Circumcision: The Flap Over Foreskin Continues

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Why permit the extra flap to remain on a penis when the advantages far out way the disadvantages of the procedure. It promotes better hygiene and eliminates potential infections for both male and female. I'm circumcised and thanks to my parents and good medical advice.

EDWARD LAFFERTY of MS 11:50PM January 24, 2011

'Wow', I think the main reason why 'he' won't choose to have it done as an adult male is because he doesn't want to lose an essential part of his penis.
Circumcision affects sexual feeling and sexual function. It affects how a man has sex and what he feels during sex. It undoubtedbly has psychological effects as well as physiological ones.
The word 'circumcision' is a euphemism. it is genital mutilation designed to cripple the male sexual organ. Done to an infant or child it constitutes a sadistic and diabolical form of child abuse.
The glanspenis, like the eyes, is a 'pseudo-internal' organ. This means that it can be fully exposed and externalised for sexual activity, cleaning, or urination, but otherwise remains internalised (like all accute sensory organs).
The only people who advocate and perpetuate circumcision are those that are themselves circumcised and know nothing else. They do not understand the anatomy of a whole intact penis.

Anthony 3:59AM August 07, 2010

those of you who reccommend "leave him uncut and if later in life he chooses circumcision then he can have it done" wtf?? no one is going to go through the pain, etc. for that.
if you want your kid circumsiced- do it at the hospital when he is born. dont wait.
do it or dont.

Youre an idiot of ID 1:04PM August 06, 2010

I let my husband decide whether or not our child was going to get circumcised without doing any research on it. It ended up being one of the biggest mistakes of my life. I am a new mommy, so I'm sure that I will probably make mistakes that are even worse, but not if I can help it. Read my personal experience/story about my son's circumcision at http://antisheephood.wordpress.com.

Antisheephood of NC 12:25AM July 28, 2010

TKD3, circumcision was not in the original abraham story - see 'the book of j'. 'God' is not cruel.
Chris, medicine IS a religion - it's the belief system from hell. When does it make sense 'scientifically' to commit surgery on 100,000 babies to ostensibly prevent ONE case of penile cancer in one 70-year-old man with bad hygiene?
Medicine certainly is not 'evidence-based'... statistics mislead, if not outright lie. Ask for numbers. Numbers should always be provided in every claim for benefits. "Cuts the risk of UTIs in half" sounds significant, until you realize that it's either 1 UTI in 100 babies or 2 UTIs in 100 babies... 100 babies are damaged for life to 'prevent' one case of UTI, whereas 5 little girls will get a UTI and it will be treated with antibiotics rather than cut with knives.
"Don't confuse doctors with facts... they've got enough to worry about... like how to get rid of these pesky patients and get to the golf course!"

Patricia Robinett of OR 6:15PM July 07, 2010

It is telling that TKD3 from WI should quote the Bible to justify circumcision. When will people realize that medicalized circumcision is a cultural appropriation of religious blood ritual??
Circumcision is cruel and unnecessary. End it.

Chris of NY 12:29AM June 27, 2010

We need an end to all genital mutilation of boys and girls in the USA. Our laws need to say this. Only condoms prevent HIV!

Chad R of NE 3:11AM May 24, 2010

All I know is that God Himself told Abraham in the Torah that he and his descendants should circumsize all their males on the 8th day, and that studies have shown that the eighth day after birth is the best time to do it, because blood clotting factors peak at about the eighth day. The Jews were not the only culture to practice circumcision, but I can't recall whether they were influenced by the Jews or came up with it on their own. I also have read the studies about the other health benefits of the practice. I know it's not the most popular stand to take today in our society, but I'm not ashamed to say it; If God said to do it, that's good enough for me - although I do like to check out everything He says and find out if it's true. And I've spent quite a few years doing just that, and I haven't found that God has lied anywhere in His Word - The Bible, Old and New Testaments. If I can't find all the answers, well, that's ok - He's Eternal, and Infinite, and Omnipotent, and He made the Universe, our world and everything in it, so - maybe I just might not understand everything that He knows about it - past, present or future. TKD3

TKD3 of WI 9:34PM May 13, 2010

Nice post, thanks for writing!

seolace of AL 1:07PM May 06, 2010

As an Australian you can really see American cultural mores in this article, particularly how it minimises the barbaric nature of genital cutting and how the doctors think there’s no right choice. How could any loving parent do such a horrible thing to their child? The hood of the clitoris corresponds to the hood of the penis. It’s the same tissue in a foetus; it plays an important role in protecting the penis and provides men with a lot of sexual pleasure. Amputation is amputation, if it’s wrong for girls then it’s wrong for boys. If circumcision was the tonic against STDs it’s claimed to be then the US should have much lower infection rates than other developed nations but the opposite is the case. If you want to stop AIDS or other STDs in baby boys, when they’re grown up teach them to use condoms – they’re cheap, pain free and far more effective. If you want to stop cervical cancer in women, tell them to get the HPV vaccine, don’t take knives to babies’ genitals.

James 11:53PM March 22, 2010