# OK, seriously. Circumcision: yea or nay? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 19, 2009, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-seriously-circumcision-yea-or-nay/514265 "2009-10-19T01:01:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-seriously-circumcision-yea-or-nay/514265/21 "2009-10-19T17:28:27Z")
A few words from our Perfect Master: > **[Slice of life: the circumcision debate](https://www.straightdope.com/21342047/slice-of-life-the-circumcision-debate)** > **[The last word on circumcision](https://www.straightdope.com/21343495/the-last-word-on-circumcision)** There are a few men who have been cut as adults, and some say it was better with a foreskin, and some say that it’s better without. Then, of course, you have guys like Jack Dean Tyler, who was apparently Scarred For Life mentally as well as physically. And if I never again see a pic of a TugAhoy in use I’ll be a happier woman. Again, I’m glad that I don’t have to worry about such things. My husband was circumcised as an infant, but he STILL managed to zip himself up in grade school, which he says was quite traumatic. The very thought of this makes me shudder. ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-seriously-circumcision-yea-or-nay/514265/22 "2009-10-19T17:41:17Z")
> [@Mojo\_Pin](#): > > I wouldn’t do it to my kid. Big scary adults tying you down and cutting the tip of your penis off? I don’t care if he’s not going to remember it, he’s going to experience it. And when the brain is at its most receptive, who know what kind of effect such trauma can have even if it isn’t consciously remembered. Turned me into a raving lunatic, it did. ---
**Author:** ![gang\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f07891/32.png) [@gang\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gang_green)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-seriously-circumcision-yea-or-nay/514265/23 "2009-10-19T17:48:36Z")
All I can add is, my sister claims uncut feels _much much_ better. Not having her experience with these matters, I respectfully bow out of any further discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-seriously-circumcision-yea-or-nay/514265/24 "2009-10-19T18:00:27Z")
Nay. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-seriously-circumcision-yea-or-nay/514265/25 "2009-10-19T18:03:24Z")
Our son is uncircumcised. He has had no problems at all with it. We didn’t do it because hubby isn’t, and we just didn’t see any reason to cause him pain at that age. ---
**Author:** ![torie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@torie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/torie)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-seriously-circumcision-yea-or-nay/514265/26 "2009-10-19T18:22:36Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > No. My two sons are uncut. Our reasoning: > > 1. Removal of a body part seems serious and something not to be taken lightly. > 2. Any medical benefits are dubious and very slight at best. > > To me, and MrWhatsit, it didn’t make sense to preemptively remove a body part just because there is an extremely small chance that it could cause trouble in the future, particularly when people who still retain this body part say that they rather enjoy having it. This, almost exactly. I have two uncut boys, and they remain uncut because I require a rather huge amount of reason to consent to removing parts of the human body. But if you do or don’t, either way chances are your child will be just fine. It’s really nothing to get all up in arms about. ---
**Author:** ![dragonlady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@dragonlady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragonlady)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-seriously-circumcision-yea-or-nay/514265/27 "2009-10-19T20:24:44Z")
My Gyno told me HIS Dad is a urologist and all of his boys are uncut. Teach your son to clean his penis like you teach to clean everything else. ---
**Author:** ![Sebastienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Sebastienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sebastienne)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-seriously-circumcision-yea-or-nay/514265/28 "2009-10-19T20:35:43Z")
> [@gang\_green](#): > > All I can add is, my sister claims uncut feels _much much_ better. Speaking as a woman whose experienced both, even with all other factors being equal, uncut men feel soooooooooooooooooooo soooooooooooooooooooooo soooooooooooooooooooooooo much better that I wouldn’t circumcise any son I had for the sake of his future partner. In addition to firmly believing that any decisions relating to cosmetic alteration of the body should be left to the person whose body it is. And all you folks saying “it looks cleaner”, keep in mind you’re culturally conditioned to think so. In many other parts of the world, it looks mutilated. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-seriously-circumcision-yea-or-nay/514265/29 "2009-10-19T20:38:01Z")
> [@Sebastienne](#): > > Speaking as a woman whose experienced both, even with all other factors being equal, uncut men feel soooooooooooooooooooo soooooooooooooooooooooo soooooooooooooooooooooooo much better that I wouldn’t circumcise any son I had for the sake of his future partner. In addition to firmly believing that any decisions relating to cosmetic alteration of the body should be left to the person whose body it is. > > And all you folks saying “it looks cleaner”, keep in mind you’re culturally conditioned to think so. In many other parts of the world, it looks mutilated. Interesting. As a side discussion, what, specifically, feels better about an uncut penis? ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-seriously-circumcision-yea-or-nay/514265/30 "2009-10-19T21:08:54Z")
I’m cut, the twins are not. I determined I didn’t really care strongly either way, and if that were the case, then I’d just leave things be. ---
**Author:** ![Jettboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@Jettboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jettboy)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-seriously-circumcision-yea-or-nay/514265/31 "2009-10-19T21:32:16Z")
I was circumcised, and my son was circumcised. It was such a non-issue that, if I could, I’d grow a new foreskin, call the appropriate parties be re-circumcised just for the hell of it. ---
**Author:** ![kimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@kimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kimera)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-seriously-circumcision-yea-or-nay/514265/32 "2009-10-19T23:57:01Z")
I prefer uncircumcised men and will never circumcise any boys I have. [Uncircumcised men’s penises are more pleasurable for women.](http://epublications.bond.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1070&context=hss_pubs) ---
**Author:** ![Sebastienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Sebastienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sebastienne)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-seriously-circumcision-yea-or-nay/514265/33 "2009-10-20T00:11:24Z")
Hmm, how to put it into words what makes uncut more pleasurable. The extra skin makes for a smoother yet more complex feeling on the thrusting, I guess is the best I can do. I have heard of some women preferring cut for the opposite reason: the solidness and friction, but the women I’ve talked to who’ve had a preference all preferred uncut. And for whatever reason, being uncircumcised is seen as quite sexy and desirable in the gay community. I didn’t mean to use inflammatory language when I said that some might view a circumcised penis as looking “mutilated”, but it is distinctly odd if it’s not something you’re used to, much as how Westerners might view the large labrets of some South American indigenous peoples. Like a hand with the last joint of the pinky missing-- probably works just as well, probably wouldn’t be major surgery if done when the fingers were small, but still odd. As far as penile aesthetics go, I have seen some lovely looking cut ones, and I’ve seen some less-than-attractive uncut ones, but I’ve seen some really nasty looking circumcision scars, skin that was very tight on the shaft due to circumcision (which then means more hair growing on the shaft), the two-toned look-- none of which is appealing, and I can’t shake the feeling that if one were to end up with a less than stunning penis due to quirks of nature, it would be less upsetting than wondering if you might have been better off if mom and dad hadn’t agreed to cosmetic surgery that had unattractive results. With the cleanliness and disease-resistance issues being magnitudes more minor in the US than they might be in less-developed nations, I can’t help but think that the tiny statistical health boost is canceled out by the risks of circumcision itself. Anyone care to remember the Reimer case? Since not cutting is now becoming more popular in the US, odds are any kids born today are going to grow up seeing both in the locker room, the social pressure to be one or the other should be easing. In most cases, it probably won’t make a significant difference either way, so erring on the side of not cutting a child’s genitals, then, seems most prudent to me. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-seriously-circumcision-yea-or-nay/514265/34 "2009-10-20T01:06:01Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > 1. No real disadvantage. I’m cut and never fel like I’ve missed out on anything. > [@Polerius](#): > > You can never really know this, right? > > I guess we will never be able to compare the sensitivity and sexual pleasure of a cut and uncut penis. Depending on whether someone is circumcised as a newborn or not, the way their penis’ “wiring” develops is different, so by the time they are an adult, the relative sensitivity is something we can’t compare. > > Uncut men can say “You guys are missing out”, and cut men can say “We get just as much sexual pleasure”, but I don’t think we can ever know for sure. If there are any studies that show one way or another, please share. > > Having said that, and although we can’t be sure, it makes some sense that an uncut penis may be a bit more sensitive and thus provide more pleasure. You want me to find a study that proves that I don’t feel like I’ve missed out on anything? OK, I’ve polled me, and 1 out of 1 of me doesn’t feel like he’s missed out on anything. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-seriously-circumcision-yea-or-nay/514265/35 "2009-10-20T01:14:16Z")
My opinion? Don’t cut unless there’s a real physical reason to. I was cut as an infant and don’t remember it, but I have always wondered what I might be missing. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-seriously-circumcision-yea-or-nay/514265/36 "2009-10-20T01:39:48Z")
Check out the episode of _Penn & Teller: Bullshit_ where they talk about Circumcision. After seeing that, there’s no way I’d get my son circumcised. ---
**Author:** ![firstname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ab992/32.png) [@firstname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/firstname)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-seriously-circumcision-yea-or-nay/514265/37 "2009-10-20T02:05:50Z")
As a male who is uncut, I really see no compelling reason for circumcision. I will say this on the cleanliness issue though, do people really not wash their genitals? I really don’t understand this cleanliness issue people worry about, its never been any hassle for me. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-seriously-circumcision-yea-or-nay/514265/38 "2009-10-20T02:42:01Z")
Just have the circumcision, that way in the showers at middle or high school his classmates won’t laugh at him. ---
**Author:** ![Sebastienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Sebastienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sebastienne)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-seriously-circumcision-yea-or-nay/514265/39 "2009-10-20T02:47:45Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > Just have the circumcision, that way in the showers at middle or high school his classmates won’t laugh at him. As I pointed out, many more parents in the US are choosing not to have their sons circumcised. Wouldn’t surprise me at all if in certain communities being cut would be more likely to get a kid laughed at. Though really, as cruel and gross as kids can be, wouldn’t most middle school boys die before admitting they looked at another boy’s penis? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-seriously-circumcision-yea-or-nay/514265/40 "2009-10-20T03:01:36Z")
> [@Panurge](#): > > No. Only being able to comfortably masturbate when lotion is at hand? - Crazy. > > Uncut btw. That’s a myth. I really don’t even know how it got started. Heck, for me, the lotion makes it harder to feel anything, and is much messier, to boot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-seriously-circumcision-yea-or-nay/514265.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-seriously-circumcision-yea-or-nay/514265.md?page=3)