50 Reasons to Leave It Alone
Your son's penis, that is.
DaVinci's "Vitruvian Man" - Did you ever notice that he has his whole penis?
I know, talking about baby penises seems like a strange choice for a blog post. I used to think that penises came in two varieties, circumcised and uncircumcised....but education is a powerful thing. Now, I know that they only come in one style - Natural - and we, as parents, choose to alter what God or Nature or Evolution or The Great Spaghetti Monster created.
Why am I calling "uncircumcised" penises "natural"? Most of the "intactivist" culture uses the word "Intact", which is also accurate, but really, an uncircumcised penis is exactly that - natural.
Just like women without breast implants have "natural" boobs, or a person has their "natural" nose before a nose job. It's the way nature made it - therefore, a natural penis. Does that mean a circumcised penis is unnatural? Yes, it does.
I do want to note that I'm not anti-circumcision. If an adult man wants to modify his body, that is his choice and I support it - just as I would support a woman who wanted labiaplasty, or anyone who wanted to stretch their earlobes or tattoo their body. I am opposed to the routine circumcision of infants for non-medical reasons.
So, here are 50 reasons to leave your son's penis alone and not let a doctor cut it up.
1.) It's his.
2.) I've never met a man who wanted "less" penis when he was old enough to care. Men tend to like their penises just the way they are.
3.) You can change your mind. It's not possible to "un-circumcise", although there are men who have chosen to restore their foreskin later in life. If you're not sure, don't decide at all. It's a non-decision. :)
4.) There is no medical reason to do it routinely.
5.) Circumcision isn't the majority for newborns anymore. According to the New York Times, the infant circumcision rate is down to 32%. That means 68% of your son's locker room will likely have natural penises. If you circumcise, he will probably ask you why he's different from his buddies.
6.) Natural penises are easier to take care of during the diaper-changing years. Just wipe it like a finger. No retracting, no mess or fuss. Compare that to having to care for an open wound in a diaper.
7.) You wouldn't cut your baby girl's genitals. In fact, it's illegal - even a "nick" is illegal. Male circumcision is a lot more involved than a nick!
8.) Many doctors and nurses refuse to perform the procedure because it violates the Hippocratic Oath - First, Do No Harm.
9.) It hurts. A lot. Really. Don't believe me? Watch a video. With the sound up, please. If you can't watch the whole thing, can you really ask your newborn to go through it?
10.) Babies can't be properly anesthetized. An older child or adult would be given anesthesia and strong pain medication after any kind of operation, especially one on their genitals. Babies can't have proper pain medication.
11.) Did you know? Infant circumcision rates are less than 10% in the following counties: England, France, Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Canada, Mexico, all of South and Central America, Japan, China, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Greece, Taiwan, Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Australia and more.
Infant circumcision rates are higher than 10% in the following countries: USA, Israel, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Qatar, Turkey, Jordan, Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Republic of Congo, Eritrea, and Kenya.
12.) Men with natural penises are less likely to experience Erectile Dysfunction as they age. Translation - your son will be less likely to need Viagra when he's 55.
13.) Female sexual partners of men with natural penises are more likely to achieve orgasm during sexual intercourse. They are also less likely to need lubricant.
14.) There are over 20,000 nerve endings in the foreskin. That's more than in the female clitoris.
15.) The foreskin protects the head of the penis.
16.) The foreskin provides lubrication during sexual intercourse. Men with natural penises are less likely to use lubrication during sex or masturbation (hey, THAT's why my brothers were always stealing my conditioner!)
17.) No major medical organization on earth recommends routine circumcision of infants.
18.) It's easy to clean when he's older. Shower. Besides, by the time his foreskin is retractable, (average age, 10.4 years old), you will no longer be cleaning his penis. I hope.
19.) Circumcision does not prevent AIDS, or any other STD. Condoms do. Having sex with one, monogamous partner and avoiding IV drug use prevents AIDS. Why would you assume your baby's going to be a man-whore anyway?
20.) We don't chop off ears to prevent ear infections. We don't remove baby toenails to prevent fungal infections. We don't cut off legs anymore when a wound becomes infected. In the very unlikely event your son does develop an infection, we have antibiotics.
To read the entire article and remaining 30 Reasons to leave it alone, click HERE
