To circumcise or not to circumcise?

shaylagirl

I'm kind of...shocked (?) that people are assuming that their boys might end up being sexually active with girls.

But, that might be because my 16 year old is struggling with his sexual identity right now.  And, honestly, in all of his sexual struggles, I've YET to hear anything about being 'cut'.  He's more worried about the size of his penis than how it LOOKS.  Nor have I ever heard him say anything about any other guy in the locker room or changing area who may or may not look different.  Gay/Bi/Straight, he's not looking at other people's junk.

DH and I discussed what we each wanted, and the person who 'cared' a little more about the outcome ultimately got the final say. 

naturaloaklandmama

Interesting article for whatever it is worth: 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/circumcision-rates-declining-health-risks-rising-study-says/

jess9802

hereid326 said:

We just found out that circumcision is not covered by my generally really good insurance. This was a shock after we had planned to circumcise all along. Now we're rethinking the decision, as $1500 extra right now seems like a lot of money for something that we're not completely sure is the right decision. Is anyone else running into this?

I'm surprised at how expensive that is.  My son's circumcision was $325 at the pedi's office when he was two weeks old. (My insurance covered it 100%, not subject to his deductible.)

fernane

https://www.collegehumor.com/video/6966989/the-real-reason-youre-circumcised 

Hail123

I know there's more to the argument than this, but it made me laugh and changed my perspective on things a bit. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gCSWbTv3hng

evas.mom

Hey there! I'm 36 weeks this week too and have a very similar situation with a husband from Mexico and our first boy on the way. I was just reading an article that spells out the reasons, history, and myths associated with circumcision. Check it out if you're still on the fence. 

At the bottom, just below the references, are links to the different parts of the article. I'm SO glad that I found this article. 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/moral-landscapes/201109/myths-about-circumcision-you-likely-believe

oursong611

My husband and I are planning to circumcise our son. My little brother had to have a medically required circumcision when he was 9 (due to a particularly nasty infection) and it was horrible for him. He was in so much pain for more than a week before he had to have the surgery. He cried every day, and he was extremely terrified when he found out he had to have surgery. It was traumatic for him, and hard for us to watch him suffer through it. He felt bad for a couple of days afterward, but it healed quickly and he has had no problems since. We want to avoid a similar experience with our boys, so we want to do it while he's too little to remember.

KittyMisha

Speaking as a woman who has interacted sexually with both circumcised and noncircumcised penises, I actively prefer them to be intact. The extra skin allows for a lot more play in terms of what you can do with your hands and mouth, and penetration feels the same. I am having a girl, but if I were having a boy I'd probably not circumcise based on the lack of medical justification and my own experiences.