Thought of the day...has anyone else thought of this?

[Fyrestorm]

I was just sitting her and this thought popped into my head...it's VERY disturbing.

If I were unlucky enough to have been born with a Y chromosome, someone would have thought it was perfectly ok to chop up my primary sexual organ.

As a woman with only a daughter, I have always been disgusted with MGM, but it was never personal - except when people I knew were about to harm their male babies. This just made it really personal. But for a single chromosome, I would have mutilated genitals.

[PuppyFluffer]

I was instinctually turned off by the mere thought of male circumcision when I learned what it was as a teen. (Specifically male, I don't think I even knew that they did this to girls at that age.)

I have been interested in intactivism and education for a long time. Leaving a baby boy intact was something that I talked to my husband about when we were dating. Actually, when he answered my question with "I'd never do that to a baby and frankly, I'd like mine BACK!", I knew he was THE GUY!!!

We had two daughters, the first in 2002 and the second in 2006. Having my very own baby really woke up the maternal protective instincts and the thought of circumcision became even more offensive to my sensibilities. I didn't think it was possible to connect any deeper with the wound of circumcision once I became a mother...............

Then I had a son. We welcomed a baby boy to our family last year and circumcision became very painful to think about. I watched a video made by an intactivist on the issue of circumcision and the history of the work that has been done to end it and I wept. I could not stop the tears. I held my baby in my arms that night and cried for my husband, for the boys I know and the ones I don't. I cried for all the babies who were violated against their will, whose protests went ignored and for the damage they have suffered to their body and to their psyche. I am tearing up now just typing this out and being reminded of the hurt they endured.

[Storm Bride]

I've never had it strike me that way, but only because I know my mom wouldn't have consented. She refused with my brother, in 1963, which was really rare at that time. I know she would have refused with any other boys, as well. OTOH, she got bad advice on how to care for an intact penis - she was quite shocked when I mentioned that it's not okay to retract before the boy does so himself. I don't think my brother had any problems, but I guess I might have, if I'd been a boy.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

I have thought of that yes.

[mntnmom]

I was a young adolescent when the FGM legislation went through. The fact that as a woman I was incredibly lucky to be born into a culture that doesn't do that to little girls. It wasn't until my DH explained exactly what is taken from little boys that I realized how very lucky I really was!! My brother was never circ'd, because my dad saw no reason for it and my mom "always meant to get it done", but luckily didn't. I might have been lucky too, but maybe not!

[Yulia_R]

yes, i thought about it many times and yes it does make the matter very personal.

[knucklehead]

Luckily I can say that I would not have been circ'd had I been born a boy. My mom was repulsed by the thought and would never have done it even though almost everyone around her did. She convinced my aunt to leave her 2 boys intact and certainly influenced me to keep my boy intact. Yay mom!

[MommytoB]

Have thought about it too and I proably would have been circ'ed if I was a boy even if I still had my cleft lip & cleft palate .

So i'm grateful I only had mostly only real needed surgery . I did have one surgery done as a teenager without me or my mom's consent which pissed both of us off .

It was with a doctor who was only supposed to work on my nose due to cleft lip issues and well he decided he would help me by stapling my ears back to my head . He said he thought he would help me because my ears were sticking out . This doctor was in the Top 10 doctors of surgeons in colorado . he got away with it so I could have myself sued that doctor at the age of 18 with a limitation to 5 yrs which would have been 25 . I found out about the suing too late .

[Fyrestorm]

Originally Posted by MommytoB

It was with a doctor who was only supposed to work on my nose due to cleft lip issues and well he decided he would help me by stapling my ears back to my head . He said he thought he would help me because my ears were sticking out . This doctor was in the Top 10 doctors of surgeons in colorado . he got away with it so I could have myself sued that doctor at the age of 18 with a limitation to 5 yrs which would have been 25 . I found out about the suing too late .

I'm so sorry

Why do many doctors need feel the need to play master of the universe?

[mamakah]

I know I would have been circ'd had i been born a boy. My parents thought/think that its weird that my son is intact.

[mamakah]

Originally Posted by MommytoB

Have thought about it too and I proably would have been circ'ed if I was a boy even if I still had my cleft lip & cleft palate .

So i'm grateful I only had mostly only real needed surgery . I did have one surgery done as a teenager without me or my mom's consent which pissed both of us off .

It was with a doctor who was only supposed to work on my nose due to cleft lip issues and well he decided he would help me by stapling my ears back to my head . He said he thought he would help me because my ears were sticking out . This doctor was in the Top 10 doctors of surgeons in colorado . he got away with it so I could have myself sued that doctor at the age of 18 with a limitation to 5 yrs which would have been 25 . I found out about the suing too late .

[Minarai]

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm

I'm so sorry

Why do many doctors need feel the need to play master of the universe?

Easy: so they can charge more for it AND get a kickback from insurance at the same time.

[sept15lija]

Originally Posted by PuppyFluffer

Then I had a son. We welcomed a baby boy to our family last year and circumcision became very painful to think about. I watched a video made by an intactivist on the issue of circumcision and the history of the work that has been done to end it and I wept. I could not stop the tears. I held my baby in my arms that night and cried for my husband, for the boys I know and the ones I don't. I cried for all the babies who were violated against their will, whose protests went ignored and for the damage they have suffered to their body and to their psyche. I am tearing up now just typing this out and being reminded of the hurt they endured.

This really resonated with me because it's exactly how I feel. I can't quite imagine myself with a Y chromosone to be honest, I don't even know if I would have been circ'd since my Dad isn't...probably not but who knows? Circumcision didn't enter my radar at all until I found out I was having a boy...then I did the research and became horrified and knew there was no way my son was going to be cut. Once I had my baby boy it became even more real...I have cried many times over the thought of what little boys and men around me have gone through / are going through (my friend just circ'd her newborn a few days ago ) and I have cried for my DH. It's just so sad.

[hakunangovi]

I am deeply touched by the compassion shown here by you awsome ladies toward all the men and boys who have been subjected to this cruel custom. It is something that I have not been exposed to in my family, and frankly I am a bit resentful of the indifference, or even ridicule that I have encountered.

Reading your comments really made my day!! Thank you.

[Belle]

I thought of this when I was a five year old and I saw my mother giving my newborn brother a sponge bath. I didn't know the word for penis so I just pointed and asked what happened to him. My mom said that the doctor cut off a piece of the baby. I asked why and she said that's just what is done to baby boys. I was very upset by this and glad that I was a girl. I hoped that I would never have a boy so my baby wouldn't have that done to him. I found out later, (actually in health class around age 9 or 10 that it was optional and not necessary).

I actually feel a little anger that this was done to my brother. He had to be circed twice too, because the dr. didn't cut off enough the first time.

[Panserbjorne]

Originally Posted by Belle

He had to be circed twice too, because the dr. didn't cut off enough the first time.

So was my son. I can't believe we did it. It was unbelievably ignorant. And still hands down the most traumatic thing I have ever been through....I can't imagine what it was like for him. I really believe 100% that it pushed me over the edge with regards to PPD. IN our case the doc didn't even ask. He just started cutting again. I screamed at him, but it was too late. I was already a sobbing, shaking mess so noone was listening to me anyway.

I have no excuse either. Neither of my brothers is circ'd nor is my father or any of my uncles. We were told by our midwife that it was beneficial and we didn't question it. Remarkable, really because we questioned everything else.

[minkajane]

I would have been, no question. My dad is, my brother is. I'm sure my mom never even questioned it. "Oh yeah, your dad is, so you need to be." She thinks it's cleaner too. She was shocked when she found out DS was intact, since XH is circ'd, but thankfully she never said anything to me about it and she's never tried to retract DS that I know of. I made sure she knew from the very first time she changed a diaper that she shouldn't pull it back in any way. I guess she believed me since she has no experience with intact penises. I'm not entirely sure but 90% sure that all five of my male first cousins are circ'd, even the newest one that was just born at 35 weeks and ended up in the NICU.