To Circumcise or Not to Circumcise

I was so excited when an ultrasound revealed that my first child would be a boy. Dreams of having a rough and tumble boy playing with cars and trucks danced through my head. Having a boy meant that I had to make a very important decision prior to his birth; should I have him circumcised or not? Circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin of the penis in babies. It is done for religious reasons in the Jewish cultures and many Muslim traditions.

The circumcision rate is high within the United States. Most boys had their foreskin removed at birth. Most parents do this without a second thought because it is a cultural norm rather than for religious or health reasons. Performing a surgical procedure on a newborn was not something I wanted to agree to just because others do it. I talked to people around me. I quickly debunked nearly every reason to circumcise. I was told that I should do it because it will have to be done eventually anyway due to urinary tract infections. It is slightly more possible for urinary tract infections, but proper cleanliness solves that problem before needing surgery. I was told that it was necessary because he may have to change in a locker room later in life and I didn’t want him to be made fun of. Uncircumcised males I have talked to said that they never had experiences being made fun of. I was told that its best to do it at birth because the baby cannot feel anything. After watching some videos about circumcision and hearing the piercing cries from the otherwise docile baby, that fact was definitely not true.

There are a few health benefits, but not enough for even the American Academy of Pediatrics to recommend routine circumcision of infants. Reduced HIV transmission is the main health related reason for otherwise healthy males. Weighing the few benefits with possible complications and the thought of removing a healthy, viable part of my sons anatomy solidified my decision. I could not circumcise my boy. He is my child, but it is his body. I gladly left the option for him to be circumcised later in life if he desired. It just did not sit well for me to make the choice of removing part of his anatomy for him.


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