Lets talk about circumcision shall we?

[MrH2o]

Ok, despite the somewhat humoristic title I would like this tread to stay serious.

I watched "Bullshit" on tv some days ago and the topic was circumcision. It quite chocked me that over 60% (if I'm not wrong) boys in the US are circumstanced.

They interviewed girls who never been with an un-circumstanced man and just the thought of it was in their eyes grouse.

Some nutjob claimed that it reduced the risk of HIV and other STD, but the opposite side said it was vice versa (since the skin protects).

I just wonder if it's really that usual in the US and what your thoughts are about it (and off course if you are or not).

(They showed some video of a kid and the device they used to hold him down in, and that remind me of some 1700 torture device)

[Rick_D]

http://www.who.int/hiv/mediacentre/MCre ... ons_en.pdf

that is what is linked to from wikipedia - and people rely on wikipedia as a source for all their information. that pdf is so riddled with holes and presumption and simply theory that it would be a waste to point out everything wrong with it.

suffice to say I don't, and won't, believe circumcision reduces the risks of HIV until there's some actual proof/research/compelling evidence.

also circumcision is pretty weird when you think about it, it lessens the sensitivity on the glans and leaves you with scar tissue - great, last longer, feel lees. red raw for life.

maybe i am biased. what with not ever having pieces of my body cut off.

[MrH2o]

The TV show compared this to the things going on in countries like Africa and stuff were they cut of womens clitoris. Apparently there is a huge amount of nerve endings in the foreskin and cutting off such thing can never be wise. Does it have something to do with US and its religion?

[Thrik]

Yeah, I browse a few forums that a largely US-based audience, and the overwhelming majority of them said they'd been circumcised when such discussions came up. They also said they'd get their own sons circumcised because "everyone else does it" and "it's what girls expect", and not for religious reasons at all.

I've always found it really weird how such a developed country as the US continues to for the majority of cases do the same thing that they do in some really underdeveloped countries like Africa, chopping off genitalia and such (sounds like your program picked up on this too.

I don't think a lot of Americans actually realise that their country is pretty unique for this. To put it into perspective, while the US rate of circumcision is at least 60% (and was over 80% a decade or so ago), it's more like 3% in the UK and many other European countries.

I think it's largely a case of tradition and very widespread misconceptions (pretty much every health reason given for circumcision including 'hygiene' has been entirely smashed apart) that contribute to its continuation.

I personally think it's completely wrong to cut part of a person's genitals off until they're old enough to make the decision themselves. It might hurt a bit more when you're older, but then maybe that'll encourage you to take the decision seriously rather than bullshit social compliance. And of course CUTTING PART OF YOUR DICK OFF is then your own decision.

[Zacker]

Is this serious? Are the americans really cutting off parts of their body(and even in fairly vital places) as if they were living in Africa 200 years ago? I am shocked.

[Sentura]

not to put a crook on the table, but circumcision has always been a jewish thing, though i reckon the removal of the clitoris from the women is actually an islamic practice.

[Thrik]

It has been, but a lot of Americans (Majority?) who get it done these days aren't jewish at all.

[Corwin]

It has been, but a lot of Americans (Majority?) who get it done these days aren't jewish at all.

Yup, according to this source, only 1,78% of Americans would be jewish. Damn far from 60%, even if these sources aren't 100% valid!

[Steppenwolf]

It´s barbaric in my opinion. Disgusts me that people do this to their little baby boys.

[Ginger Lord]

Theres also a shitload of medical reasons for it to be done with various conditions such as certain parts being tighter than normal.

[Thrik]

Well, in all honesty there aren't. Not ones with any significant degree of prominence, anyway; medical conditions that genuinely require foreskin removal are pretty rare.

About 10 years ago there was actually misdiagnosis on a huge scale of an excessively-tight foreskin problem in the UK, and I think it's only really been resolved during the past several years.

Basically doctors cut off too many foreskins believing it was too tight, misdiagnosing normal tightness (perhaps influenced by parental pressure) as an actual tightness condition which is relatively very rare.

I myself was actually told I should have it snipped as it was too tight for my cock to come out of in my early years, but my parents didn't go for it and it did indeed loosen by itself a few years later. But if those doctors had had their way, I'd have no foreskin.

The medical boards and shit enforcing a harder stance on holding back circumcision for tightness is incidentally why the UK percentage has fallen from 10% to about 3%, incidentally. It's expected to imminently fall further to 2%.

Not sure if that's a factor in US circumcisions, but it's probably largely outweighed by the people just doing it for tradition's sake.

I think one overriding factor above all else here is that girls in the US expect a circumcised cock, and girls outside the US don't. I still think the choice should be made by the person themselves once they're older, as if they really want a circumcised cock to please the ladies that's not a decision their parents should make.

[Rick_D]

Or is it that girls except it because that is all they know? And that their heads have been filled with bullshit like 'a foreskin will give you AIDS'?

It's pretty weird, and a very old custom, my dad is circumcised because his parents had it done when he was a baby - but they didn't do it to me because they wanted it to be my choice - which is fair enough, as much as a foreskin can be a pain (regular cleaning is a must, but getting it chopped off because you don't want to wash your cock is pretty strange in itself) I don't think I'd ever cut it off; I'd miss the little fella.

I think the bottom line is: Americans can be pretty backwards, and freedom doesn't even go as far as your penis.

NO OFFENCE LOL

[Ginger Lord]

Guess thats why I know plenty of people (6 or so) in my Uni course that have had it done, theyre all 20 odd now.

Not one is Jewish and theyre all very proud to tell you its been snipped off and the doctor stuck it in his biryani or something.

[-HP-]

Nope, I am not!

[Thrik]

What're the chances they all had it done because they were told it was too tight, Ginger? If they're proud of it I guess they won't mind sharing.

I'm 20 too so I'd be one of them if I'd listened to the doctors. They all want stringing up.