Circumcision

[Darien]

The debate is simple;

Should babies, infants, children; for no medical value, be circumcised.

Being that I assume this forum has both Europeans as well as North Americans, and etc; this may be an interesting topic.

Are you (if you're comfortable sharing) circumcised or uncircumcised?
What do you believe the benefits are, for, or against it?
Do you have any children; if so did you get them circumcised or not? What made you make this decision.

Etc.?

Let the mastur-debaters begin! HOOO (horny joke.. I know... oh I mean corny.)










_______________________________________
Hate to take away from my EPIC-BEYOND-EPIC joke; but I'll start us off.. (wow I swear I didn't even plan that one!)

I am Canadian and uncircumcised.. I believe that foreskin; for whatever reason or another, is a part of your body.. Grown that way.. Probably with good reason.. Should probably stay!? Whadya say?!

P.P. (wow .... i swear i didnt... even.. think of that...pp.. lol)S
buttons made me make a debate I swear.. sorry if this is a past-debated topic. I'm new, don't hate. actually hate all you want then ask if I give a shiitake mushroom?! :D LOL... p.s. someone join in so i dont end up debating myself on the topic... cause i know ill win. HA

Edited by Expling (Trialist Forum Moderator): Removed the thread prefix which you added into the title!

[Hannah]

I personally believe that if it wasn't supposed to be there, it wouldn't be. However, it most definitely isn't something that is medically required and is a mutilation implemented commonly for religious beliefs.

A quick look online shows that advantages are that it may reduce the risk of UTIs, the risk of some types of sexually transmitted infections, female partners developing some types of infections and the risk of developing cancer in the penis.
HOWEVER, these are all listed with may and I'm not too sure if there are any certainties (correct me if I'm wrong).

I believe that if a person wishes to be circumsized, they should make the decision themselves when they reach adulthood. I do not believe that this mutilation should ever be because a parent wishes it so, or because it fits their religion or culture. It is not their body - and once it is removed, it is removed. It won't just grow back.

If/When I have children and have a male, I will not circumsize them - and if they wish to have this in their future then that is their decision to make. Not mine.

[Kyle]

Entirely up to the parents to assess any potential risks and act accordingly. you can't miss something you only ever had for a minuscule portion of your life.

[FlyingJesus]

Can't miss arms if you've never had them either, but mutilating children for no sound reason is still something I'd oppose personally. The reason that North America practices infant circumcision on such a huge scale is that it's a massive money-maker for doctors and requires very little by way of equipment - they don't even anaesthetise the child, just strap them down to a table with a hole in it for the blood and cut away.

The entire issue (other than as a religious rite as with Jews and Muslims) came from John Harvey Kellogg YEP THE CEREAL GUY who published a load of papers about how it is necessary to circumcise all boys and "snip" all girls with the express intent of lessening sexual pleasure... because he thought that having a Tommy Tank was the worst of all bodily sins and was the type of person to impose his prejudices on everyone. He was so anti-sex that he never even did it with his own wife, and he genuinely invented granola and cornflakes as anti-sex-drive food. He literally thought you could stop people having a tug by giving them cereal, and this is the bloke that the American health system and American society at large chose to dictate suggested medical procedures.

[-:Undertaker:-]

I had the slice a couple of years ago now although it was for medical purposes. I prefer it having had it done as an adult and my choice, but again it was based on a medical problem although as I say I prefer afterwards. On whether it should be banned, I wouldn't do it to a child although given the large numbers who have had it done in America and indeed the western world it isn't the most pressing issue: as well as the fact there's degrees to how you have it done.

[Coactum]

I personally think that, unless for a sound medical reason, circumcision is a barbaric practice. The idea that someone could be mutilated based on the idea that the child is part of a religion is wrong, not only in practice itself but on the assumption that his or her's religious beliefs are givens because of the family they were born to. There's no such thing as a Jewish baby any more than there is such thing as a Conservative or LibDem baby, and from my point of view, like political beliefs, religious belief is something that should be assigned when that person is of sound mind and maturity to be able to associate themselves willingly. Baptisms are one thing, genital mutiliation is a totally different kettle of fish. Especially female circumcision - quite literally a punishment simply for being female.

[Darien]

"is that it's a massive money-maker for doctors and requires very little by way of equipment"

I really wanted to point attention to that statement; which is a HUGE factor in this discussion.


Undertaker; I'd like to hear more of your opinion, having been both. How old are you? You say you 'prefer after'; where you sexually active before? What is the preference? (Perhaps just a disdain due to your medical requirement of it?)

[AgnesIO]

I personally believe that if it wasn't supposed to be there, it wouldn't be. However, it most definitely isn't something that is medically required and is a mutilation implemented commonly for religious beliefs.

Err, often it is medically required...

----

I have been circumcised. Happened as a young child, for medical reasons. I have no real feelings about it - it isn't anything like as big an issue as FGM, which has far more serious consequences. Also worth noting that the Old Testament of the bible clearly states that boys should be circumcised.

[FlyingJesus]

it isn't anything like as big an issue as FGM, which has far more serious consequences

Depends entirely on the type of circumcision on both sides, the most common form of FGM is "just" a snip to the hood which is entirely analogous to common MGM in terms of trauma, and far LESS in terms of nerve loss

[DPS]

I was cut not as a child but as a 23 year old for medical reasons and it was the best thing ive done body wise.

But i believe a child/infant should only be cut if it needs to happen, you should be able to choose when you are abit older if you want it done or not.

[Hannah]

Err, often it is medically required...

----

I have been circumcised. Happened as a young child, for medical reasons. I have no real feelings about it - it isn't anything like as big an issue as FGM, which has far more serious consequences. Also worth noting that the Old Testament of the bible clearly states that boys should be circumcised.

Yeah I messed that up, my apologies.

Sometimes medically required - though this tends to occur a little later in life rather than while the child is newborn. Medical reasoning I can understand, though for belief reasons I certainly do not.

[AgnesIO]

Yeah I messed that up, my apologies.

Sometimes medically required - though this tends to occur a little later in life rather than while the child is newborn. Medical reasoning I can understand, though for belief reasons I certainly do not.

Indeed - I feel rather lucky that it happened earlier to me though. Would rather grow up circumcised than having it and then losing it!

[Hannah]

Indeed - I feel rather lucky that it happened earlier to me though. Would rather grow up circumcised than having it and then losing it!

I can't personally say what the effects are, but I can imagine that the sensation differs quite a bit if you were to reach a sexually active age and then lose it - being that you had to have the alteration because of medical reasons, with that in hindsight would you have preferred to have it removed newborn, or would it not have made much of a difference to you because you were still pretty young?

Like, would you have rather not have had it all knowing it'd be removed anyway?

[AgnesIO]

I can't personally say what the effects are, but I can imagine that the sensation differs quite a bit if you were to reach a sexually active age and then lose it - being that you had to have the alteration because of medical reasons, with that in hindsight would you have preferred to have it removed newborn, or would it not have made much of a difference to you because you were still pretty young?

Like, would you have rather not have had it all knowing it'd be removed anyway?

Can't compare the sensation, as I wasn't particularly sexually active as a four year old! So yeah, wouldn't have made a difference to me :) From what I am told, it prevented a lot of pain - although I can't actually remember having pain, but I'll trust my parents on that one...

[Hannah]

Can't compare the sensation, as I wasn't particularly sexually active as a four year old! So yeah, wouldn't have made a difference to me :) From what I am told, it prevented a lot of pain - although I can't actually remember having pain, but I'll trust my parents on that one...

Yeah, I'm sure they wouldn't just up and decide to chop it at the age of 4. xD
I'm glad it worked out for you, regardless. xD

[MKR&*42]

If you circumcise your child for any non-medical reason (yes that includes religion) then you are a degrading, idiotic fool and don't deserve to have a child.

There is absolutely no biological reason to get your child circumcised arbitrarily and believe it or not the foreskin does actually have important health roles.

Thankfully Britain hasn't been idiotic enough to follow the blindsided American trend of doing it to a very large majority boys.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Undertaker; I'd like to hear more of your opinion, having been both. How old are you? You say you 'prefer after'; where you sexually active before? What is the preference? (Perhaps just a disdain due to your medical requirement of it?)

I was not sexually active. I am 22 now, and I had it done around two years ago.

You do lose feeling on the top obviously, but at the same time in my experience anyway I would say it has 'enhanced' the feeling in other areas. I can't really explain it, but I prefer it now as opposed to before in terms of 'feeling'... as well as the fact I think it looks better visually and is cleaner.

[MONEYMAGIC]

I think it should be left alone till the child is old enough to decide what they want. I wouldn't have wanted it removed unless it really had to be. (medical problem)

[Artpops]

Circumcision is no big issue and will never be, people just enjoy blowing it way out of proportion. From what I've researched, circumcision leads to a more hygienic penis, which probably leads to less health threats... and let's be real, nobody likes going to the doctors for having an issue with their genitals. I've heard that having foreskin results in more pleasurable sex/masturbation? Oh fucking wow. How sex-drive ran do you have to be to even CONSIDER that an argument? You still feel pleasure without it. Personally, however, I'm not for or against it, I'm indifferent to it and so should everyone else be.

[FlyingJesus]

From what I've researched, circumcision leads to a more hygienic penis

Well then you're reading the wrong research. That theory is propounded by American doctors who stand to benefit financially from the huge industry that is routine infant mutilation. One of the main functions of the foreskin is to secrete certain mucal fluids that actually keep it far cleaner than you could ever do using outside products, which of course wouldn't be necessary if people didn't go around chopping up little boys for fun and profit. The one study that supports the ridiculous notion that an open wound followed by a lifetime of no natural protection is somehow good for your health came about by comparing the prevalence of HIV in circumcised central African men to that of circumcised Americans, totally ignoring the entire rest of the world along with all the other huge factors involved in the imbalance shown.


I've heard that having foreskin results in more pleasurable sex/masturbation? Oh fucking wow. How sex-drive ran do you have to be to even CONSIDER that an argument? You still feel pleasure without it. Personally, however, I'm not for or against it, I'm indifferent to it and so should everyone else be.

You're looking at it the wrong way around - if people were arguing for adding something to people to make their sex lives better then fair enough that would not be a good reason, but this is about removing something that's supposed to be there for no reason at all. It's about 20,000 nerves being killed off, and CHOPPING PIECES OFF A HEALTHY CHILD. There is no reason for it to happen unless a problem occurs, and indifference is just as bad as promoting it.

[Artpops]

You're looking at it the wrong way around - if people were arguing for adding something to people to make their sex lives better then fair enough that would not be a good reason, but this is about removing something that's supposed to be there for no reason at all. It's about 20,000 nerves being killed off, and CHOPPING PIECES OFF A HEALTHY CHILD. There is no reason for it to happen unless a problem occurs, and indifference is just as bad as promoting it.

They are chopping it off for a reason, and even if that reason is to meet cultural values then there shouldn't be a problem. There shouldn't be a problem for keeping it intact, either. I wish promoting circumcision or uncircimcision was a bad thing but it's really not, so I'm pretty happy remaining indifferent.

[Akeel]

Circumcision is no big issue and will never be, people just enjoy blowing it way out of proportion. From what I've researched, circumcision leads to a more hygienic penis, which probably leads to less health threats... and let's be real, nobody likes going to the doctors for having an issue with their genitals. I've heard that having foreskin results in more pleasurable sex/masturbation? Oh **** wow. How sex-drive ran do you have to be to even CONSIDER that an argument? You still feel pleasure without it. Personally, however, I'm not for or against it, I'm indifferent to it and so should everyone else be.

I agree with this comment, infact I think circumcision is healthier for your body and you have less chance of being infected or inheriting different types of diseases or conditions.

[Bionic...]

I've not been circumcised but i support anyone that does it or has to do it for medical purposes. In terms of babies i'm not really sure because i've read many articles and they all say different things!