Ask Mallory: Circumcision
Mallory McGowin
Issue date: 3/26/07 Section: Life
Circumcision has the strong possibility to be a topic you don't feel comfortable discussing with your mother, or any other person for that matter.
Therefore, we live in a society that puts this idea and practice on the bottom shelf and only brings it out into the light when we are faced with making the decision for our own son. So, since it's such rarely discussed topic, parents may make this hefty decision without hearing all the facts.
As potential parents in this very society, you need to hear the facts and the arguments from both camps and decide what you think is best for your future child.
To clarify, circumcision (in males) is a surgical procedure in which the foreskin of the penis is removed. This practice started in the late 1800s as a potential remedy for masturbation. According to the Circumcision Resource Center, "The U.S. is the only country in the world that routinely circumcises most of its male infants for non-religious reasons. Over 80% of the world's males are intact."
But it seems that some U.S. parents are starting to question the decision. The Centers for Disease Control state that "the number of American babies being circumcised before leaving the hospital has gone from an estimated 85 percent in 1965 to 57 percent in 2004."
As with most controversial topics, there are two sides to the argument regarding circumcision.
THE BENEFITS
Here are some statements from those who support circumcision:
• Dr. Thomas Stuttaford wrote in "The benefits of circumcision" in the November 9, 2006, issue of The Times (United Kingdom) that New Zealand research worker David Ferguson "found that circumcising baby boys at birth reduces their chances of transmitting sexual diseases, not only HIV, by a half."
• Stuttaford also says, "Circumcision not only reduces sexually transmitted infections but also the number of urinary-tract infections in early life -a time when they may do lasting damage."
• Drury's sex education professor Ty Pierce uses facts from the research team of William Masters and Virginia E. Johnson in his lecture. Masters and Johnson say there are three reasons to circumcise a child: the risk of penile cancer is reduced, it provides protection against STDs and AIDS, and no smegma is produced. Smegma is a cheesy consistency with a foul odor that is made up of glandular secretion, dirt, and bacteria.
Therefore, we live in a society that puts this idea and practice on the bottom shelf and only brings it out into the light when we are faced with making the decision for our own son. So, since it's such rarely discussed topic, parents may make this hefty decision without hearing all the facts.
As potential parents in this very society, you need to hear the facts and the arguments from both camps and decide what you think is best for your future child.
To clarify, circumcision (in males) is a surgical procedure in which the foreskin of the penis is removed. This practice started in the late 1800s as a potential remedy for masturbation. According to the Circumcision Resource Center, "The U.S. is the only country in the world that routinely circumcises most of its male infants for non-religious reasons. Over 80% of the world's males are intact."
But it seems that some U.S. parents are starting to question the decision. The Centers for Disease Control state that "the number of American babies being circumcised before leaving the hospital has gone from an estimated 85 percent in 1965 to 57 percent in 2004."
As with most controversial topics, there are two sides to the argument regarding circumcision.
THE BENEFITS
Here are some statements from those who support circumcision:
• Dr. Thomas Stuttaford wrote in "The benefits of circumcision" in the November 9, 2006, issue of The Times (United Kingdom) that New Zealand research worker David Ferguson "found that circumcising baby boys at birth reduces their chances of transmitting sexual diseases, not only HIV, by a half."
• Stuttaford also says, "Circumcision not only reduces sexually transmitted infections but also the number of urinary-tract infections in early life -a time when they may do lasting damage."
• Drury's sex education professor Ty Pierce uses facts from the research team of William Masters and Virginia E. Johnson in his lecture. Masters and Johnson say there are three reasons to circumcise a child: the risk of penile cancer is reduced, it provides protection against STDs and AIDS, and no smegma is produced. Smegma is a cheesy consistency with a foul odor that is made up of glandular secretion, dirt, and bacteria.
Article last update: 3/25/07 at 6:39 PM CST
Viewing Comments 1 - 9 of 11
Jorgem
posted 3/26/07 @ 6:27 AM CST
Circumcision does reduce sensitivity. A study in the British Journal of Urology shows this.
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1464-410X. (Continued…)
Laurie
posted 3/26/07 @ 7:44 AM CST
My OB/Gyn told me that routine infant circumcision was NOT medically necessary, so I didn't have the procedure done on my sons. The oldest is in high school and hasn't had any 'locker room' issues and neither have had any infections with regards to their foreskins. (Continued…)
Frank
posted 3/26/07 @ 10:45 AM CST
If circumcision started "in the late 1800s" like you said, why does the Bible talk about it? I think you need to re-check your facts for the whole thing. (Continued…)
Brian
posted 3/26/07 @ 12:11 PM CST
I think she meant routine medical circumcision. Before that, most American men were uncircumcised.
Jackie
posted 3/27/07 @ 9:31 AM CST
These so called experts pushing the mutilation are citing facts that are not significant or have been refuted. People must consider that the risk of penile cancer is very low (even for old men) and the risk of a penis problem (for baby) from cutting is not as low. (Continued…)
Amy
posted 3/27/07 @ 9:59 PM CST
Have you ever seen a circumcision performed on a baby?
http://intact.ca/vidintro.htm - not for the squeemish!
It's the most horrible thing I've ever witnessed. (Continued…)
steven
posted 11/15/07 @ 4:29 PM CST
I was cut at birth. Now that I am 30 and married with one child of my own. Not only do I have a hard time getting my wife pregnant, I have had many nights when my wife and I are haveing sex that I dont feel a damn thing. (Continued…)
semysig
Semysig
posted 2/05/09 @ 10:33 PM CST
I KNEW it, I knew the line of BS my stupid parents gave sounded thin. In the words of Adam Corola, "Parents are horrible.", and, "These people were in charge of me? I wouldn't want them in charge of an iguana!". (Continued…)
consa
posted 12/02/09 @ 6:06 PM CST
The article by Mallory makes many mistaken assertions.
Alleged benefits of circumcision.
"New Zealand research worker David Ferguson..."
Has retracted his conclusions. (Continued…)
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