I do not think current day male circumcision is the same as the female genital mutilation occuring in Africa. My previous blog should have been a little more clear on that. What I was attempting to say is that I am curious if people thousands of years ago were initially horrified by male circumcision, as we are horrified today by female circumcision.
And lastly, to all who like to throw in my face....."But he'll get picked on in the locker room" rebuttal. Go back and reread the little factoid about only 50-60% of boys being circumsized in the US currently. So, that means, he'll look exactly the same as 40-50% of the other guys in the locker room. Do the math, it's not a locker room issue. If that is the only reason someone has to circumsize their child, then nothing I say will make them ever consider otherwise.
5 comments:
I applaud you for researching circumcision information. My son isn't circumcised despite my husband being circed. I'm a RN and I've seen too many circs gone wrong. It's painful and honestly, it's completely unnecessary. Circumcision causes far more complications such as meatal stenosis (where the pee hole scars) and hemorrhaging than any "problem" it claims to prevent. Baby girls get uti's more often than boys anyway and we don't circumcise them. While I agree female circ is different than male circ, I don't understand why people in the US don't see the cultural similarities. For example, female circ is performed in Africa because the people believe it's cleaner, makes the girl less promiscuous, and makes her more accepted culturally for marriage. In the US, boys are circed because parents believe the foreskin is dirty/hard to clean (it's not, girls have more skin folds to keep clean than boys), some parents think non-circed boys won't get "lucky" or will get teased in locker rooms (when erect, both cut and uncut look exact the same and boys nowdays really don't get nude in locker rooms) and apparently (non-religious) circ was adopted in the US to keep boys from touching themselves and to curb sexual thinking. So it seems to me the cultural reasoning for circ here is the same as it is over in Africa for female circ. It just baffles my mind!
I can't imagine anyone wanting to put their child through a surgery unless it was truly a life saving measure.
I had a friend who once told me circumcision MUST be the best thing to do because her doctor recommended it to her while she was pregnant. I asked her if he was the one who did the circ to her son. She said yes. I asked her if he performed the circ for free. She looked at me funny and said "Well of course not! We paid the co-payment and insurance paid hte rest". BINGO!!! Doctors make money from circumcisions, lots of easy money. In places like Canada where circs are not covered by the national health plan that everyone has, circs are very seldom recommended or performed. Why? Because the doctors don't make money off of doing them.
I'm ranting, I know. Sorry. I just really researched this topic a lot when I was pregnant and now I feel passionate about it.
Where I live most of the boys are still circed, probably 65 - 70% of them. But I know plenty of people in real life, friends and people we've met at playdates and church who have intact boys. So there is no way my son will be the only boy in school who is intact and there is no way he'll get teased.
FWIW, I'm also Christian and Christians aren't commanded to circ like the Jews are. This website offers some good explanations:
http://udonet.com/circumcision/christian.html
If anyone reading is inclined to circ their son I'd highly recommend searching for circumcision videos online and then searching for circ complications that can happen during and after the procedure. When I saw it done in nursing school, I just knew it was wrong. Truly heartbreaking!
Anyway, congratulations on your pregnancy and best of luck to you and your son or daughter.
BTW- I have an account here but for some reason I can't get logged on tonight. I'm "ICU Too", as in an ICU nurse.
Take care!
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Nikki great blog! I agree with you on your thoughts on circumcision!!! If we end up with a boy I will do the same thing you are! It isn't like it was 30 years ago where our parents circ'ed their sons! Its about 50-50 so I don't think the locker room will be an issue at all!
Good for you and for those who had something "negative" to say about what you believe in- all I have to say is there will always be people who don't agree with you! No matter what the issue! So just stick with what you believe and don't worry about others opinions!
Of course male genital cutting is not "the same" as female genital cutting, but they are both the same kind of violation of an individual's bodily integrity, and the same kind of human rights outrage. (Surgical genital cutting of females was not uncommon in the US and the rest of the western world until only a few decades ago, and there are plenty of survivors of it still living among us, so there's no need to confuse the issue with the cruel methods or the unhygienic conditions of Africa.)
There is nothing the matter with thinking others are wrong for "choosing it for their family". We don't choose to cut any other (healthy, non-renewable) part of our childen's bodies off, and we don't think it's all right if others choose to do so.
So I can't agree with those who say "Stick with what you believe and don't worry about other people's opinions." Check the facts carefully. The others may be wrong or you may be. But in this case, you're absolutely right!
Nik, I support your decision, either way. I think it's awesome that you are putting so much thought and research into this... that it's actually a decision, rather than another step in the process... I'm so proud of you, I know you are going to be such a great mommie!
Love, M
Can I just copy and past the other RN's thoughts-because those are pretty much this RN's thoughts also! I do think both girl and boy circs are the same. And I don't plan to do either on my future children. Good for you for not doing it!
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