Babies: 0 - 3 Months

Bored: Let's talk ear piercing vs. circumcision

In the ear piercing post below, weemodin brought up a point that I don't think I have seen in regard to ear piercing before.  I get the whole "Babies aren't for Bedazzling" concept.  But, what does make circumcision acceptable and a personal choice, but ear piercing something that people get relentlessly flamed for?  Discuss.
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Re: Bored: Let's talk ear piercing vs. circumcision

  • -They are two different body parts that perform different functions for one.

     -circumcision is done for cleanliness purposes.  But then again, ear piercings can get infected too I guess.

  • I've never seen anyone walk around with their penis hanging out for general public to see, in the reference to it being a "cosmetic thing" in the manner you're referring to it.

    And your penis v. your ears have two different affects on your self esteem. I don't think they qualify in comparison. Some men have issues with the fact that they weren't circumsized, which is why I make that point.

    You can get your ears pierced at any time. Circumcision really is best don't as an infant.

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  • Flame me for this one:  We never did a lick of research on circs.  Doctor said, "Should I circumsize?"  Husband said, "Yes."  And that was that.
  • I so don't see them as related but understand your point.  Ear piercing is seen as cosmetic and even though you can say that circumcision is a choice there is still a lot of tradition, religious, cultural, cleanliness issues that go along with it.  

     

  • Alright, I'm getting more caffeine after reading my reply. I'm getting dumber as the days pass.
  • To me, there is not much of a difference. Hence, why we did not/will not do either. But I also don't flame people who do choose to do either piercing or circumcision. I'm just not a fan of altering my kids bodies for non-medical reasons. (And yes, I do consider circumscision non-medical.)
  • Granted, it wasn't that well thought out, my point...

    And I do realize that some people circ. for religious reasons.

    I think they're both personal choices to be made by the parents.  The cleanliness argument re: circ. isn't that persuasive, really.  You can stay clean and be un-circ'd.

    (and yes, we did circ.  I left that one up to DH)

  • It is my familie's tradition to pierce lil girls's ears when they are babies ... usually at about 6 months or so. I have never met a girl who didn't have her ears pierced honestly but I believe to each their own and   you should do what you feel is right with your own child.

     

  • Because ear piercing doesn't reduce her chances by 65% of getting HIV like circumsicm does. Because ear piercing is cosmetic and doesn't reduce her chances of getting prostate cancer, HPV and other diseases. Both are barbaric in some aspect. But if you don't pierce and you don't circumcise and the child wants to later... the circumcism is going to hurt a HELL of a lot more than a trip to the mall for studs of your birth stone....
  • Wow. This is a loaded question, but here goes:

    Circumcision= For sanitary reasons/cleanliness. But, also done to "match his daddy's parts" as DH said.
    Ear?piercing= For cosmetic purposes. No medical reason to do it.?
    ?
  • imageShanJosh777:
    ?But, what does make circumcision acceptable and a personal choice, but ear piercing something that people get relentlessly flamed for?? Discuss.

    apparently you missed third tri. i remember lots of arguments about circumcision being bad and lots and lots of flames.?

    i dont think the thread below was flame-filled at all. though i think the board is kinda quiet right now too.

    anyway, its fashion vs. function. there is no functional purpose to piercing ears. its decoration. no matter the cultural?significance, at the end of the day, its just decoration. circumcision can serve an actual purpose though some would argue that its entirely unnecessary too.

  • imagecarrann82:

    -They are two different body parts that perform different functions for one.

     -circumcision is done for cleanliness purposes.  But then again, ear piercings can get infected too I guess.

    In the industrialized world, circumcision is a purely cultural/religious choice. As long as someone has access to running water and soap, a circumcised penis isn't any cleaner than an uncircumcised one.

  • I wasn't necessarily referring to the most recent post about ear piercing being flamed... but in general, people are flamed for it and it is a hot topic around here. 

    I guess my point (although it wasn't originally MY point, it just got me thinking) is that people are quick to say that circumcision is a personal choice, and people are quick to say that ear piercing shouldn't be done until the girl can ask for it.

    I wasn't trying to imply that they are the same thing.  Obviously different body parts, different ease of having them done later in life, etc.  I just thought it was an interesting way to look at it.

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  • Thanks :)  I like to look at things interestingly!
  • Wel l DH's 70 yr old grandfather just HAD to get a circumcision b/c of infection-  I don't see how you can compare apples and oranges here.  I don't think there is any reason a baby would HAVE to have their ears pierced. 
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  • Honestly before coming on the nest/bump I thought everyone got their DS circ.  Around here it's not even a question and I think most everyone does it. 

    I also never realized so many people were against baby girls getting their ears pierced. 

    I guess different parts of the country look at thing different.

  • If you take out the earring, the hole will heal and close.

    Circumcision is a cultural, often religious, permanent choice.

    There's a big difference, but I am not against either one. I don't think either is inhumane, neither procedure is either necessary or unnecessary, they are both choices parents make for their children. And I don't judge anyone who makes that choice, either way.
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  • Circumcision isn't a medical necessity so we didn't do it for our DS. If he chooses to do it when he's old enough that's his choice. And for our DD when she is old enough to tell us she wants her ears pierced is when she will get her ears pierced. That's not something I'm going to force on either children. 

  • While I agree that they aren't exactly the same thing. I see where you are going with this. And I honestly believe with either issue it completely a personal choice. Neither constitute abuse and I have my beliefs on both so I'm really not worried about what others do with their babies.
  • imageShanJosh777:

    I wasn't necessarily referring to the most recent post about ear piercing being flamed... but in general, people are flamed for it and it is a hot topic around here.?

    I guess my point (although it wasn't originally MY point, it just got me thinking) is that people are quick to say that circumcision is a personal choice, and people are quick to say that ear piercing shouldn't be done until the girl can ask for it.

    I wasn't trying to imply that they are the same thing.? Obviously different body parts, different ease of having them done later in life, etc.? I just thought it was an interesting way to look at it.

    i'm sorry if you read my post as snippy. i didn't mean it to be!

    you are right though there are some quick?judgments?on this. you could argue that you are allowing a girl a choice but now allowing the same for a boy. after all, circumcision is?definitely?more invasive than ear?piercing. i think the problem with ear piercing centers around people wanting to turn a baby into a bauble. I would dare to say that more than half the people who do it, do it because it looks 'cute'. they don't do it because they are sparing the baby the memory of the pain.

    yes, some people circumcise for vanity too. but again, there is still functionality in this procedure.

    i wish i could tell you why people get so judgey about these topics. but i can only tell you my POV.?

  • and for the record i just wanted to add that i don't care what you cut off or poke into your baby. so long as they are healthy, to each their own. if we had a boy we would have circumcised because we both feel that it is beneficial to health. imo, there is no benefit to piercing therefor?unnecessary?for a baby.
  • When I asked my husband about whether or not we should circumsize our 'lil man, there was no discussion about it. It was a yes, and that was that. I never really thought of it that way.
  • I agree with Ashley. There is no more medical/cleanly/cultural reason to circumcise than their is to pierce ears. Both are purely cosmetic and anyone who argues differently has not done much research.

    No flames either way, if we have a boy its up to DH and he has already said we will circumcise, but don't try and say you did it to keep him clean - that's outdated information.

  • I think it's a personal choice.  DD will be getting her ears pierced in a week or so and if I have a son he will be getting circumsized.  To be honest, as for the ear piercings, I don't buy that "wait until they ask for it" logic.  My child will be getting what I want her to have until she is 18 years of age!  If I don't want her to have it... the answer is no and it's not up for discussion, I don't care what she ask for.  If it's done for "cosmetic" reasons now, then it will be done for "cosmetic" reasons when they turn 5 or 11 or 15.  Can somebody honestly tell me that everything they asked for at the age of 11 they still wanted at 21?  So what's the argument about not giving your child something permanent that they didn't ask for?  Maybe my mom should have let me get that boob job when I asked for it for my 15th birthday.

    To be honest, I never heard of people seeing ear piercings as an issue until I came to the nest.  Same with circ.

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  • I personally think both are mutilation and disgusting, but I do understand circumcision for religious reasons. However if you are just chopping off part of your son's penis so it can look normal, that makes me sick to my stomach.  Honestly, what kinda jackass does that to their child for looks?
  • imageeowynmn:
    I personally think both are mutilation and disgusting, but I do understand circumcision for religious reasons. However if you are just chopping off part of your son's penis so it can look normal, that makes me sick to my stomach.  Honestly, what kinda jackass does that to their child for looks?

    honestly, we were going to.  flame me all you want.  however, we couldn't get him circumsized because he was born with a genetic abormality/deformity, and now he has to have surgery on his little penis anyway. 

  • I always answer the circ & piercing questions with the same answer.  I say that we do not cosmetically altering our children.

     

    As far as the circ = clean, please tell me which body part you would rather cut off then keep clean. 

     

    As for the STD rates, this is also misleading information.  The only way you can make sure your child is prevented from getting an STD is to teach them about safe sex.  Again, we as a family will talk rahter then cut.  It just makes more sense.

     

    On piercing - honestly, I think it looks wierd.  JMHO

  • imageeowynmn:
    I personally think both are mutilation and disgusting, but I do understand circumcision for religious reasons. However if you are just chopping off part of your son's penis so it can look normal, that makes me sick to my stomach.  Honestly, what kinda jackass does that to their child for looks?

     I would if I had a son.

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  • imageeowynmn:
    I personally think both are mutilation and disgusting, but I do understand circumcision for religious reasons. However if you are just chopping off part of your son's penis so it can look normal, that makes me sick to my stomach.  Honestly, what kinda jackass does that to their child for looks?

    So what you're saying is that, aside from circumcising for religious reasons, you think they are essentially the same thing?  That was my point.  Not that they are literally the SAME thing, obviously they are totally different, but the idea behind them.  That's why I find it strange that people who have no problem with circumcising come on here and tell people that piercing their DD's ears is trashy or wrong.

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  • There's no medical advantages to Cir. I had DS in Berlin, Germany and they don't do it in the hospitals. If parents want it done they have to go to specific hospitals or clinics, when we were looking into it they told us we had to go to Frankfurt.?

    If you think your every guy is Cir, then that's another issue, Latin America doesn't do it and neither does Europe. More and more parents are refusing to do it and by the time your kid notices the difference in the locker room, it won't be a rarity.

    ?DH and I finally made a deal, no Cir and our girls won't get their ears pieced?

  • imageHippy:

    I always answer the circ & piercing questions with the same answer.  I say that we do not cosmetically altering our children.

     

    As far as the circ = clean, please tell me which body part you would rather cut off then keep clean. 

     

    As for the STD rates, this is also misleading information.  The only way you can make sure your child is prevented from getting an STD is to teach them about safe sex.  Again, we as a family will talk rahter then cut.  It just makes more sense.

     

    On piercing - honestly, I think it looks wierd.  JMHO

    Have i mentioned that I PPH you? (In a not-creepy way)

  • I can see  the similarity - i don't believe in circumcising a child - your body is made  a way for a reason and I see no reason to alter a child in that way (esp such an imporant part!)  that being said there are pros and cons of the cchoice either way.  Plus, I took a lot of medical classes -ever seen  a botched circumcision - not pretty and in extreme cases not functional and so not willing to take that chnce but thats jmho 
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