It was only last night that I posted a story about Sandra Bullock adopting a beautiful baby boy and now, according to an article in The Huffington Post it was revealed that Sandra’s baby has had a circumcision for religious reasons (she’s Jewish). According to the article:
A friend of ours helped arrange for a bris at the house, because we couldn’t go [to a hospital for the procedure]. The mohel [a person trained in the practice] came to us. You have never seen adults more panicked about what was about to happen to their son, but the celebration and the amount of love we felt and the pride in the little man whom we love so, so much became the greatest moment I have ever had in my life.
I’m often asked to post on circumcision. Well, not often but sometimes. Usually, those who have asked me have felt very strident in their own opinions and I’ve suspected they were just looking for another outlet to shout voice them. I hate shouty posts so that’s why I’ve never done it (oh and if you’re wondering why there is a sharpei puppy illustrating this post it’s because I once heard an uncircumcised adult penis described in similar terms).
But when I was reading an article in Sunday Life about it a little while ago (which included quotes from one VERY PRO circumcision medical professional and one VERY ANTI one – whose websites incidentally were www.circinfo.org.au and www.circinfo.net.au so probably don’t go to either if you’re looking for balanced ‘info’ as the website names would suggest) I thought it might possibly be time to post about it.
Because I have faith in the MM community not to totally lose their shit on this subject.
If you have a son, did the subject come up in your family? How did you decide what to do?
Below, is a video from the Momversation bloggers on the subject and predictably, when it was first posted, things got heated very quickly on that site. (I’m hoping that doesn’t happen here and rest assured, moderators are watching closely and any unnecessarily aggressive or abusive comments -and responses to them- will be immediately deleted).
Out of respect to my own kids and their privacy, I will sit this one out.
However. What I wanted to say was that while the debate about babies is one that’s unlikely to end in a rousing rendition of kuymbaya and everyone joining hands, I have another question for you.
You see, baby boys grow up and penises will quickly outgrow nappies and go into condoms (apologies to all the mothers currently wincing at the thought of their precious little boys having SEXUAL RELATIONS).
If you’ve experienced both types of penis as an adult, have you had a peronal preference? Do you think there’s much difference? Sexually? Visually?
As an adult, what is your experience and preferences around the idea of circumcised or not? How does it factor into the adult male penis?
And if you have a son, did anyone try to talk you out of the choice you made about whether to circumcise or not? Pressure?
Top Comments
I know this post is so old, but I was searching for info on it and came across this discussion on MM. So I'll share some stuff I found just in case someone else is looking for info like I was.
The New England Journal of Medicine (peer reviewed and very reputable) released a study which shows that circumcision reduces the transmission of STDs including herpes, HPV and HIV significantly (herpes being a virus that causes blindness and sometimes death in newborn babies catching it from their mother and HPV causing cervical cancer). 1 in 8 adults in Australia have herpes and 4 out of 5 people will be exposed to HPV in their lifetime.
It has been suggested that routine circumcision of boys should be reintroduced to cut the rate of STDs, which at this point in time is endemic in Australia.
I've decided to circumcise after extensive research. Despite the fact that I will hammer home the safe sex thing, it's not realistic to think they'll be carful 100% of the time.
The following article discusses how doctors in Australia are now advocating a return to circumcision including the respected doctor, Dr Alex Wodak from St Vincents hospital:
Australian doctor urges circumcision to ward off HIV
Sep 19, 2010, 8:09 GMT
Sydney - Routinely circumcising baby boys is an effective way of fighting the spread of the AIDS virus among heterosexuals, an Australian Doctor said Sunday.
Alex Wodak, writing in The Medical Journal of Australia, described the removal of the foreskin as a 'surgical vaccine' against HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Wodak, from Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital, said doctors were wrong to discourage circumcision and urged the health department to subsidise the operation.
Queensland is alone among the six states in providing a rebate for parents who pay for circumcision for male babies.
'A wealth of research has shown that the foreskin is the entry point that allows HIV to infect men during intercourse with an infected female partner,' he said.
'Circumcision of males is now referred to by many as surgical vaccine against a wide variety of infections and adverse medical conditions over the lifetime.'
Wodak said that, with no likelihood of an HIV vaccine in the next 20 years, authorities should be active in removing the stigma from male circumcision.
'If we're trying to prevent an epidemic in the 2030s, we should start thinking about this in the 2010s,' he said.
Less than 20 per cent of Australian boys are circumcised, a proportion that has risen from 13 per cent in the last decade.
http://www.stvincents.com.a...
I was born in the era when every bloke in Australia was circumcised - except me. Did cause all sorts of jibs when growing up. Even as an adult I was always the 'odd one out' in the locker room. I don't recall any GF stating a preference for one or the other although 'cut' was definately the norm in those days. Very tight foreskin caused probs though. And my wife is an advocate for the practicality and visual appeal of the circumcised look.
Wife tried to talk me into it when I had a variety of 'splitting' issues. As it was quite painful at the time circumcision was looking like a real option. As my Chinese GP said at the time 'Ohhhh....One more rip, and I will have to snip'. Good to have a doctor with a sense of humour.
Steroid creams and natural remedies helped me avoid the 'snip'. But to be honest I sometimes wonder if it was a missed opportunity as I have continued to have probs with my intactness.