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Thursday, April 18, 2013

Child Circumcision: To Cut or Not to Cut

The advantages and disadvantages of child circumcision.

For such a small piece of skin that covers the head of the penis–it does make lots of debate and controversies. Researches done in the last three decades have exposed and raised questions regarding the supposed health benefits of circumcision, as well as the risks associated with the procedure. Read on to find more details about the pros and cons of infant circumcision.

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Circumcision is the surgical removal of all or part of the foreskin. Time immemorial dictated that it was first perform using flintstone, knives; and to the present days performing using metal. For thousands of years, this procedure is done for religious and cultural reasons. In traditional Judaism, circumcision of male infants, done 8 days after birth represents a covenant between God and Abraham.

Those against circumcision have these to say: the procedure is extremely painful and traumatic for a baby. They believe infant circumcision has risks that includes:

Excessive bleeding

Infection

Complications from anesthetics

Tearing and bleeding at the scar

Surgical mistakes

Curvature of the penis

Impotence

Death

Those for circumcision believe that properly performed infant circumcision protects the child against the development of:

Urinary Tract Infection

Phimosis – tightness of the foreskin,

Balanitis – inflammation of the glans of the penis and foreskin.

Urinary Tract Infection

Penile Cancer

Circumcision has both benefits and risks. The medical procedure is neither necessary nor harmful to a boy’s health. Parents should seek the advice of doctors about the pros and cons of circumcision; before making the right decision that’s right for your son.

27 comments:

  1. Well, people since biblical times circumcise newborns ;) but I personally would want my son to wait until school age - not really for health reasons but I want him to experience the "rite to manhood" like his peers are sure to experience 1 summer soon :P

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  2. Most parents prefer circumcision right after birth so it won't hurt the child when he grows up to like five to 12 years old.

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  3. Hopefully, when we would have a son, I would think about having him circumcised at the right age.

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  4. I dunno. Of all risks, i feel sad for impotence. LOL But kidding aside, i would want my child circumcised while on his puberty age. The fact that they learn a little of taking care of "the wound", they also learn that sense of really taking care of themselves in general. And i say that from my own experience! :D

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  5. IMO, babies shouldn't be circumcised. They are too young to undergo such painful and stressful situation. Circumcision should be done when they are at the right age---that is, when they are ready. :)

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  6. Most of all, it's for the hygiene. I think the earlier done the better.

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  7. I prefer circumcision pag nasa tamang edad na o elementary. Naalala ko tuloy yung circumcision experience ng bunso kung kapatid.

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  8. My nephew was circumcised during his 8 months old.

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  9. I think it's better to wait until they're of the proper age until they get circumcised. Thinking about it, it really is scary to do any kind of surgery to an infant.

    :) Erika
    http://erikarodica.com

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  11. I guess giving a baby this procedure isn't a good idea for me at all because knowing that they cannot speak is very hard to understand not knowing how they feel too after this xx

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  12. Tsk tsk, it would really need doctors advise regarding this matter. I never thought it's risky. What I only had in mind is that to be careful about infection.

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  13. When my son was born, we were asked if we wanted him to be circumcised. We were not familiar with baby's circumcision, so we said no and let him be on the right age before going with the procedure. He is 5 now, and I am still afraid for him when the time comes for him to be circumcised.

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  14. I personally think that it's more acceptable if men will be circumcised in their puberty stage.. as there are cases that when a circumcised child grows up, they grow uncircumcised and therefore must retake the procedure.. :)

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  15. Circumcision really is painful. If the parents decide to circumcise the baby, it is important to have a consultation first before performing the procedure. It's always a safe way so that the parents will be aware of what will be the pros and cons if they want their baby to be circumcised.

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  16. In Europe particularly Ireland and United Kingdom, circumcision is not allowed. This is the reason why Filipino parents arranged the procedure for their child in the Philippines.

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  17. It's mandatory here to have the child circumscised when born. I think it's better that way.

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  18. We discuss this one with hubby before if ever we have a boy considering the circumcision takes place at the day when baby is born, so glad we have a girl.LOL

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  19. i'd like this discussion which delves more on the physiological and medical aspects of circumcision. in some culture, it's necessary somehow because of the society's pressure labeling unfairly boys not circumcised. if it is not medically necessary, i probably as parent will opt my boy out of it. however, i believe it should be family's choice and society should not put pressure on others preference if it differs from them.

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  20. I don't think it's ideal to give infants circumcisions right away. I mean, they've been swimming inside for 9 months and I don't think snipping their foreskin off is a good way to welcome them to the world.. :)

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  21. I think infant circumcision is just too risky. If I were a parent, I'd just wait 'til my son turns 10.

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  22. For me, infant circumcision is good compared to those who are grown ups. There are great health benefits for infant circumcision but it should be done only on a stable and healthy infants.

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  23. I believe there are more advantages that disadvantages. Pero so,e parents are nit yet open with the idea of child circumcision..

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  24. Both has got pros and cons. I will think hard about it when I become a parent to a baby boy, hihihi!

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  25. For whatever reason; religious, cultural or personal genital hygiene, circumcission is a deplorable act.

    If it is for religious connotation, did not God create both man and woman in His perfect Design?
    Then religious fanatics like divine soothsayers add more to what is in print and claim circumssion as a symbol of the covenant between and his Creator. Makes me think that God must be seen by these religious fantatics as one HUGE PENIS or one HUGE CLITORIS!!!

    Then for those cultures that adhere to circumcission of their infants, it is because their ignorant great great great grand fathers or great great great grand mothers did it and therefore tradition must be upheld even when it is senseless to circumcize. And you might ask, why did these great great great grand fathers and great great great grandmothers circumcize their infants? It is because in the Stone Age era, these people apart from hunting wild animals, they had nothing else to do but fiddle with their infants genitals and thought it made sense to pain their infants for all the crying they made at night causing them sleepless nights.

    Then you have those sick minds who think that germs only hide in the folds of human genitals. Therefore, you know the reason why. But they might as well cut off their fingers and thumbs because truly there are more germs hiding under the finger nails and thumb nails than that the they do that? So my point is if they wash their hands for hygienic reasons, why they did not think of the same thing for the genitals?

    And till today, stupid men and stupid women think that God's creation of man and woman is IMPERFECT and that circumcission makes it man-made perfect


    Man-made perfect? Baloney!!! Does anyone know how much mutilation and impotency has been caused on both infant boys and girls?

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  26. there's always a pro and cons about this thing, my boy didn't had it when he's a baby and he is now 10. K and I needs to discuss more about this for we might have different beliefs about it. but if ever he will get one, we will definitely go back to Philippines for his circumcision...:)

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  27. My parents didn't let my two brothers get circumcised the day they were born. They just get them circumcised when they reach 6 or 7 years old.

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