To Circumcise or Not

Page Updated on July 28, 2007

"It's barbaric!" says the anti group.

"It has medical benefits!" says the pro group.

Whether or not you circumcise your son is a personal decision, and no matter what you decide, you'll make that decision because you believe it is the best choice, so don't let anyone tell you that you're a bad parent either way.

Benefits of Circumcision and Comments

• Easier to keep the penis clean Yes, but it is possible to keep the penis clean even with a foreskin. It just takes some extra effort during bathing, after urination, before sex (to reduce the bacteria introduced into the vagina) and after sex. It can be difficult to get your young son to keep himself clean, in the same way that it can be difficult to get him to blow his nose or take a bath. Elderly and impaired men may need assistance, in the same way that they may need assistance cleaning themselves after a bowel movement.
• Reduces urinary tract infections UTIs are uncomfortable and painful, and the can lead to kidney damage (or like any infection, even death if they go untreated). The fewer you have, the better.
• Reduces transmission of sexually transmitted diseases STDs can result in life long suffering, deformity, and even death. Circumcision should not be used as a method of providing protection from STDs. Abstinence, monogamy between two healthy adults, and condoms are the only effective methods for reducing or eliminating STDs.
• Almost eliminates penile cancer Penile cancer can result in amputation of the penis and even death. The controversy in this benefit is that many people equate removing the foreskin to protect against penile cancer with removing the breasts to avoid breast cancer (or another part of the body to avoid developing cancer in that part).
• Makes the penis more attractive It depends on who you ask. Some women and men actually prefer an uncircumcised penis, but in American culture, most women (heterosexual) and men (homosexual) do expect to see a circumcised penis, so this could create an awkward situation during the initiation of sex. In other cultures, the uncircumcised penis is more common, so it is more accepted.
• Reduces problems with tightening of the foreskin. True, if the foreskin isn't there, then it won't tighten. However, if the foreskin on an uncircumcised penis does tighten, a circumcision can always be performed at that time.

Disadvantages of Circumcision

• Reduced sensitivity The skin on the head of the penis (the glans) does thicken after circumcision. Some men claim that this thickening reduces sensitivity. Also, some men claim that their foreskin adds to pleasurable sensations during sex, and they lose that after circumcision. Of course, even circumcised men can have orgasms, so circumcision does not typically lead to sexual impairment.
• Surgical complications Every surgery can result in complications, no matter how small or routine the surgery. Complications can include allergic reactions to anesthetics or pain killers, giving too much anesthetics or pain killers, infection, excessive bleeding, or even gangrene, which can all result in death, and mistakes, such as cutting off too much skin or deformation.

Sources: http://www.circumstitions.com, http://www.circumcisioninfo.com