Edgy Mama

I’m disappearing back into the land of no public Internet connections for a week, so I’ll leave you with something controversial: the long-awaited circumcision post!

When I first became pregnant, Enviro-spouse and I went through many of the discussions that soon-to-be first-time parents engage in, including, but not limited to, whether or not to circumcise the baby should it be male. Initially, E-spouse was noncommittal. I felt strongly that I did not want anyone cutting on my newborn baby, which was primarily an emotional reaction.

So we talked to our pediatrician; we talked to several other doctors; we talked to friends; we researched the subject. Most of what we discovered supported my initial visceral reaction.

Here are a few of the facts and opinions that swayed us to leave our son intact (how ‘bout that terminology—did you know that you are not intact if your parents chose to have your foreskin removed?). Our first child was female—still is, luckily—so we didn’t have to make the actual decision for three years, which, incidentally, served only to confirm our initial leanings towards letting the little bugger retain that bit of skin.

Here are a few of the arguments that held merit for us:

1. America is the only country in the world where the majority of newborn males are circumcised regardless of religious beliefs. Eighty-two percent of men in this world are not circumcised (I couldn’t find any statistics for other worlds).

2. From The American Medical Association’s 1999 report on circumcision: “Recent policy statements issued by professional societies representing Australian, Canadian, and American pediatricians DO NOT recommend routine circumcision of male newborns. The most recent statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics reads as follows: ‘Existing scientific evidence demonstrates potential medical benefits of newborn male circumcision; however, these data are not sufficient to recommend routine neonatal circumcision. In circumstances in which there are potential benefits and risks, yet the procedure is not essential to the child’s current well-being, parents should determine what is in the best interest of the child. To make an informed choice, parents of all male infants should be given accurate and unbiased information and be provided the opportunity to discuss this decision.’”

3. There have been past studies suggesting that rates of penile cancer are higher for uncircumcised males. Again, the AMA states: “Penile cancer is a rare disease in the United States (0.9 to 1 per 100,000). Among uncircumcised men the incidence is estimated to be 2.2/100,000. Nevertheless, because this disease is rare and occurs later in life, the use of circumcision as a preventive practice is not justified.” The AMA lists primary causes of penile cancer as genital warts, a high number of sexual partners, and cigarette smoking. So next time you see someone light up, you can say, “Do you know you are increasing your chances of penile cancer?” Great pick-up line, isn’t it?

4. More from the AMA: “A majority of boys born in the United States still undergo non-ritual circumcisions. This occurs in large measure because parental decision-making is based on social or cultural expectations, rather than medical concerns. In a contemporary study, nearly half of those physicians performing circumcisions did not discuss the potential medical risks and benefits of elective circumcision prior to delivery of the infant son. Deferral of discussion until after birth, combined with the fact that many parents’ decisions about circumcision are preconceived, contribute to the high rate of elective circumcision. Major factors in parental decision-making are the father’s circumcision status, opinions of family members and friends, a desire for conformity in their son’s appearance, and the belief that the circumcised penis is easier to care for with respect to local hygiene.”

5. As with any surgery, there can be complications. The AMA: “Two large series detected a complication rate between 0.2% and 0.6% in circumcised infants.” This is pretty low, and some groups tout higher figures. I’m not going to quote from the AMA’s list of complications, because, trust me, you don’t want to read it. It’s kind of like reading the small print in the brochures accompanying your prescription drugs.

6. DO not believe anyone who tells you that circumcision is not painful. If you are going to have your child circumcised, please INSIST on anesthesia. Again from the AMA: “Ordinary humanitarian sentiment prevents consideration of circumcision without anesthesia. Although it has been assumed that there are no long-term psychological sequelae from this procedure, circumcised infants who were not anesthetized at the time of the procedure show stronger pain responses to vaccinations at 4 and 6 months of age than do uncircumcised infants or infants who received a topical anesthetic cream at the time of circumcision.”

7. Regarding the hygiene concern: perhaps when most people did not have indoor plumbing, keeping the foreskin clean was an issue, but then, lice were an issue too. Cleaning an uncircumcised penis is a lot easier than cleaning the folds and crevices of the vulva and labia. Yet, female circumcision is a FELONY crime in this country. Doctors actually say that, like the vagina, an uncircumcised penis is basically self-cleaning.

8. Regarding conformity: there seems to be a significant movement, particularly in funky towns like Asheville, not to circumcise (see above reasons). After talking to lots of people, we figure at least half of the guys who will share a locker room with our son will be intact as well. In fact, if we move back out West, less than 35 percent of the boys in the locker room will be circumcised.

9. Regarding the father’s status: Like most men of his generation, E-spouse is circumcised. So far, our little guy hasn’t noticed any difference between him and Daddy. He has noticed, however, that I don’t have a penis. I’m hoping this doesn’t traumatize him too much.

10. Now for the good stuff: according to Canadian pathologist John Taylor, MB, the foreskin is one of the key erogenous zones of the male body. Its 240 feet of nerves and 1,000 nerve endings are similar to those on the fingers and lips. Supposedly, from a sexual pleasure standpoint, circumcised men don’t know what they are missing. It turns out that one of the reasons circumcision is widespread in America is because Victorian-era doctors instated it to decrease penile sensitivity, thus, curing both promiscuity and masturbation in one fell swoop. And we all know how well that worked. After discovering some of the supposed sexual benefits of saving thousands of sensitive nerve endings from extinction, Enviro-spouse said, “I want my foreskin back!”

In summary, the AMA says, “Virtually all current policy statements from specialty societies and medical organizations do not recommend routine neonatal circumcision, and support the provision of accurate and unbiased information to parents to inform their choice.” This is what it’s all about folks—informed choice. We all make decisions about our children—thousands of times during their lives. When there is the opportunity to make an informed choice, to look at the pros and cons, and make the best decision we can for our child and our family, we should, as parents, take that opportunity seriously.

I used the AMA’s report on circumcision, because they are a fairly conservative group that does not make recommendations without extensive research and statistical analysis. If you Google their report, there are several rebuttals that pop up—I initially assumed they were taking the AMA’s non-circumcision recommendation to task—instead, the rebuttals are pushing the AMA to be more hardcore in their non-circumcision policy.

Warning about the more militant non-circumcision sites: some of them do focus on the few, truly gruesome, and fairly rare, circumcision mishaps.

On a miscellaneous note, before I had a son, I heard stories about newborn boys peeing all over the place every time their diaper was changed. Our son did this maybe twice. Why? The rush of air over the exposed glans causes a circumcised penis to react—i.e., let loose with a stream of urine—but if the glans is protected, as it naturally is, no such reaction occurs.

Despite the fact that my own father practically disowned me for not circumcising his only male offspring, to the extent of refusing to visit me and baby after his birth (mature, no?), this decision has consistently felt like the right one for my son and our family.

Finally, for a bit of fun (Thanks, Neil), visit Intact Celebrities.