[infantastic]

Both my husband and my father are pro-circumcision, and when I tried to explain to them how it is in fact medically unnecessary and generally just done for aesthetic purposes or "because everyone else does it" (ha!), I was told that it's "medically necessary" and that it's "kept cleaner that way".

What can or should I tell them to get it into their heads that circumcision is in fact not medically necessary, and that it's an unneeded painful procedure?

 

[Daisyuk]

How about telling them that the rest of the world outside the US manages perfectly well with intact penises, their men are not walking around crippled with infections and pain, and thus prove that it's not medically necessary at all?

How about telling them that the ONLY country in the world in which the males have part of their penis cut off for no particular reason (or a whole bunch of differing "justifications" depending on who you talk to) is the good old US of A.

Ask them what they think it is about their penises, and American penises in general, that is so bad that parts of them have to be cut off to be clean and medically sound.

 

[Quirky]

Tell them that no medical organization in the world, including the AAP and the AMA, recommends routine infant circumcision with no medical indication.

Ask them whether they should pull out their toenails or their teeth to prevent infection. An ingrown toenail can hurt like a you-know-what and an infected tooth even worse. Yet we don't get rid of those at birth to prevent problems; we practice good hygiene and if there is a problem, hey, that's what modern medicine is for.

 

[liseux]

Also, when things are "medically necessary", the benefits outweigh the risks. In circ, the risks of the actual procedure greatly outweigh any "benefits", plus all of those "benefits" also happen to circed men.

There are no proven benefits to being circed. Circumcision is not a cure for a single thing, yet it permanently damages a penis. I like the analogy that b/c its meant to be a mucous membrane & circ removes the mucosa--its like sticking out your tongue & leaving it out forever.

 

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

There is a really great article I've seen posted here many times. I don't have the time right now to look it up. I'm sure someone has it bookmarked.

Basicly it reminds us that for many men, to admitting that circ is bad forces them to look at the idea that something bad happened to their penis. That there might be something wrong with their own penis. That is a very hard idea for most men to come to terms with.

 

[wytchywoman]

Tell them that it's not their penis, it's your son's and he should be the one to choose whether the foreskin stays or goes. Regardless of what they believe about circ it is not their body, and the have no right to determine whether a comstic surgery should be performed on it or not. If they fight the "cosmetic sugery" part, feel free to let them know that a lot insurance companies refuse to pay for circs anymore because it is an unnecessary cosmetic procedure.

Namaste,

Michelle

 

[Fyrestorm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhiannon Feimorgan There is a really great article I've seen posted here many times. I don't have the time right now to look it up. I'm sure someone has it bookmarked. Basicly it reminds us that for many men, to admitting that circ is bad forces them to look at the idea that something bad happened to their penis. That there might be something wrong with their own penis. That is a very hard idea for most men to come to terms with.

That would be the Vincent Bach Vulnerability of man article. Here is the link

http://www.udonet.com/circumcision/v...ty_of_men.html

It's really good. Read it yourself, you probably shouldn't show it to DH

This is from the article
[qoute]First of all, you need to understand that circumcised men are cornered on this issue. They were circumcised without their consent and have no inherent knowledge of what being intact is like. Even though they rarely will discuss the issue, they are keenly aware that they have been surgically altered in a very private way. There are several ways for a man to deal with this issue but the safest way, psychologically speaking, is to believe at all cost that the surgery performed on them was an enhancement and is preferred by women. Confirmation of this belief is essential to their sexual self-image. Do I need to tell you that sexual self-image is a major issue for men? Didn't think so.[/quote]

 

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

Thanks, that was the article I was thinking of!

 

[buckeyedoc]

Ditto to PP who said it is a sensitive issue for a circumcised man to think that his penis might not be in its optimal state. My DH is circ'd, and he fears it caused a loss in sensitivity based on what he hears from intact men. I think he reconciles it by thinking about how his parents made the decision they thought was in his best interest during a much different time period, but that we know more now and can make a decision accordingly.

BTW, I have never discussed this issue with my own dad, as he is Jewish, so it would open up a whole can of worms. Of course, he knows my sons are not circumcised, but he has never brought it up with me. My mom is supportive, though.