Circumcision, please help

According to my doctor, chances of it getting infected from having foreskin v getting an infection from the surgery are about equal. It becomes a social game.. so I had my husband choose since he knows what it’s like to have a penis and date.

By the time he is old enough to start dating I would hope that 1) he's capable of washing himself and 2) they'll be old enough to make a decision themselves on the matter. Risk of infection when navigating potty training?!??!?! The foreskin doesn't even retract until about the age of 7 from what I remember as it's fused shut until then

It doesn't effect peeing/pottying. Its becoming a lot more common in the us. He can choose it later. As far as i know babies aren't given pain medication for it (😬😢). I just didnt have the heart to do it to my boys for insignificant risks. 4 of them with no problems (oldest is 10). Im sure there's still recordings of it being done also.

My brother needed a surgery at 6 and that was infinitely worse recovery for him than people I know who did it at birth. Plastibell circumcision is the typical route Drs up here go, with better results than perhaps the methods they had 20 years ago :/

More and more babies in the US are no being cut. There is a change in social norms. Please dont circumcise purely because youre worried what other kids around them will think.

The facts. 3% of the global population will have a physical issue like phimosis happen. Most of these cases can now be cured through tropical creams and stretching without surgery.

Circumcision isnt more clean. You just have to teach them to wash and youre good. It doesnt reduce UTIs. Funnily enough the countries with UTI problems in men are higher in countries that circumcise. The man's urethra is 7cm long so its actually quiet hard for them to get a UTI.
Lastly would you ever consider cutting your daughter clitorual hood off? Because its basically the same thing. Youre exposing a lot of nerves and it can cause nerve damage. Some women do have surgery on their clitorial hood because there is an issue but we would class it as FGM if it wasnt for medical reasons.

Thank you everyone for your very thoughtful responses! I feel much more confident about opting not to circumcise now

We chose to circumcise. My husband and I both decided we would be doing our son more of a disservice if we chose not to. Either way you decide it’s honestly not a huge deal and just whatever you think is right :)

If it helps you realise how unnecessary it is, the US is one of, if not the only country to routinely perform circumcisions without medical or religious need. And the whole rest of the world is doing just fine with their foreskins!

I assume you are based in the US? The majority of the western world does not circumcise and it is fascinating how brainwashed Americans are to do this to their babies for health and ‘hygiene’ reason, men in the rest of the world are absolutely not suffering from constant foreskin related issues

I’m the uk it isn’t actually common practice to do it. I wasn’t offered it when my son was born and I’ve never actually slept with anyone who was circumcised. I may be wrong but I think it is an American thing mostly

We chose to circumcise both of our boys. My husband’s grandfather recently had to get it done at the age of 80 due to an infection and I also know someone who had to get it done at 16 also from an infection.
To each their own, but we felt strongly about getting the procedure done.
Both of our boys healed very well, and they were given freezing before the procedure. They didn’t even flinch when it happened or show and sign they felt anything (we were in the room and they were laying on my husband’s lap when it was done). There was no crying at all. It was over literally in 5 minutes.
That’s just my experience, please do your own research!

Not necessary, you simply have to teach your son proper hygiene. Not every man ends up with a long turtle neck women will mock. Dick is dick lol. The risks of not circumcising aren’t high enough for insurance companies to consider it a medical procedure that’s why it’s not considered cosmetic. Only in the US is this a big deal. How come places where circumcision isn’t common, men do well with hygiene and have low risk of issues? That’s my 2cents

It’s not common in the UK at all. In the 21st century with good sanitation etc it’s more a cultural thing rather than medical.

We did not & I have absolutely no regrets! Cleaning is easy, educating my son on proper care is easy, & we don’t have to worry about any complications due to surgery. My biggest problem has been doctors being uneducated on in tact care - I’ve had to advocate for my son a few times in clinics. But I’m part of an online group that provides great information that I’ve used to educate myself & inform medical care professionals. And circumcision rates in the US are declining!

You said yourself unnecessarily, think that answers your own question.

We only chose it for religious reasons. I was present for it and it was an incredibly traumatic experience for my babies and for me. It was just awful to watch and clearly very painful. Healing was fine, but I wouldn’t do it again. It should be their choice.

The reasons you’ve given to do it are bizarre. It’s not common in the uk. Penile risk is not a huge concern amongst men any more that any other type of cancer you can get when reaching a certain age. My son being autistic was the biggest barrier potty training not being circumcised and somehow we managed at nursery as well. And despite the fact he’s autistic, 16 and avoids the bath like the plague he’s had no infections.

My boy is intact, and I wouldn't change it ever! It's perfectly normal. Just read some good articles about it. Read the process. Read pro. Read against. But we don't have to clean it. Leave it be. It is like a vagina in the sense of it cleans itself. If you pull down the skin while they're young, you're tearing them. It's something that happens during puberty. Poo does not get stuck in there like maybe someone fears. You wipe it like any other part of the body and it cleans without extra. It literally is something I don't even think about whole changing diapers, it's the balls that are tricky to get the skin grooves cleaned ! Lol

The hygiene isn't an issue as long as you teach your child how to look after himself. Ensure you do NOT pull back the foreskin until it retracts by itself, usually around 10 years old.

He doesn't need to look like the kids at care or school or any locker room, toilet training would be no different regardless of whether he has foreskin.

If someone has an issue with his penis, that is on them and is their problem and should not be a reason to remove a body part. We should be teaching our kids to love themselves for who they are not modifying them in case of stigma.

I don't specifically know the percentages of penile cancer sufferers being circumscised vs not. I am going to do research.

It's also not a major surgery. It's a routine procedure.

I urge you to do your own research and speak to a few different doctors.

It would be his body and unless the chances of cancer are high, it should be his choice.

I would say don't listen to the women on here, social media or pressure. Do what YOU think is best

I’m so tired of this y’all are so dramatic about circumcising… I have never in my life met a man who was “traumatized” for being cut ffs 🤦🏻‍♀️ It’s your child do what you wish he will be perfectly fine 🙄 I’ll die on this hill 🤷🏻‍♀️ half of y’all are willing to argue this yet would be perfectly fine with altering a child’s body if they suddenly wanted to be another gender 💀👀 make it make sense pls?

I’m from Northern Ireland and it is not routinely done unless medically necessary !