This thread is another departure from our normal no fap, top 2, colon blow, but hopefully somebody can still chime in.
So…I’m typing on my phone from the hospital. My wife has this affliction called “pregnancy” that she plans to get cured of at about noon. Then we’ll have a new baby boy.
We are wondering now (and need to know before tomorrow morning) whether or not we should have his genitals mutilated. Following family tradition, we’re inclined to say yes, but figgered I’d just go ahead and get the opinions of all the WC folk.
Congrats greenie. As I discovered when we had our son 1 year ago today (Happy Birthday Nick!), cutting is not nearly as common as it used to be. We opted to have him remain “natural”, as there’s really no benefit to the snip other than a minor decrease in urinary tract infections (we haven’t had one - knock on wood) and “looking like everyone else”. I don’t think the 2nd benefit really applies anymore given the decrease in the number of boys who get clipped.
BTW, they tell you that you have to decide by tomorrow morning but they’ll give you until you leave the hospital. If the Mrs. is having a C, that’s a few days from now.
Yeah, it’s a scheduled c section. And she says that while she has no experience with “natural” men, she dislikes the look of the “turtleneck”. It turns her off.
I’m not sure the evidence is good enough to say with any sort of confidence to do one thing or another. There is a risk of complications with getting cut, but it’s low for that age. Some people claim that it changes sensitivity, but the only people who are really able to judge that are people who had it done later in life (and I don’t know anyone who has). For benefits of getting cut, it’s mainly keeping things clean and there is some evidence that it reduces the chance of getting certain kinds of diseases. But whether that’s good enough to accept the (albeit small) risk of complications, I don’t know.
Since it isn’t clear to me based on the science what to choose, I normally recommend people go with whatever the father has.
I was cut and don’t feel traumatized. If I was cut later in life and without anaesthetic, I might feel differently.
I’ve been to a bris or two and I must admit I get squeamish. Too much empathy on my part, and the kid’s crying doesn’t make it sound painless.
The research does seem to suggest that circumcision makes it harder to transmit or contract certain diseases, including AIDS. The theory I’ve seen is that the foreskin gives infectious agents a more conducive place to hang out for a while, while waiting for an opportunity to infect the man or a sexual partner.
I agree with jmh that it’s harder to figure out what the effect on sensation is without asking someone who has experienced sex before and after. I can say that when I go biking in certian biking shorts, sometimes I become “involuntarily uncircumcized” for a bit and - while not actually painful - it is remarkably uncomfortable. Presumably people who are normally uncircumcized are used to it, but I sure ain’t.
I was on the fence when my son was born, but decided to have him cut, more for consmetic reason than anything. It is a pretty F’d up thought to cut something that is naturally supposed to be there, but whatever. Just make sure you keep him clean and pull his skin back from the scare every so often so that it doesn’t heal together and form a skin bridge.
Because if you are uncircumcised the glans (head) stays internal remains moist and is exposed to less oxygen and therefore is more of an incubator for bacteria and viruses that cause STDs and HIV.
FWIW, late last year the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a new position basically stating that new research indicates that the long-term health benefits outweigh the risks. They don’t think there is enough benefit to officially recommend cutting or not cutting though, so they say it’s a parental choice thing. Some insurance companies don’t cover it either as the AAP won’t categorize it as medically necessary, although they do think it should be covered anyway. If I remember correctly, our insurer (Aetna) would have covered as long as it was done in the hospital before we left. They would not have covered if we had it done later at the Dr.'s office. Interestingly, my wife’s OB would have done it, not the pediatrician.