View Full Version : Snip the Tip to prevent AIDS
Polly
03-28-2007, 08:39 PM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/28/AR2007032800417.html
CJ and I pondered what we were going to do if we had boy. I've heard the arguments from both sides. In his family, men are circumcised. My father and brother were not (Greek Catholics don't do it.) However, what tipped the circumcision scale in favoring of snipping was my brother. Andy is the only guy I've known who has had sex unshorn and shorn. (He chose to snip his tip when he was 20). My brother looked and us and said, "If you want more people to touch your pee-pee, get circumcised. Apparently, he was getting tired of girls being curious. :lmao I'm glad Elizabeth was girl and I didn't have to make that decision.
Polly
GreysFan
03-28-2007, 09:22 PM
That's not really a good reason to amputate part of a newborn baby's genitalia. It's not really a decision that you should make, you should leave it up to him. Have you checked this video out? http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6584757516627632617&q=circumcision&hl=en See if you can make it through with the speakers on.
Polly
03-28-2007, 09:31 PM
Actually, I've been to a bris. I have no problem with anyone who wants to circumcise or anyone who doesn't. It comes down to personal or religious choice. I always find it interesting that the religious choice to snip gets a pass from most people who oppose circumcision. I wonder why. Could it be that it would be like saying, "since circumcision is the wrong choice to make, your religion must be wrong in that department." Hmm.....
Polly
Kristi
03-28-2007, 09:39 PM
Neither of our boys were circumcised. Dylan just ended up not circ'd because he had other issues when he was born and they never got to it so we would have had to bring him back in to do it and i just couldn't bring myself to do it. But should be decide later he wants to have himself circ'd that is fine. Caleb was more of a because Dylan wasn't, I don't really have a problem with it either way. I feel it is people's personal decision.
Jejune
03-28-2007, 09:58 PM
Honestly, I don't think the evidence is conclusive either way, though I give more weight to the "circumcision helps prevent AIDS" camp than a lot of moms of uncircumcised boys do.
I don't think circumcision in the States is the big issue it's made out to be. The risk of AIDS is lower here and I don't think circumcision will make a significant difference here while it could in Africa. Circumcision is more about what the parents want. I don't always understand non religious reasons for it, and it's not a choice I would or did make, but I don't think it's a huge deal either.
off-kilter
03-29-2007, 12:59 AM
I don't plan on circumcising, but the very small benefit it might have in preventing STDs has been considered. If results were more conclusive and/or the average male in our society were at higher risk for getting infected, I could see changing my mind about circ'ing.
As for girls being leery of the turtleneck instead of the crew-cut, I can only hope that any son of mine will chose sex partners that appreciate the whole package instead of rejecting him for a bit of skin. Also, if they refuse to have sex with him, that equals less chance for STDs in general, though I'm going to pound the crap out of the "wrap it up" message.
Greysfan, I've watched hundreds of circs in my nursing career; it did not factor in my decision.
neither of my boys are frankly because in england it just isn't done for anything aside from religion (and who's to say they'll chose to maintain that religion in adulthood?) or extreme medical necessity (very rare) you won't find doctors who will do it for personal preference here.
so dh isn't, ds1 is 4 and he isn't, ds2 is 3 months old and he won't be either, i come from a family of nearly all male cousins and i don't recall any of them being circ'd (and believe my in my family everyone would have been told- when i started my period i may as well have put out a radio announcement as my family is large and like to tell the world all their news)
as for the std prevention? i don't know about the rest of you but i plan on teaching my kids condom-free sex does not happen until they are settled with a long term partner and both been std & hiv checked first- so lowered risk or not i'm hoping my kids won't be having unsafe sex period.
Kristen, that's exactly the conclusion I've come to. I was very worried by the findings at first and wondered if I'd done the wrong thing, but after really looking at the research, I'm not sure that any of the findings or rationales would hold true in the American context.
From what I understand, most of the research has been done in Africa, and I have serious problems with the idea that high rates of circumcision = low rates of AIDS means that it's circumcision that's the reason. There are lots of cultural, medical, and economic factors that would factor in there, and I'd not only be leery of assuming that it's circumcision that is the factor that makes the most difference, but especially of tranferring those findings to the context of the industrialized world.
as for the std prevention? i don't know about the rest of you but i plan on teaching my kids condom-free sex does not happen until they are settled with a long term partner and both been std & hiv checked first- so lowered risk or not i'm hoping my kids won't be having unsafe sex period.
:yup
Jejune
03-29-2007, 10:02 AM
That's not really a good reason to amputate part of a newborn baby's genitalia. It's not really a decision that you should make, you should leave it up to him. Have you checked this video out? http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6584757516627632617&q=circumcision&hl=en See if you can make it through with the speakers on.
You know, I was originally going to ignore this, but given that you've posted a deceptive thread about this one on Mothering, I'm not.
What you've done here is fail to contribute to this discussion in any meaningful way. One circumcision video is not representative of circumcision. You might as well have come into a discussion on abortion and posted pictures of aborted fetuses. This is disrespectful, rude, and UTTERLY fails to address Polly's point, which is not about whether or not circumcision is a painful or good thing, but whether there might be health benefits.
Thanks for trying to rile people up. You'll note that no one took your bait. Next time, please try to stay on topic. You can tell us you loathe circumcision in a respectful way, and certainly can make the choice not to do it for any sons you have.
Danielle
03-29-2007, 10:28 AM
Honestly, I don't think the evidence is conclusive either way, though I give more weight to the "circumcision helps prevent AIDS" camp than a lot of moms of uncircumcised boys do.
I don't think circumcision in the States is the big issue it's made out to be. The risk of AIDS is lower here and I don't think circumcision will make a significant difference here while it could in Africa. Circumcision is more about what the parents want. I don't always understand non religious reasons for it, and it's not a choice I would or did make, but I don't think it's a huge deal either.
ITA 100%.
It's really not done here anymore so it never came up at all when I had David. I actually had a friend in Nova Scotia that couldn't find a doctor that would circ her son. I'm 100% comfortable with my decision and I agree with Beka... David will be taught that ANY sex without a condom is a risk to his life.
GreysFan
03-29-2007, 10:31 AM
As I posted on Mothering just now, I DID NOT SAY ANYTHING MISLEADING besides the fact that Polly was pregnant, because the way I read the post AT FIRST was that she was.
And I don't see how I was "off topic". I didn't mention the article, but I posted in response to WHAT SHE SAID in HER post. It's not like I came on here and started talking about my mom's apple pie recipe. The topic was circumcision, and that's the topic I posted on.
My brother looked and us and said, "If you want more people to touch your pee-pee, get circumcised.
I'd prefer as few people as possible touching Thomas' pee-pee, so I guess not having him circumcised is good in that regard. ;)
For me, aesthetics wouldn't factor into the decision. Penises come in all varities, and I wouldn't have a medical procedure done on my child just to make their genitals looks more attractive. (I'm not saying that's why anyone circs, just that since I still don't think there are pressing health reasons, and we have no religious or cultural reasons to do it, it would be a purely aesthetic decision for us.) I also think that, as circumcision rates drop in the United States, uncirc'd penises will become more "normal" and acceptable. But, even if they don't, I can't say that it matters to me how attractive a girl might find my son's penis. Personally, I think all penises are pretty darn ugly, but obviously that didn't stop me from being in relationships with people who had them. ;)
If I had a child who was fat, it's likely they'd face more potential sexual rejection than if they were thin, but, if they were healthy and active, I wouldn't encourage them to go a diet so they could fit a cultural ideal. I'd much prefer they found a partner who loved them for who they were, and be happy with who they were and glad that they were healthy, no matter what they looked like, weight-wise or penis-wise or any-wise.
Andy is the only guy I've known who has had sex unshorn and shorn. (He chose to snip his tip when he was 20).
I'm glad your brother was able to make this chice as a GROWN MAN, for HIMSELF. Boys who are cut as newborns don't get to make that choice.
Just to agree with you there Lori that yep- penises are ugly period, no question about it- they were never designed to be publicly viewed in my opinion LOL (seriously- nature would have made them more attractive and not attempted to hide them with hair otherwise)
Kristen
03-29-2007, 11:23 AM
My son is circ'ed, but certainly not for this reason. We'll be raising him to view any sex outside of marriage as morally wrong, and if he chooses to have unsafe sex, well, I'm not going to bend over backwards to protect him from the consequences of it.
For the record, I'm of the, "fine if you do, fine if you don't" position on circumcision. We did, but I could have gone the other way on it, and I think it's TOTALLY fine if other people don't circ.
I'm glad your brother was able to make this choice as a GROWN MAN, for HIMSELF. Boys who are cut as newborns don't get to make that choice.
as is the case with many, many choices that WE, as parents, make for our children. And many of those choices, while not physically permanent, do affect our children permanently. ;) Parents make SO many decisions that have a huge effect on the way their children's lives turn out, and it seems a little odd to me that circumcision is singled out so, as a huge human rights issue. Impatient, distant, unkind mothers seem like a WAY bigger human rights issue to me, yet, campaigning against that kind of thing doesn't seem to garner a lot of followers.
Erika
03-29-2007, 11:36 AM
We don't have routine circumcision over here either. And I am personally glad about that. I honestly don't see the need for it and our sons won't be circ'ed.
Gerysfan - by using loaded language like "amputating newborns genitals" all you are doing is causing irritation and annoyance. You are not making any converts and are adding nothing worthwhile to the discussion. By all means debate circumcision but please do so intelligently by listing your reasons why you think, even with a possibly benefit for AIDS prevention, that circumcision is not a good option, rather than using sweeping statements, loaded language and hysteria :rolleyes
Your kind of debating is exactly the same as Jejune mentioned - it is like a pro-lifer posting tons of images of aborted fetuses trying to change a pro-choicers mind. ALl that does is make pro-choicers defensive and if you are me, makes our eyes glaze over with irritation.
Marzipan
03-29-2007, 11:54 AM
We're Jewish and my son is circumcised. I really didn't want it done and it resulted in some very bitter words between me and my husband. We made some compromises about the bris and I eventually came to terms with it. Men have been circumcised for thousands of years without any seemingly negative consequences. The reasons it is done vary, and penile circumcision has none of the oppressive gender-based denigration that FGM does, nor does it prevent men (overall, I know everyone has an anecdote) from having satisfying sexual lives. There is also evidence to support it. Would I have preferred to leave my son with his forskin? Probably. But my husband felt strongly for many reasons, he has a penis and I don't, and the reality is that I just can't get myself too lathered about the issue.
We don't have routine circumcision over here either. And I am personally glad about that. I honestly don't see the need for it and our sons won't be circ'ed.
Gerysfan - by using loaded language like "amputating newborns genitals" all you are doing is causing irritation and annoyance. You are not making any converts and are adding nothing worthwhile to the discussion. By all means debate circumcision but please do so intelligently by listing your reasons why you think, even with a possibly benefit for AIDS prevention, that circumcision is not a good option, rather than using sweeping statements, loaded language and hysteria :rolleyes
Your kind of debating is exactly the same as Jejune mentioned - it is like a pro-lifer posting tons of images of aborted fetuses trying to change a pro-choicers mind. ALl that does is make pro-choicers defensive and if you are me, makes our eyes glaze over with irritation.
ITA with this. I was VERY anti circ and have debated it for years online now and as some here will tell you I was harsh with my opinions using words similar to Gerysfan and all it does it make the other side roll their eyes.
I do not have the energy to debate this fully because I have done it so many times LOL I know everyone here is educated on the issue,we can find articles to support both sides so posting links etc doesn't help. I only really bother if someone is asking for information on it.
All I will say is I am against it,I think there is no need to do it and I do not think this AIDS link is a reason to circ. However there are worse things you can do to a child and everyone who does circ do so because they think it is for the best and if people have the facts and decide to do it I am no longer going to spend my time caring as much as I did because while I disagree with it I am now more concerned with parents who abuse their children etc. I have moved on from wanting to save boys foreskins to wanting to save children who have abusive parents instead. I used to think there was an element of crappy parenting involved in circing but then I thought that there are probably a lot of things I do people disagree with so I am NOT going to judge parents on one issue alone.
I just think all the time I spent trying to change peoples minds on this could have been spent fighting better courses. All the judgments I made on circers were plain wrong and I have had to eat my words many of times ;)
Kristen
03-29-2007, 12:03 PM
I totally agree, Marci, and it irritates me too when people equate male circumcision to FGM. I'd never in a MILLION years do that to my girls.
Although my dh doesn't feel AS strongly about it as yours does, the way you dealt with the issue reminds me a lot of how Steve and I did.
Polly
03-29-2007, 12:22 PM
Just for the record, I'm not pregnant. DH and I had this conversation in late 2005 before the ultrasound. By the way, I received a message that my title was intentionally inflammatory. :blah WRONG! I chose to word it like that in order to sound like "The Onion", which is eye catching. BTW-it worked. (Think about my infamously titled, "Book gets banned over scrotum!") I didn't do it to provoke an argument. If I had wanted to have a debate about this, I would have put in the "That's Debatable" column. I included the story about my brother because I thought it was funny, not because I was trying to prove a point. I'm hurt that someone thought I was trying to mean.:(
I think that in any debate I've had here I have always been respectful. Why would I suddenly change that now? Sorry for ranting. I've never had this kind of experience before-this is the first board I've really been a member of.
Polly
I included the story about my brother because I thought it was funny, not because I was trying to prove a point. I'm hurt that someone thought I was trying to mean.:(
Polly, I'm new here, and don't know you well enough to know who you are or what you're like. However, I do view this subject as a human rights issue, and as such, hearing people joke about it flippantly makes me sad. And by sad - I mean that it really does hurt my heart in a way that a lot of other issues about which I feel strongly don't.
To me, it's like joking about rape or slavery or female genita alteration. It's just not funny.
I laughed at the title to be honest.
I knew it wasn't meant to be mean. I could have took offense but I would be silly to when I knew it was just a catchy title and no harm or offense was meant.
Marzipan
03-29-2007, 01:02 PM
Polly, I'm new here, and don't know you well enough to know who you are or what you're like. However, I do view this subject as a human rights issue, and as such, hearing people joke about it flippantly makes me sad. And by sad - I mean that it really does hurt my heart in a way that a lot of other issues about which I feel strongly don't.
To me, it's like joking about rape or slavery or female genita alteration. It's just not funny.
Okay, and others might argue that comparing circumcusion to rape or slavery or FGM is so offensive that it makes our eyeballs burn hot enough to melt holes in bank vaults. Point being, it depends which side of the issue you fall on. Or, if you're like me, you don't fall on either side, don't much care, and devote your energies to getting hot and bothered by issues that are actually causing people intense horror and misery. You know, things like rape, slavery, and FGM.
Thank you, Kristen (H-C). I know you and I have different feelings on this issue but I also know I can count on you to be fair!
I don't really ever have much to add to these discussions. My son is done. I didn't want it but dh did and it took much discussion and some compromise on some other things. I also refused to have it done except if they used a local anesthetic so whatever you see on these extreme scare-tactic videos is NOT what happened to my child. I still would've rather not had it done, but it is what it is. It's done, he's not scarred for life, and all the guys I've ever known manage to get along just fine so I'm not terribly concerned. I really really hope that when JZ becomes an adult he will have more important things to focus on than resentment for me and his father over his long-gone foreskin. :)
I included the story about my brother because I thought it was funny, not because I was trying to prove a point. I'm hurt that someone thought I was trying to mean.:(
Polly, I'm not sure if I'm who you're referring too, but I definitely didn't think you were trying to be mean, or to say that people should circ their kids because it looks better. I knew you were joking, but I also think that your joke did touch on something that a lot of people do think.
I do think the idea that, if you don't circ your sons, you're somehow limiting their sex life, is a pretty common one. I don't think it's true and, if it is, I honestly can't say I care much. I realize I don't have a say in my adult child's sex life, but I'm not going to feel regret about not having circ'd him if he's sad at 19 or 20 that more women don't want to have sex with him, because I would hope he'll wait until he's in a committed relationship with a person who loves him as a person and doesn't care about what his penis looks like before he has sex at all. If not being circ'd makes it harder for him to have one-night stands, I can't say I really care. I think there's this kind of prevalent idea (which I don't think you were promoting at all, Polly) that women are going to run shrieking from uncirc'd penises, but I can't see it mattering either way when you're in a serious relationship with someone you love, just for random sexual encounters.
Okay, and others might argue that comparing circumcusion to rape or slavery or FGM is so offensive that it makes our eyeballs burn hot enough to melt holes in bank vaults. Point being, it depends which side of the issue you fall on. Or, if you're like me, you don't fall on either side, don't much care, and devote your energies to getting hot and bothered by issues that are actually causing people intense horror and misery. You know, things like rape, slavery, and FGM.
Well, I never said they were the same. I said that joking about it evokes the same feelings in me as when some one jokes about things like slavery, rape, and other forms of non-consensual genital alteration. I will say that I would imagine that my experiences with sexual assault probably color a great deal my visceral reaction to circumcision - because the image of a newborn boy, naked, restrained, and spread eagle on a table while someone cuts off part of his genitals is one that is hard for me to separate from. . .well, I'd prefer not to get to detailed into my own person experiences, so. . .I know that logically it is not molestation, etc (because it is done for a different reason) - but the imagery is hard to separate in my mind.
Marzipan
03-29-2007, 01:44 PM
Oh, really? Perhaps my experiences with sexual assault have made me realize that while people have intensely strong views on circumcision, I have yet to meet a parent who has made the decision to circ or not without what they feel to be their child's best interest in mind. I can't say the same for sexual predators.
ETA: Incidentally, I was not in the room when my son was circumcised, but he was given both topical and local anaesthetic, and was cuddled on his uncle's lap during the procedure. I wasn't keen on it being done, but it wasn't as dreadful for him as your mental picture would suggest.
Polly
03-29-2007, 01:50 PM
I'm glad your brother was able to make this chice as a GROWN MAN, for HIMSELF. Boys who are cut as newborns don't get to make that choice.
I emailed my brother and Andy says he still pissed at our parents for not circumcising him. I forgot that when he had the procedure done, he ended up with a penile adhesion. Ouch. He had to go back and have them do it again. (Andy didn't tell me at the time this happened. He was embarrassed. Older sister, younger brother. He'd thought I'd laugh. He's 6 years younger.) My brother did tell me that it gives him the "willies" to think the are a bunch of women on a board, somewhere, talking about cutting men's penises and how and why to do it!:lmao
Andy says we should call our debate "The Knives Are Out: The Great Circumcision Debate!" (Love my family's irreverant sense of humor.) He also said he'd answer any questions anyone has for him.
Polly
Danielle
03-29-2007, 02:18 PM
Polly... what was the main reason your brother decided to get circ'd at 20? Was it really purely for esthetics? Honestly, I've seen several circ'd and several uncirc'd and the difference is extremely minimal IMO and really, almost exactly the same when erect. I'm not saying it was the wrong thing to do- that's entirely his decision- I just think it's something that would give most men the willies to think about doing and to do it voluntarily seems like a curious choice.
Danielle
03-29-2007, 02:22 PM
I just wanted to add... if David's ever pissed at me for not circ'ing him I'm going to offer to do the deed right then and there with the kitchen shears. LOL IMO, if he chooses to do it later as Polly's bother did, fine but if I did circ him and he didn't want it done later... there's no going back.
Danielle, do you think the fact that the circ rate is lower in Canada than in the U.S. has something to do with the difference seeming less major there than here?
I don't know if it's the same in Canada, but in the U.S., when penises are ever shown, they're circ'd. It's the norm, completely. Every illustration I ever saw of the male reproductive system had a circ'd penis, every American movie I've ever seen with male frontal nudity has shown a circ'd penis. I'm 29 and I've honestly only ever seen non-circ'd penises on little boys. So I think that, because we first of all see very few penises, and second of all only see circ'd ones, it definitely is what pops into mind as the "normal" penis. I think if there was more diversity--if pictures of the male reproductive system and anatomy, for example, showed a penis with foreskin sometimes--then being circ'd or uncirc'd would just be seen as a normal variation in penises, like size or how much they curve or anything like that, rather than some really weird, unusual thing.
I was really glad to find a book on reproduction for little kids, It's Not the Stork, that had an actual, very non-graphic illustration of a non-circ'd penis. It's nice that Thomas can see a little drawing of a penis that looks like his.
Polly
03-29-2007, 03:26 PM
Danielle-Andy says it was a combination of things. The curiousioty of women (I'm not asking what exactly this means-I don't want to know!), aesthestics, and he was sick of having to push back the foreskin to clean it. However, the most important reason Andy cites is the fact he lifeguarded for several summers and kept getting yeast infections underneath the foreskin. He was stuck all day, almost every day in a damp bathing suit. And we tend to be very prone to them in my family. He's a really healthy guy-good diet (marcobiotic) and execises every day. Didn't help. Yes, he's also very clean. My brother spends more time grooming than I do-he's a metrosexual.
Polly
Danielle
03-29-2007, 04:33 PM
The YI thing makes sense... dh gets one whenever I do (sorry if TMI). Thanks for answering Polly :).
Lori- Here circ'ing was popular when I was a baby (for maybe a decade). Therefore, most men in my age group (well, most white men) are circ'd. However, before and after that, it was/is significantly less popular with most people doing it for religious reasons. It could be that most Canadian women have seen more "variety", I'm not sure.
Polly
03-29-2007, 04:59 PM
Well, I never said they were the same. I said that joking about it evokes the same feelings in me as when some one jokes about things like slavery, rape, and other forms of non-consensual genital alteration. I will say that I would imagine that my experiences with sexual assault probably color a great deal my visceral reaction to circumcision - because the image of a newborn boy, naked, restrained, and spread eagle on a table while someone cuts off part of his genitals is one that is hard for me to separate from. . .well, I'd prefer not to get to detailed into my own person experiences, so. . .I know that logically it is not molestation, etc (because it is done for a different reason) - but the imagery is hard to separate in my mind.
Jeri,
As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse I'll certainly agree that sexual assault tends to color a lot of things. Things that have no sexual overtones show up in a completely different light to survivors. Let me make perfectly clear that I think circ is only OK with anesthetic. Recent studies have shown that baby boys who undergo a circ w/o it suffering a great deal of "stress." (The study's word, not mine.)
To sum up, I would say if you are going to do it, be kind and do it with drugs.
Polly
It's interesting to me that there are many mothers against the HPV vaccine because it might lead their daughters to feel invulnerable with regards to sex. Yet I haven't heard much of the same argument about this new study with regards to circ. Double standard at work?
Jejune
03-30-2007, 11:59 AM
It's interesting to me that there are many mothers against the HPV vaccine because it might lead their daughters to feel invulnerable with regards to sex. Yet I haven't heard much of the same argument about this new study with regards to circ. Double standard at work?
Whether or not this is a new study, I actually read about a similar study about 4 or 5 years ago. The idea has been floating around for a long while. As I understand it, though, the evidence isn't conclusive either way, though it's worth investigating, considering the depth of the AIDS crisis in Africa. But again, these studies have all been conducted in relation to Africa, so it's not necessarily applicable to the United States.
I don't see a double standard here. No one has said that the reason they got their sons circumcised was to prevent AIDS. No one has said that they'll run out and do it. It's not actually very similar to a vaccine at all, in that a vaccine introduces an outside product to the body, and circumcision involves removing part of the body. I don't really see a comparison at all, to be honest. Could you explain a little further? I'm confused. I think you're saying that people who worry that an HPV vaccine would make their daughters think there's no way they'd catch a sexually transmitted disease because of the vaccine should be equally concerned that their circumcised sons will feel invulnerable to disease. To be honest, both ideas sound like they're based on really faulty reasoning, but I've never heard anyone make either argument, so maybe that's why I'm confused.
gr8mommy
03-30-2007, 01:15 PM
I also don't really see a connection between the HPV vaccine and circumcision and think it is really a stretch to try and make one. For the record, I am pro-HPV vaccine, but very much against it being mandated for school attendance. I think that is a noble but misguided idea--HPV isn't airborne, and cannot be contracted by casual contact such as found in a classroom.
As I said in the other thread, my son is circ'd. I didn't much care one way or the other, though personally I find circ'd penises to look better. If there was evidence at the time that pointed to a lower risk of STDs, I'd certainly have taken that into consideration. I do think it is easier to keep a circ'd penis cleaner than an uncirc'd one, but to a conscientious man it probably isn't a big deal.
giana
03-31-2007, 03:43 PM
okay...babies cry to get shots....yet theyre needed...and after 1 year old theyre sedated for circumcision
NOW I did not circumcised my son because Ill only do it if he needs for a valid medical reason....he has a congenital heart defect and any surgeries even tooth cleaning are a big deal for him...but even if he didnt have a heart issue Id only do it if needed...Im not a fan of cutting ppl without real need...but I dont see a right or wrong answer on this....I think that each family choses what it better suitable to their lifestyle...so if a person decides to circumcise its child as a newborn doesnt make them dumb or wrong or whatever...its a choice and a personal one and the best thing is to inform oneself before to make the right choices for your family....sensationalism does not help:rockon
Jenny
03-31-2007, 06:26 PM
[/quote]as for the std prevention? i don't know about the rest of you but i plan on teaching my kids condom-free sex does not happen until they are settled with a long term partner and both been std & hiv checked first- so lowered risk or not i'm hoping my kids won't be having unsafe se[/quote]
uh-huh..me too. I am also a mom of a non-circ'd boy and a wife to a circ'd man. My husband wished he had made this choice for himself instead of his parents making this for him, but not worth dwelling over.
Its each parents choice....its their child.