To circumcise or not to circumcise?

[Foxaèr]

I want to know why it's ok to cut off a boy's foreskin but not a girls labia? Why?

Because there is no medical basis for female circumcision.

[Tiberius]

Yet it always surprises me how many men must endure the memorable pain of being circumcised when they are adults. Imagine if their parents had cut the skin off for them when they were infants and were unable to retain the memory of the pain such a minor procedure caused.

Imagine.

1) Getting circumcized as an adult is a rare occurence. Having your tonsils removed or your appendix removed is a somewhat painful procedure too, but that doesn't mean we should be pre-emptively removing these things from newborns.

2) You can use an anesthetic for the procedure as an adult.

[Tiberius]

Because there is no medical basis for female circumcision.

There's no medical basis for male circumcision for newborns either! Just because it's a legitimate medical procedure for dealing with problems later in life (that most men don't suffer from) doesn't mean we should start doing it pre-emptively.

[Foxaèr]

2) You can use an anesthetic for the procedure as an adult.

Then perhaps as an adult, for the rare male that must be circumcised, it is more about the mental image of having a part of his penis cut off that is more painful at that point.

Can you state with certainty how you would react were you in a situation where you had to be circumcised as an adult?

[Losty]

I want to know why it's ok to cut off a boy's foreskin but not a girls labia? Why?

Because there is no medical basis for female circumcision.

There is not medical basis for any circumcision *in infants*, even the American Association of Pediatrics has admitted that there's no significant health benefits.

**ETA

[Foxaèr]

There is not medical basis for any circumcision, even the American Association of Pediatrics has admitted that there's no significant health benefits.

Incorrect, and could you provide a link for that?

I mean, after all, if they're stating there is no significant health benefit for the baby, that's probably true.

What does the site state about the average growing boy?

[Losty]

There is not medical basis for any circumcision, even the American Association of Pediatrics has admitted that there's no significant health benefits.

Incorrect, and could you provide a link for that?

https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/...ocal+token

"After a comprehensive review of the scientific evidence, the American Academy of Pediatrics found the health benefits of newborn male circumcision outweigh the risks, but the benefits are not great enough to recommend universal newborn circumcision. The AAP policy statement published Monday, August 27, says the final decision should still be left to parents to make in the context of their religious, ethical and cultural beliefs."

So, the benefits outweigh the risk, but are not significant enough to advocate universal circumcision.

[Losty]

There is not medical basis for any circumcision, even the American Association of Pediatrics has admitted that there's no significant health benefits.

Incorrect, and could you provide a link for that?

I mean, after all, if they're stating there is no significant health benefit for the baby, that's probably true.

What does the site state about the average growing boy?

Not having to wash your own penis is not a health benefit. You should be washing regardless. Are you serious??

[Tiberius]

Then perhaps as an adult, for the rare male that must be circumcised, it is more about the mental image of having a part of his penis cut off that is more painful at that point.

Can you state with certainty how you would react were you in a situation where you had to be circumcised as an adult?

I'd be fine with it, in part because to even get to that point I would have to be in severe pain from my foreskin, so I would have no ill will getting rid of it if it was causing problems. Circumcised men live fulfilling lives, so it's not like I'd stop enjoying sex. I'd expect to lose an amount of pleasure because the foreskin is very sensitive, but if it stops pain, that's going to be the more positive outcome.

[Foxaèr]

https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/...ocal+token

"After a comprehensive review of the scientific evidence, the American Academy of Pediatrics found the health benefits of newborn male circumcision outweigh the risks, but the benefits are not great enough to recommend universal newborn circumcision. The AAP policy statement published Monday, August 27, says the final decision should still be left to parents to make in the context of their religious, ethical and cultural beliefs."

So, the benefits outweigh the risk, but are not significant enough to advocate universal circumcision.

It is still interesting how the site still provides links to certain questions.

Should the baby be circumcised?

If you have a boy, you’ll need to decide whether to have him circumcised.

In the end, it is the parent's decision.