Are you circumcised or uncircumcised?

[Jadzia]

Thought you didn't have medical bills in the UK.

You're missing the point. Bills or no bills, it's still genital mutilation, causing a disfigurement, possibly followed by reconstructive surgery if you choose to have it reversed.

And I'm talking principally about americans, since they're the ones getting this done as standard procedure. British guys generally don't have this done, so my opinion (and reference to charges) is directed at US citizens.

 

[DAK]

I won't vote in the poll - cause that'd just look weird but my son's uncircumcised - Canada of British parents.

Ditto. I wouldn't allow my son to be cut. It's hell keeping those knife happy doctors away from your baby here in American hospitals.

I'm glad it was done to me. I think it's safer that way. My parents are both doctors, so I think they'd know the health reasons.

Then they should also know that no major medical establishment recommends the procedure for health reasons.

Posted by ShamelessMcBundy
Oh and Drone, i'll show you mine if you show me yours.

Ooookayyy.

And if you're starting a contest, I'll be the judge...

You can undo it now if you want, using weights and the like to stretch the skin into a new foreskin. Not sure how costly or painful it would be though.

You can stretch what skin is left (if there's enough to start with), but you can never grow back the nerves that were severed during a circ.

I imagine that most women could truthfully describe themselves as uncircumcised.

Not in all countries. And they circ girls for the same reason we circ our boys - tradition, cleanliness, it looks better, etc.

Yes, but they were worried that there would still be too much build-up under the foreskin that would cause infections.

Women can get icky build-up too if we don't clean. I'd prefer daily showers to being cut though.

And I suspect one of the reasons circumcision took off in infants is because of a not fun little problem called Phimosis where the foreskin won't detract causing horrible pain with an erection. The only cure then is circumcision but when one is much older and well rather afraid.

But is that a reason to circ every boy? Even some cases of phimosis can be non-surgically treated.

I've heard too that it continues to be a major practice in America because guys want their sons to look just like them.

Yeah, I've heard that a lot too. But really, unless Dad and Son are going to sit around comparing penises, that's kinda a silly reason. My hubby is cut, my son isn't. It's never been an issue.

Unless there is an immediate medical problem that warrants it, the whole issue of circumcision being done as 'standard procedure' in the US, I feel, is a tradition of genital mutilation.

The result is a permanent disfigurement.

I totally agree with you!

 

[bryce]

I am circumcised.

I chose not to circumcise my son (he's 11 now.) And his younger 1/2 brother (3 now) isn't circumcised either.

When my(now ex-)wife and I first chose to have children, before we even both commited to trying to have a baby I raised the issue with her, and let her know that even though I was circumcised, I *really* wasn't comfortable with the practice - I feel that the practice is unnessary, outdated, painful and barbaric - and that the aledged "benefits", even if real, are so small they aren't worth the pain & trauma of the procedure. Most insurances won't cover the cost now anyway, and several promonant medical && nursing organizations have said the procedure is either "unnessary" or "offers little benifits". And frankly, I don't really think it's ethical to cut parts off of kids without anesthetic just for asthetic reasons, or "because it was done to me." The practice isn't really only common in the the US anyway (and most common in the East Coast) and even here the number of children subjected to the procedure is falling rapidly every year. And I wanted to let my son have control over his own body.

My ex-agreed with me, and said that choice should be mine anyway - but later when she researched it herself she said she wouldn't have given me permission knowing what she learned.

When she (briefly) re-married and had another son, she told his father (who was also circumcised) she didn't want ot done and why - he agreed.

(Now they're divorced, he left and a couple of years after that she and I got back together, so I help raise that child too, and treat him as if he were my own - and I think it's good that he looks like his big brother.)

 

[Captain X]

You're missing the point. Bills or no bills, it's still genital mutilation, causing a disfigurement, possibly followed by reconstructive surgery if you choose to have it reversed.

And you missed the point about it not being a disfigurement or permanent as you put forward before. I've seen plenty of butt hurt from people about foreskin, but frankly it's comes off as much ado about nothing. The descriptions you give of it as "genital mutilation" and "disfigurement" are grossly overstated, and frankly come off as a strawman.

 

[Kommander]

The real reason circumcision became popular is to stop people from touching themselves in an impure manner. Seriously. The other reasons are pure bullshit. Nerve endings are removed, and the glans being exposed all the time makes it less sensitive.

It's pretty pointless if I'm a typical example of a circumcised male because I touch myself in an impure manner fairly regularly.

 

[Captain X]

The real reason circumcision became popular is to stop people from touching themselves in an impure manner. Seriously. The other reasons are pure bullshit. Nerve endings are removed, and the glans being exposed all the time makes it less sensitive.

It's pretty pointless if I'm a typical example of a circumcised male because I touch myself in an impure manner fairly regularly.

Guess it didn't make it "less sensitive" enough. I've heard that argument before, and the people who use it usually try to make it sound like it deadens it completely, but I can attest to the head of my penis still being quite sensative.

 

[Kommander]

^ No, it doesn't completely kill the sensitivity... I don't know how much is lost because I underwent the procedure as an infant and didn't have an intact foreskin long enough to make a comparison. It mostly makes it difficult (or nearly impossible depending on how much is removed) to pull the foreskin back and forth rapidly. With a foreskin all one has to do is reach down and tug away. Unless they leave half a foreskin like they did with me, it takes more planning and materials.

 

[farmkid]

Odd question... but I'm in the mood to ask.. what do they do with the excess skin?

Clinical waste? Secret pleasures? Same deal as the placenta cooking thing?

It's used in reconstructive cosmetic surgery to replace damaged eyelids. Ever heard the term "cock-eyed"?

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

BTW, my nephew is also uncircumcised. I'm glad his parents decided not to have him cut.

 

[iguana_tonante]

Al naturale. (Italy)

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

I love Italians ... God, i should stop before i start to use this as a place to pick up people ...

 

[Canadave]

The real reason circumcision became popular is to stop people from touching themselves in an impure manner. Seriously. The other reasons are pure bullshit. Nerve endings are removed, and the glans being exposed all the time makes it less sensitive.

It's pretty pointless if I'm a typical example of a circumcised male because I touch myself in an impure manner fairly regularly.

Guess it didn't make it "less sensitive" enough. I've heard that argument before, and the people who use it usually try to make it sound like it deadens it completely, but I can attest to the head of my penis still being quite sensative.

Yeah, but there's nearly no natural lubrication, and nothing to provide some friction\resistance against the head without a foreskin. I'd consider that a loss of function, IMO.

I hesitate to call it genital mutilation, though, myself, as it really doesn't compare at all to what's done to little girls in some parts of the world.

 

[Rii]

And I'm talking principally about americans, since they're the ones getting this done as standard procedure.

Americans are up there, but the single largest category of people amongst whom circumcision is the norm is Muslims.

 

[Ruaidhri]

Circumcised.

My Willy lost his muffler.

 

[Manticore]

The result is a permanent disfigurement.

Not anymore, as it can be reversed by stretching the remaining skin back out. And to be frank it's no more disfiguring than getting your appendix or tonsils removed.

But there's a lot of nerve endings and the like that won't get reconstructed--the tip of the foreskin, alone, is extremely sensitive. So while you can get it to look like there's a foreskin there, functionally it won't be.

Uncut American here.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I love Italians ...

"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"I love Italian...and so do you."
"Yes."

God, i should stop before i start to use this as a place to pick up people ...

Looks like that ship sailed a LONG time ago...

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

Touche. Shut up, that's why!

 

[trampledamage]

I won't vote in the poll - cause that'd just look weird but my son's uncircumcised - Canada of British parents.

Ditto. I wouldn't allow my son to be cut. It's hell keeping those knife happy doctors away from your baby here in American hospitals.

Just to go slightly off-topic for a moment. I don't know how old your son is, but if he's still young enough that his foreskin isn't naturally retracting pay attention when any doctor is examining him.

I have heard so many horror stories of American mums who haven't circ'd their sons and the doctor thinks that the foreskin has to be forcibly retracted when the son is an infant, and will often do it without warning or asking as part of a general check-up. This damages the foreskin and the penis and hurts like fuck too.

 

[DAK]

Just to go slightly off-topic for a moment. I don't know how old your son is, but if he's still young enough that his foreskin isn't naturally retracting pay attention when any doctor is examining him.

I have heard so many horror stories of American mums who haven't circ'd their sons and the doctor thinks that the foreskin has to be forcibly retracted when the son is an infant, and will often do it without warning or asking as part of a general check-up. This damages the foreskin and the penis and hurts like fuck too.

Yeah, I'd heard those stories too. Believe me, I watched the doctor closely. He's a teenager now and as far as I'm aware everything is functioning fine. I can't watch his doctor any more 'cause they both toss me out of the examination room.

 

[tharpdevenport]

If only a curiosity question, why make our vote public so people can see which we chose? Could have Googled for studies.