Why We Chose Not to Circumcise Our Sons

  

First off, I am not writing this from the standpoint of a medical professional, or a historian. I am simply writing this post as a Mom. I've heard so many people talking about this subject recently and have wanted to write a blog about this for quite some time. This morning, I read an article in the Toronto Star about forced circumcision on adults, and asked myself the question - "If it's not OK to force an adult male to have a circumcision, or for a young girl to have forced female circumcision, why is it OK to force a defenseless baby to have one?". Every parent I've talked to that had their sons circumcised has told me that their baby was screaming bloody murder during the procedure, and many of them could not be in the same room or even attend the appointment. They couldn't cope with it and made their husbands be the ones with the baby when it happened.

Yes, I understand that female genital mutilation and other forced circumcisions are often done with no anaesthetic and under stereotypically or factually unsafe conditions. But to me, it ultimately boils down to practically the same thing. I remember hearing about forced female genital mutilation back in high school or college, when Oprah and others were starting to bring attention to the issue. I remember at that time, wondering what it would have been like for me, if I had of been forced to have my clitoris cut out of my body. Whether I would have been young enough to forget, or old enough to potentially be traumatized by the whole thing, I remember being horrified by that. And thinking that it was an inhumane practice to do to young women.

Now I know that some of you will get fired up, feeling defensive about circumcising your own sons, or your plans to do so. Or you might agree with what I asked myself this morning. Regardless of which side you stand on, I am simply sharing MY thoughts on the subject and the reasons why I did not circumcise my sons. I am not judging you for your thoughts and decisions, as I believe everyone can  and should make their own educated decisions on raising their children, so long as it does not break the law.

Before I ever had kids, I didn't think too much about male circumcision, in fact I thought I probably would do so. I had friends that had told me about having done it to their kids, and my brothers were circumcised. When my brothers were circumcised, it was routine to have done and was often done before they were discharged from the hospital. And it was paid for by the equivalent of the Ministry of Health at that time.

But after having my first child, I just could not imagine putting them through the pain of having part of their body cut off. I mean, they came out so perfectly! My body and theirs worked hard for almost 10 months building it to be what it was supposed to be, at least in my opinion. And does God or other deity make any junk? I feel like every single aspect of our body has a function and/or is tied to the function of something else in our make-up. Why would we cut that off? I mean, would we get our labia cut off so that we don't get a yeast infection?

I know some people think that a circumcised penis is more attractive, some think it prevents infection, some do it for religious reasons, some because Daddy had it done, etc... There have even been studies that show circumcision can both cause and/or prevent penile cancer. But I just cannot fathom doing that to my sons, just like I wouldn't do it to my daughters. (If I had of actually had any.) It seems most of those claims have been debunked in some form or another.

Like I said before, these are MY thoughts expressed here. I am not judging you if you have made the decision to do this. I am not saying that I am right or wrong, because I don't even know for sure. The only thing I do know for certain, is that it is not right for me and our family. I think it is great to open up the dialogue for discussion and remind you not to judge other parents for doing what they believe is right for their children. The best dialogues are ones of respect and consideration for the other side.

If you have comments, don't hesitate to share them! I'd love to hear from both sides of the proverbial camp! :)

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post.*****