Is circumcision a "snip"?

[pdx.mothernurture]

Page 3 of the "Does Your Circumcised Husband feel that RIC was a valid 'parental choice'?" thread inspired me to begin this one.

When I think of the term, "snip", I think of a single quick motion with a scissors.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
snip [snip] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation verb, snipped, snip·ping, noun
–verb (used with object)
1.to cut with a small, quick stroke, or a succession of such strokes, with scissors or the like.
2.to remove or cut off (something) by or as by cutting in this manner: to snip a rose.
–verb (used without object)
3.to cut with small, quick strokes.
–noun
4.the act of snipping, as with scissors.
5.a small cut made by snipping.
6.a small piece snipped off.
7.a small piece, bit, or amount of anything: a snip of food.
8.Informal. a small or insignificant person.
9.Informal. a presumptuous or impertinent person.
10.snips, small, strong hand shears used by sheet metal workers.
11.British Informal. a bargain.
[Origin: 1550–60; orig. uncert.; cf. D, LG snippen to snip, catch, clip]

I don't see how "snip" applies, and I think the term suggests that circumcision is a quick little cut with a scissors of a tiny insignificant part. I think it's inaccurate and minimizing on all levels. No circumcision method that I'm aware of is performed with a scissors; gomco, mogen, & plastibell procedures all involve separating, clamping, crushing, and slicing. I believe words matter---which is why so many of us use the term "intact" instead of "uncircumcised". I also believe that strapping a newborn down and removing a healthy, normal, functioning piece of their genital anatomy is violent...even if anesthetic is used.

Two of my favorite links to share when I hear/read the term "snip" being used to describe circumcision are...

NoHarmm: Not a "Snip," But 15 Square Inches

Foreskin.Org: The Three Zones of Penile Skin, By John A. Erickson

Discuss.

Jen

[Mommiska]

Thanks, Jen. Your post pretty much summed up how I feel.

When people use the word 'snip' to describe circumcision, it seems that one of two things are the case: either 1) they don't understand exactly what circumcision is and the trauma it entails or 2) they are deliberately trying to minimize the procedure - perhaps to make other parents (or themselves) feel more comfortable with it.

After all - we 'snip' off fingernails and hair - so a 'snip' isn't a big deal, is it?

Clearly, 'snip' isn't at all applicable to circumcision. And as you said - words are very important. So it's important to challenge words that inaccurately characterise circumcision as less harmful/easy/etc.

As for circumcision being violent...well, if you read stories of men circumcised at birth, and how this procedure has had far reaching effects in their lives - I think that 'violent' is applicable, even if they were one of the few men lucky (?) enough to receive anesthetic when they were circumcised as babies.

Obviously, not all men feel the way my friend feels about his circumcision. But it's also true that many, many men just don't realise that many of the problems associated with circumcised sex (need for artificial lube, dryness/chaffing, not enough skin to cover an erection, scrotal hair pulled onto the shaft, need for excessive stimulation in order to climax, needing artificial lube for masturbation, etc) - are NOT normal. That all of these things are caused by circumcision.

If a man was circumcised at birth - he has to accept all of these things as 'just the way sex is' because he doesn't know any different.

But I would characterise all of these things as being a violent violation of a man's most private parts/moments in his life. And I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone thinks they have the right to make that decision for someone else.

[mommymarliah]

For someone to call the mutilation of a penis a "snip" is to prove they have no idea what a circumcision entails....first off before any type of cutting is done the foreskin is ripped from the glans, that right there is torture in and of itself. Anyone who has ever seen an intact child knows how well the foreskin is attached at birth (and oftentimes for months and even years following)....Follow that up with a knife cutting off one of the most sensitive parts of the body....

....a snip....I think not.

:

[tuansprincess]

It is not a snip - it is an amputation.

: to all of the pp who said that words are important.

[Organicavocado]

One of my friends said "Everything on a baby would be a little snip. A finger, a nose, a toe..."
Which is just as rightfully disgusting as people referring to circ as a snip. It might seem like just a little bit of skin... but everything is little on a baby Ugh. It doesn't mean little parts are useless!
The snip thing gets to me.

[carriebft]

thank you for this thread. I was going to respond to the word used in the other one but it is all said here.

[phdmama06]

Absolutely not a snip! If I had to use one word to describe the procedure I would call it either "surgery" or "amputation." The word "snip" does not apply. "Snip" would more accurately describe clipping a baby's fingernails or trimming his hair, NOT circumcision. Maybe the people who use "snip" to describe it are in denial about what the procedure actually entails.

[mamasophy]

More like a skinning or flaying than a "snip".

[liseux]

Having been unfortunate enough to witness a few in NICU, I would call it a crushing, followed by a huge RIP followed by a pretty extensive snip. All while a just born person screams, trying to grab the doctors hands, when he should be warm in bed cuddled by his mama. Its a nightmare.

[KBecks]

Snip is a major misconception / misinformation about circumcision that is used in ignorance and minimizes the damaging nature of the procedure.

Circ is not a snip. And that should be a big part of education.

[LavenderMae]

No, no it's not just a snip. And the only people I've known to refer to it that way were pro-circ and trying to down play it. I would also gather that said people had never actually seen one done or read a description of one.