Trying to understand the rationale behind circ

[BlessedMommy2006]

Maybe I'm different than most, but when I was pregnant with my first child and read up on circ, my first reaction was, "Whew! I'm so glad that it's optional and that I don't have to do that!" I wasn't nearly as strongly against it as I am now, but even in my less educated state, doing surgery that was optional seemed pointless. Doing it to "match" my DH who is circ'ed didn't even register on my Richter scale as a valid reason to do a surgery on my child.

Do most people think that it's not optional or think that it's extremely important for the health of the baby and that's why they can stand doing it? Because seriously I can hardly stand to do painful stuff that is required for my kids--let alone optional stuff.

[robertandenith]

Not me and I will always beat myself for that I knew it was optional and I had this mentality that it was okay to mutilate my boy to look like daddy : By the time, I didn't think of it as mutilation. I am a compassionate mother, how could I have thought of it this way? That I was aloud to modify my baby's body to look like his dad? How could I?!?!?!

eta: I am VERY thankful that I was frequenting these boards at the time I was pregnant with my boy... and that I made a comment regarding circ my boy and it was deleted, and it got me thinking, then I start reading these boards. I was SUCH an ignorant! It is one of the reasons I am now so passionate about this, people like me all over the country need to be educated.

[Hopesmommy]

Most people do it because they "think" it's healthier. That's what I've found when talking to others. The second most common reason is because cut "looks better".

[BlessedMommy2006]

Originally Posted by robertandenith

Not me and I will always beat myself for that

Big (((HUGS))) to you. Thanks for using your painful experience to help educate others.

[kriket]

Originally Posted by robertandenith

and that I made a comment regarding circ my boy and it was deleted, and it got me thinking, then I start reading these boards.

excellent, that makes me happy to hear!

I don't understand the circ arguments. I've even heard "I am concerned about the problems from being intact"....... what?

the ever famous, 'women like it, its cleaner, you'll catch an STD, you will get tears from intercourse' <- that last one is actually my favorite. Barbed wire was mentioned.

I am tired of the 'looks better argument' We're not talking about how to wear your hair, we're talking about healthy tissue. I think boys with green eyes look better, I'm not plucking out my blue eyed boys to replace them with green!

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

When you got the majority of the nation still beleiving the myths surrounding circ it is hard not to think it is a good thing.

Logic would dictat that we not do things to hurt our son but then you have all the "he will just have to have it done later" crap floating around it is hard to reconcile the two things.

[jserral]

Well, even if you break past the medical issues conformity still has a strong grasp for some people, unless they see the value of choice, or actually see being intact as a benefit (not just neutral), then they will feel more comfortable sticking with what other people have done. Being circumcised is what they know... what they are familiar with, and are unable to imagine a situation where their child would rather be intact.

[Treece]

Unfortunately, in our culture, the climate is pro-circ to neutral (do it, don't do it, makes no difference). With medical professionals either unwilling or unable to at least TRY to educate on it, it's hard to convince. With the some doctors basically advocating it, there's no reason for it to change. While the question is still there, why should anyone think it is wrong? It's the culture. There's a lot wrong with America, this is what opened my eyes. If we're so ready to actually harm half of our people, what else do we as a culture do that is wrong?