# Circumcision: Are you, would you, have you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 11, 2003, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcision-are-you-would-you-have-you/181152 "2003-06-11T17:07:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![presidebt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c37758/32.png) [@presidebt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/presidebt)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcision-are-you-would-you-have-you/181152/1 "2003-06-11T17:07:28Z")
This thread is inspired by [Tanookie’s Boy](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=189951) thread. I didn’t want to hijack her thread and this is really more appropriate to MHO (I think). It’s been almost a decade since I gave birth, and I had a girl so this issue didn’t effect us in the end. However, I did do a fair amount of reading on it while I was pregnant, just in case, you know. I decided I would not circumcise my baby if I had a boy. It didn’t seem medically necessary, and I had heard stories from adult males who lamented their own circumsicion. For those of you who will want a cite, [here it is.](http://www.cirp.org/) That website seems to offer quite a bit of information both pro and con. So my question is, are you circumcized? If you are or you aren’t, do you have an opinion on it? Any regrets either way? For my fellow parents and would be parents, would/will you or have you had your son circumcised? Why or why not? Sorry if this topic has been covered before. Thanks. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcision-are-you-would-you-have-you/181152/2 "2003-06-11T17:10:29Z")
Not circumcised. My only child is a boy and did not have him circumcised. ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcision-are-you-would-you-have-you/181152/3 "2003-06-11T17:39:13Z")
I am, unfortunately, circumcised. My son is NOT. It’s just so useless and pathetic. Just another example of people believing any damn fool thing just because it is prevalent in our (American) culture. ---
**Author:** ![UES\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/76d3ee/32.png) [@UES\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UES_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcision-are-you-would-you-have-you/181152/4 "2003-06-11T17:42:32Z")
**Am I?** – Yes (since birth, so it wasn’t like I got to choose) **Would I?** – Good question. Part of me wants my son to have his equipment fully intact, just as nature intended. Part of me wants his to look like mine, and like most of the other guys his age that he’ll see in the locker room. My wife (who’s a nurse, and who’s had to care for many an uncircumcised, hygiene-challenged patient), however, insists that he will be circumcised – no ifs, ands, or foreskins. **Have I?** – No kids of any sort yet, so no news there. Funny thing is, my dad is uncircumcised, I am, and I’m considering allowing my son to remain uncircumcised. If so, that would likely make me the lone male in my entire branch of the family tree to be foreskin-less. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcision-are-you-would-you-have-you/181152/5 "2003-06-11T17:44:03Z")
Yes, unknown, no. ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcision-are-you-would-you-have-you/181152/6 "2003-06-11T17:44:33Z")
I am circumcised. If I were to ever have a male child (doubtful), I would have him circumcised. I have been with too many uncircumcised men. Out of maybe 100, or so, all of them had an odor problem with their penises even directly out of the shower. The one uncut man I had been with the longest took a lot of care washing his schlong (I know, I helped him repeatedly… even after I told him his cock reeked) and it really did no good. It still smelled. ---
**Author:** ![skaterboarder87](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@skaterboarder87](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skaterboarder87)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcision-are-you-would-you-have-you/181152/7 "2003-06-11T17:49:59Z")
No, hell no (it’s flat-out wrong), no ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcision-are-you-would-you-have-you/181152/8 "2003-06-11T17:52:15Z")
Yes, yes, yes – all for religious reasons (although you all knew that already… 😃 ) Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![tanookie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/48db29/32.png) [@tanookie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanookie)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcision-are-you-would-you-have-you/181152/9 "2003-06-11T18:02:34Z")
wow I’ve never inspired a thread before 🙂 We’re leaning towards not circumcising him. We had started this debate last time I was pregnant but had a girl and that ceased discussion. I’m not circumcised myself 😉 being the girl and all… but hubby is. It seems like senseless surgery and we’re not religious so that’s not a factor. The only question I have is how hard is it to keep clean. Seems the people here have said there are issues and we’re happy we still have a couple of months to make this decision! ---
**Author:** ![Parallax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@Parallax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parallax)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcision-are-you-would-you-have-you/181152/10 "2003-06-11T18:05:44Z")
Yes. Not sure. Not yet. =) Tanookie and I have discussed this and I think we are leaning away from circumcision but no final decision has been made yet. I’d like to do some research first - I’ll be reading the link posted earlier for the opinions either way. My current thinking is that looking like daddy and the other boys isn’t really a compelling argument - it seems easy to explain why some people had it done and some did not. I’m somewhat compelled by the odor argument - if no amount of washing gets rid of the smell then that seems bad but I’m still not sure that warrants a circumcision. ---
**Author:** ![UES\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/76d3ee/32.png) [@UES\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UES_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcision-are-you-would-you-have-you/181152/11 "2003-06-11T18:06:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jonathan Chance \* > \*\*Yes, unknown, no. \*\* > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by skaterboarder87 \* > \*\*No, hell no (it’s flat-out wrong), no \*\* How 'bout some more details as to why or why not regarding the “have you” and “would you” parts? The OP and undecideds like me are curious. ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcision-are-you-would-you-have-you/181152/12 "2003-06-11T18:32:38Z")
Well Parallax, that was just my experience. Maybe I found the sweatiest, stinkiest men out there, but I can’t imagine that the crossover will be any different even with cleaner guys. I also have a pretty sensitive nose. ---
**Author:** ![presidebt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c37758/32.png) [@presidebt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/presidebt)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcision-are-you-would-you-have-you/181152/13 "2003-06-11T18:52:24Z")
Part of this has been on my mind for a while because I was at a friends house about a month ago and in a few moments of lagtime, I picked up some of his coffee table literature and leafed through it. One was a 'zine called Commie Mommie which, as an aside, had a little bit over-the-top approach to “alterno-parenting” (wtf does that mean, anyway?) as far as I was concerned, but it did have an article I found quite interesting on this subject. The article was called _Half a Man_ and the author (a circumcised male) claimed that at the onset of puberty he started to experience unpleasant results. Namely, he complained that: > [@](#): > > But at age twelve, something did happen. I won’t go into biological details here, but I was starting to understand why my buddies didn’t want to stand up at certain times, and why girls went from “gross” to “great.” At these times, I would feel a small twinge in my penis. While it was not painful, it was not exactly comfortable. It was like an itch I couldn’t scratch. > > Having an open relationship with my parents, I told them about it. They shared my concern, so we talked to our family doctor about my “condition.” He was very helpful and told me that “lots of circumsized boys feel this” and that it would eventually go away. Cool, I thought…it is only temporary. Later the writer says the twinge did not go away, that it was there even at his first sexual experience. He talked about not feeling “whole”. I had no idea about any of this as I read, and I found it fascinating. I’m not sure whether to believe it after just reading that one thing, but maybe you guys can help. Have any of you circumsized people experienced such a twinge? ---
**Author:** ![presidebt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c37758/32.png) [@presidebt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/presidebt)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcision-are-you-would-you-have-you/181152/14 "2003-06-11T18:58:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dorkusmalorkusmafia \* > \*\*Well Parallax, that was just my experience. Maybe I found the sweatiest, stinkiest men out there, but I can’t imagine that the crossover will be any different even with cleaner guys. I also have a pretty sensitive nose. \*\* I dunno **dorkusmalorkusmafia** , but that hasn’t been my experience at all. I’ve not had odor issues with any of my lovers, circumsized or uncircumsized, other than the occassional (and typical) sweaty groin. And I’m no amatuer. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Drabble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8491ac/32.png) [@Drabble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drabble)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcision-are-you-would-you-have-you/181152/15 "2003-06-11T19:06:32Z")
Well, I had my first son circed because his dad wanted him circed, and it cost me $75.00 Well, after what I saw what they did to my son, and after having to clean the wound and put vaseline on it for a week or two (was 11 years ago) to help the pee not sting it, I was quite upset. My second son is not circed. Of course the first one asked why he was different, and we explained circumcision to him. He was 9 when he asked. He seemed to understand, and he knows his dad is circed, so his little brother is the ‘odd’ one in his mind. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcision-are-you-would-you-have-you/181152/16 "2003-06-11T19:15:12Z")
Way to summon the spirit of Jack Dean Tyler. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Carnal\_knowledge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@Carnal\_knowledge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnal_knowledge)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcision-are-you-would-you-have-you/181152/17 "2003-06-11T19:16:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by presidebt \* > \*\*So my question is, are you circumcized? If you are or you aren’t, do you have an opinion on it? Any regrets either way? For my fellow parents and would be parents, would/will you or have you had your son circumcised? Why or why not? > \*\* Yep, I’m cut, when I was a newborn, so no memory. I’m glad they had it done. Hygiene is a high priority in my life. In the hopeful event that God graces my life with sons, they will be cut, too. It’s my default position and I haven’t seen compelling evidence to make me change it. YMMV, as always. ---
**Author:** ![Drabble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8491ac/32.png) [@Drabble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drabble)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcision-are-you-would-you-have-you/181152/18 "2003-06-11T19:27:53Z")
Erm, not to start a feud, but they have ruled out the hygiene thing as a reason for cutting. In fact ‘uncut’ is more hygenic because it has a natural way of cleaninsing…I’ll try to find more on that. For religious reasons I see how that has to stay, but of course in the decision making the hygiene thing is pretty much an old wive’s tale. Here we go > [@](#): > > The foreskin is actually designed by nature to provide protection against disease and injury.17 By understanding these protections, we allow the foreskin to function in its role of protecting the human body from infection and disease. This page will serve to increase that understanding. > > The foreskin of the newborn is: > > fused with the underlying glans penis in most boys.1 7 > relatively long in many boys in relation to the length of the penis as compared with adult males.20, Fig. 3 > usually narrow at the tip.1 > filled with muscle fibers that keep the foreskin opening closed and pathogens out.4 17 > protected from infection by oligosaccarides from breast milk.9 11 17 > The fusion of the foreskin with the glans penis7 means that no sub-preputial space or cavity exists in most infant boys.20 Nature intends the glans penis (head) to be an internal organ before puberty and a covered, protected organ after puberty. The narrow tip of the foreskin in most boys cannot be retracted because the diameter is less than that of the glans penis. Even if the tip were wider, the fusion of the foreskin with the glans would still prevent retraction.7 The narrow non-retractile foreskin protects the urethral opening from foreign matter and infection and from the ammonia that is created by chemical action in wet diapers (nappies).16 The shape of the immature infant foreskin does not indicate the appearance of the adult foreskin. > > The muscle fibers allow the tip of the foreskin to open to allow a stream of urine to flow out but draw the prepuce closed again after urination is finished, thereby preventing entry of fecal matter that contains pathogens.17 > > Breastfed babies excrete oligosaccharides in their urine.9 17 The oligosaccharides prevent bacterial adhesion to the foreskin and other uroepithelial tissue,11 17 19 so if bacterial adhesion is prevented the risk of urinary infection is greatly reduced.19 > > Boys with an intact foreskin have health advantages over those who have been circumcised. The intact foreskin protects the glans penis from ammoniacal diapers (nappies) and prevents meatitis, meatal ulceration, and meatal stenosis. The sub-preputial moisture contains lysozyme, an enzyme that attacks and destroys pathogens.17 Intact boys don’t have an open circumcision wound that may become infected and so they have fewer infections.17 Intact boys are not troubled with adhesions or skin bridges, which are complications of circumcision. > > Optimum penile health starts before birth when parents make a decision to protect their son from circumcision and to breastfeed him.19 [http://www.cirp.org/library/hygiene/](http://www.cirp.org/library/hygiene/) Just so you know both sides of the story and all. ---
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcision-are-you-would-you-have-you/181152/19 "2003-06-11T19:47:55Z")
I am. Neither of my sons are. Little Gaffer #1 is old enough (almost 4) to notice and has asked me about it. I told him about the procedure and that seemed to satisfy his curiosity although occasionally he likes to bring it up… …usually when we are in a restaurant and the waitress is taking our order. (true story) “Little Gaffer #1, do you want the cheeseburger or the macaroni and cheese?” “Daddy, you had some skin cut off of you penis but I didn’t.” “That’s right buddy. Now do you want the cheeseburger or the mac and cheese?” “Did it hurt?” “I don’t remember, I was a baby. Cheeseburger or mac and cheese?” “I like my penis the way it is.” “That’s great.” (to waitress who can barely contain herself) “I think that we’ll just get him the cheeseburger.” ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcision-are-you-would-you-have-you/181152/20 "2003-06-11T20:16:52Z")
Shadows of my life in 3 years. I can hardly wait. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circumcision-are-you-would-you-have-you/181152.md?page=2)