer deaths is less than the number of deaths caused as a result of routine infant circumcision.
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_1x_what_are_the_key_statistics_for_penile_cancer_35.asp
http://www.icgi.org/articles/bollinger4.pdf
http://www.circumstitions.com/death.html
Conforming to Society Norms
Some advocate routine infant circumcision so that the boy will not be ridiculed or feel uncomfortable because he is "different." That is, they think that by being circumcised, the boy will "fit in." In 2006, the rate of infant circumcision was 56.1%. That means that boys born in 2006 will grow up to be surrounded by others of their same age with almost a 50-50 mix of intact and circumcised. So, regardless of the boy being intact or circumcised, boys born today will be surrounded by almost equal numbers of boys just like them. Besides, doesn't every parent want their child to accept their body and have enough self-esteem to feel comfortable with the way they are, regardless of how they are?
http://www.cirp.org/library/statistics/USA/
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Previous Comments
mikhail says:
(44d 9h 36min ago)
Circumcision lowers chances of penile cancer, infection, AIDS transmission, and sexual dysfunction later in life. It also increases sexual enjoyment. This is all according to independent medical studies, not biased advocacy groups. You can find all these results online. Here's a random link that summarizes some of this info:
http://www.circumcisioninfo.com/schoen1.html
The thing about all of these benefits, though, is that they're very marginal (unless you live in sub-Saharan Africa, I guess). So the decision should really be taken based on what is prevalent in your community so your son has the best chance of being comfortable undressing in the presence of others.
If your wife was getting sore before you "restored" your foreskin, you're doing something wrong.
RollingDoughnut says:
(14d 11h 29min ago)
Mikhail:
A "son has the best chance of being comfortable undressing in the presence of others" when he's taught that his normal body is acceptable and that he doesn't need to be altered to meet other people's opinion. Nor is it automatic that what his community prefers now is what it will prefer later in his life. Circumcision is surgery, not a fashion accessory to meet the current fad.