Just a weird thought - Page 2

[Juvysen]

Funny this came up now... My FIL called us last night concerned about the fact that we didn't circ our ds (who's 7 weeks old). Much to our surprise, FIL is INTACT and "sort of wishes" he wasn't. He said he had some embarrassing issues with pee spraying (not sure what that's about) when he was a kid and also has had a "few" bacterial infections... wants us to circ... and they circ'd my DH... I sorta freaked out. :

[mamasophy]

The pee spraying issue can be totally normal, a part of the separation process. The infections - well, women get them all the time - do they have a dd and is SHE circ'd?? It's also very possible your fil was forcibly retracted as a baby/child, as that was common practice when that generation was young (which as we know, CAUSES the infections and other problems).

[hakunangovi]

You didn't ask him (FIL) why he hadn't had himself circumcised if that is how he felt ???

[Juvysen]

It was a phone convo between dh and fil... I brought that up to dh later... he said his father heard that it was *much* worse to be circ'd as an adult. I found websites for dh to send to him stating the contrary. I also pointed out that if, for some reason, we *wanted*our *daughter* circ'd, everyone would be against it, and if I brought up the EXACT same reasons (that I got bacterial infections and that I had had some embarrassing issues because of it) it would be brushed aside as nothing. dh thought that was an interesting point to bring up to FIL.

Luckily, dh is more interested in educating his father and changing his mind than he is in having our son circ'd... and I pretty much told him no way in #$%^% would I allow them to cut ANYTHING off my son without a #@$% good reason. (it's good I wasn't part of the conversation because I got pretty angry/defensive/mama bear about it once dh was off the phone, which prolly wouldn't have helped persuade anyone)

[eepster]

The "bacterial" infections may actually be yeast, and agravated by incorrect treatment and overly vigorous cleaning.

[jserral]

Originally Posted by eepster

The "bacterial" infections may actually be yeast, and agravated by incorrect treatment and overly vigorous cleaning.

Heh, I have always wondered about that. There was some court case where the son was having redness/infections and the mom wanted to circ, dad didn't, and the mom's attorney or w/e got all defensive about the bad hygiene questions. I wonder if she has him clean it to much and with antibacterial soap. If I remember right, the good bacteria are also removed, so if you wash to often with it then it actually causes more problems then it prevents. I guess bad hygiene doesn't have to mean you dont wash enough, you can also wash to much... especially if you are a person like the mom who thinks it has to be clean all the time.

[TigerTail]

the 'hygiene' thing always makes me laugh (grimly, but still). what's somebody's ass going to be like if they can't manage to wash their genitals?

have we a contingent promoting routine infant colostomies for 'people too stupid/lazy to wash themselves' (a trait variously ascribed to teens, the mentally challenged, various races, or just men or women in general, take your pick) because god knows, an anus is going to get funky (sorry to get graphic, but think dingleberries- my poor dh had to give our persian cat a bath & sanitary trim last night while I am out of town , so it came to mind) & shouldn't you just get them a nice clean tube you can sterilize? How will you ever trust them to wipe their bums properly?

From the dh skidmark complaints of sahms on message boards all over the internets, it is a legitimate question, & while smegma is innocuous & even helpful (if it even ever has time to accumulate), no one can say that about fecal butthole contamination!

So, let's put those messy anuses out of commission, shall we?

[Juvysen]

[Paul B.]

Getting the idea

Originally Posted by jserral

Heh, I have always wondered about that. There was some court case where the son was having redness/infections and the mom wanted to circ, dad didn't, and the mom's attorney or w/e got all defensive about the bad hygiene questions. I wonder if she has him clean it to much and with antibacterial soap.

Excellent pick there - while the details were never fully revealed, that is in fact almost certainly the problem, because the vast majority of so-called "infections" of the foreskin, are actually a chemical irritation from soap, which may then become super-infected with Candida or (less commonly) other bacteria. And apparently they had a couple of genuine expert advisers there to present evidence to the court, which somewhat remarkably found in favour of the father.

If I remember right, the good bacteria are also removed, so if you wash to often with it then it actually causes more problems then it prevents.

Actually, whilst anti-bacterial soap is the worst, it's just the soap itself that is inappropriate to use in this area.

I guess bad hygiene doesn't have to mean you don't wash enough, you can also wash to much... especially if you are a person like the mom who thinks it has to be clean all the time.

And what do they do when the "infections" crop up? Use more soap and more vigour of course!

Here's an interesting study which as it happens, refers to adults, regarding inappropriate "hygiene".