To circumcise or not to circumcise?

[GrandizerII]

[thesummerqueen]

Condoms protect against STI's far more effectively than cutting.

And for the record, MH - I'm against slicing into a kid without their consent regardless. When they're old enough to make a cosmetic decision, they can make it.

[Kitan Etos]

Condoms protect against STI's far more effectively than cutting.

Nor precisely.

[Mr.wizard]

I voted yes, much cleaner look, love my circumcised penis, thanks mom!

[Athene]

Despite meticulous hygiene, the skin underneath the foreskin is naturally dark, warm, and often moist; An ideal place for Candida/yeast to thrive. As an oxygen-deprived area, it is particularly susceptible to anaerobic bacteria. Unless one keeps the foreskin retracted at ALL times, microbes will accumulate on the skin underneath the area at a much higher rate than that of the average circumcised penis; Regardless of attention to personal hygiene. 

These ongoing assertions that circumcision offers absolutely NO benefit in the way of health/hygiene that can't just as easily be addressed through personal cleanliness are untrue. I'm personally NOT of the opinion that this "benefit" is worth having the procedure done on an infant, as the presence of microbes doesn't always indicate infection and in the event that infection does occur, it can usually be addressed through simple interventions; Even as a result of the body's own defenses. 

But, facts are facts.

Being informed is a two-way street in regards to this issue, as well as being honest. If the goal is to actually encourage parents to reconsider choosing circumcision, it would best be done without glossing over the truth, making unfair comparisons, and resorting to vitriolic attacks and insults. It only serves to make SOME opponents of the procedure appear to be desperate, hyper-emotional and somewhat fanatical. 

That's isn't the way to change minds.

[GrandizerII]

Despite meticulous hygiene, the skin underneath the foreskin is naturally dark, warm, and often moist; An ideal place for Candida/yeast to thrive. As an oxygen-deprived area, it is particularly susceptible to anaerobic bacteria. Unless one keeps the foreskin retracted at ALL times, microbes will accumulate on the skin underneath the area at a much higher rate than that of the average circumcised penis; Regardless of attention to personal hygiene. 

These ongoing assertions that circumcision offers absolutely NO benefit in the way of health/hygiene that can't just as easily be addressed through personal cleanliness are untrue. I'm personally NOT of the opinion that this "benefit" is worth having the procedure done on an infant, as the presence of microbes doesn't always indicate infection and in the event that infection does occur, it can usually be addressed through simple interventions; Even as a result of the body's own defenses. 

But, facts are facts.

Being informed is a two-way street in regards to this issue, as well as being honest. If the goal is to actually encourage parents to reconsider choosing circumcision, it would best be done without glossing over the truth, making unfair comparisons, and resorting to vitriolic attacks and insults. It only serves to make SOME opponents of the procedure appear to be desperate, hyper-emotional and somewhat fanatical. 

That's isn't the way to change minds.

FGM also offers health benefits, so? You can argue for almost any procedure having health benefits.

[Athene]

[Regina]

[Homeless Nutter]

I voted yes, much cleaner look [...]

Really - that's an argument? "Cleaner look"? Pray tell - how does one measure the "cleanliness" of a look of a penis? Because it sounds like an arbitrary  value judgement to me - the kind of rationalization someone would make up, if they wanted to justify a preconceived notion, with no actual facts available. Personally - I think cut d*ck looks sad, ugly, unnatural, and dirty - not only because people, who had it done seem to think, that they don't have to wash it now, but also because the head scrapes against dirty underwear all the time...

But hey - whatever helps you sleep at night, without the urge to punch your mom in the mouth for mutilating your body ...

[Tiberius]