by RAYZORBLADE 42 Replies latest social family
Nina,
As parents we worry about so much with our kids. We make decisions for them that have lasting effects.
I know there was a rage in the 80's about replacing foreskin that was removed (more pleasure, whatever) but in the long run, who really knows for sure. It is just bragging rites or a pissing contest.
There are so many more things to worry about than a little foreskin, imho. Nurturing and loving your kids should be the highest priority.
j2bf
My sons received the 'cut' when they were born and I can't say I've thought it was the wrong choice, although I think most JWs do get it for their children and I do know that there is the issue of keeping it cleaner as an infant. I dated a guy whose wasn't. I can't say it was a big deal to me either way, it just looked different than I was used to. I remember my (ex) brother in law being very upset as an adult that his parents (JWs) had it done to him. He had sent my ex husband a book on it and I read parts of it. It also seemed to say that sex life is enhanced for the male if it is cut if I remember right. He (my ex brother in law) was doing things to have the foreskin restretched to form a similiation of if it had not been.
My husband and I debated this, too, when we were preggers. I was fortunate, because I didn't want to circumcise our son, and my husband, being a European Catholic, was never circumcised, either ("What are we, Jewish?!!!!!"). So we could do as we wished, AND have our boy "looking like his Dad" (which, Xena, my pediatrician also mentioned as something to take into consideration). And, yes, I was advised to teach my son proper hygiene and to gently stretch the foreskin during bathtime.
out
Don't hurt Mr. Happy!!!
Don't hurt Mr. Happy!!!
*** Passing out ***
My friends in "Da Troof" were all pretty much uncut. (we showered together, not slept together, stupid!) They couldn't believe that I was "cut"! They thought that it was old fashioned! Pretty much everyone in my P.E. class was cut... I guess they were a few years younger than me is all.
It's not that common nowadaze to be cut. My bro's new baby boy is also uncut. Thank god! I wish I was uncut too!
Not to make any squeemish, but in Atlanta back in the 80's there are 2 cases of when a circumcision went wrong. The surgeon used cautery (electric knive) set on adult setting and not pediatric and it burned the whole penis. Then he did it again the same day. Horrible. But I've been following the outcome of the babies, because they gave the babies female hormones. Now these two "girls" are in their teens and one admitted to being a boy trapped in a girls body, dealing with that damage that was done.
Also, I've known of a case where a baby had hemophilia and bleed to death after the circumcision.
I've seen too much skin taken off (shivers) and too little skin taken off (looked like a blooming flower) lol. So this procedure is not as benign as one would think.
Hey avishai, I like your analogy, but it is a little harsh. I'll stick with my teeth analogy.
j2bf
My son was cut. We didn't necessarily do it for health reasons, more for PE locker room reasons.
Thanks for going into all the technical stuff that I was about to do, Joy.
I have assisted at circumcisions performed on newborn males at my place of work. Our fees for the procedure in hospital are currently $225 (Canadian). (Hospital fee = $125, Doctor's fee = $100).
Current practice in the province of Ontario requires that all infants undergoing circumcision have proper analgesia. Five minutes before the procedure begins, the nurse administers a small dose of sucrose to help the baby with pain control. Then the baby gets 3 tiny injections of freezing agent (like when you go to the dentist) around the base of the penis, and the doctor has to wait 5 minutes before he or she can even go near the baby with the instruments. Then another 5 minutes has to elapse once the clamp is in place before the scalpel is used. Once the foreskin is removed, a strip of vaseline gauze is wrapped around the glans. Bleeding should be minimal, and the baby is monitored over the next several hours to make sure he is able to pee.
Whenever parents are uncertain about whether they should circumcise their baby boy or not, I always ask them what the pros and cons are as far as they are concerned. We always provide basic hygiene teaching to parents and emphasize that it is no more troublesome to teach an intact male about proper hygiene than it is to teach a little girl to wipe from front to back, or teaching a child to brush their teeth. If the issue is a cosmetic one (wanting to look like daddy), there are ways of dealing with that too. For example, I offer the suggestion that all parents have to say is that "When daddy was little, this is what everyone did because they thought it was better for their babies. Now we know that the way you are when you are born is just fine." The other cosmetic issue is that mothers think that an uncircumcised penis is unattractive and that years from now "his wife/girlfriends will thank me". I've never said this to a patient (I'm too diplomatic ), but I've often thought "Well you aren't the one that's going to be having sex with him, so what difference does it make to you?" What I do say is that the glans of the uncircumcised penis is a lot more sensitive, because scar tissue does not build up on it from being constantly exposed to fabric, and that "he might thank you a lot more if you leave it alone".
Love, Scully
