Now there's an eye-watering thread title!
Anyway, I just wanted your input on this story. The subject of infant circumcision has always horrified me and just recently it's been brought into clear focus again through an aquaintance of mine.
Basically my friend knows an American guy who moved over here to be with his girlfriend. Anyway, the girlfriend got pregnant and is about to have the baby. Her boyfriend dropped it casually into a conversation that he wants the baby to be circumcised (if it's a boy, obviously). His girlfriend was horrified but he's put his foot down, saying everyone in his family is circumcised and he's damned if his son will be the first to buck the trend. He's not Jewish or anything, there are no religious connotations, he just wants Junior to be like Pops.
So - firstly - what are your thoughts on tying a baby down and chopping the end of his thing off for no good medical reason? Do you think it's painful for the baby? Well let me give you an idea...basically what happens is for adults, the procedure involves a general anaesthetic and days (and sometimes weeks) of recuperation. For babies, there's no general anaesthetic because it's too dangerous. So all they get is some local cream rubbed on or a local injection if they're lucky. Whoop-de-doo. I've read horror stories on the web about babies screaming in agony during the procedure, some even going into shock. Without wanting to go into too much grim detail, a baby boy's foreskin is still fused to his penis, and during the operation (while he's still awake), the foreskin has to be forcibly retracted and literally ripped away from the flesh beneath like velcro. Even with local anaesthetic this can be incredibly painful. Agony, even. And then there's the question of what does it feel like for a baby to urinate on and around a wound for days? Sting much? Sorry if that made you wince.
Now, reading through various threads and discussions on the subject, American supporters of circumcision will ALWAYS tell you the same things. They will tell you that it's "more hygenic, because foreskins cause urinary tract infections". To which I would ask, "Don't you have showers in the US?". Another reason they tell you circumcision is good is that it "Makes you last longer in bed". Oh great! So being circumcised desensitizes the penis, does it? Well I'm sold, sign me up! Another one they trot out is that it makes your old chap look bigger. Erm...what? Chopping part of your willy off makes it look BIGGER?? How does that work then? Oh and also not having a foreskin protects you from AIDS, apparently.
Anyway, my conclusion is that the real reason 60-70% of American Dads want their infant sons mutilated is because, like my mate's American friend, they want them to fit in with the family. They'll dress it up with ridiculous 'facts' to justify it but deep down it's all about tradition, and nothing more.
I'm not sure tradition would be enough to sway me into putting my child through that sort of pain and potential complications later.
Anyway, that's my two penneth, what do you think? I'm not asking you to agree with me, just interested to read what you think. Or if you want to take the piss, do so at your leisure!
If anyone has the stomach to watch, this is the procedure here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MLtxCwdMv0
I'm a coward, I couldn't watch it.
