Snip Snip

Whenever I ask for topic ideas (and even sometimes when I have not put out such a request) many people have the same suggestion. "You're having a boy. You should write about circumcision."


Our son will not be circumcised.

Before we delve any deeper into this topic (which I expect will bring out some heated emotions in the comments, regardless of where I stand), I want to state up front that I am giving my opinion. I am not telling anyone else what to do, so please don't tell me what to do. In other words, feel free to disagree, but above all, be nice.

In some religions, circumcision is a ceremonial rite of passage for a baby. It is not my intention to pass judgment on people who practice these faiths. However, it is my opinion that I can respect their right to practice their faith while still finding some rites unnecessary or uncomfortable without disrespecting their faith itself.

For the record, in Ontario, circumcision is technically listed as cosmetic surgery. It is elective, and not covered under the provincial health insurance plan (OHIP).

In some families, the final decision rests with the father, and many men make the decision based on the one their parents made for him (also known as the "be like Daddy" argument). While I understand the underlying rationale, I have to wonder: how do these fathers explain other physical differences? A man-child will not be a clone of his father; other parts of him will not "be like Daddy", so why is something that is hidden from view 99% of the time so critical to be matching? Another argument is that a circumcised peni$ is a clean peni$. This is an urban myth. If proper hygiene is taught, an uncircumcised peni$ is just as clean (some have argued cleaner, but I will leave it at equally clean) as a circumcised one.

Since I anticipate the question will arise, I am uncircumcised. In all honesty, I don't remember whether or not my father is circumcised, but if my recollection is correct, he is circumcised. My mother believed, despite what the doctors in the 1970s told her, that it was cruel and unnecessary, and my father deferred to her. However, my opinions about circumcision have nothing to do with the state of my own genitals.

Truthfully, the idea of someone using a knife on my man parts makes me squeemish. The idea of someone doing that to my son makes me even more uncomfortable. So, if the doctors don't think it's necessary, then I see no point in putting him through such an ordeal. (And to those who will say that the baby doesn't remember it, I honestly don't care. I will remember it, and I will know that someone did that to him.)

In reality, this decision isn't forever. In some cases, a boy may have an overly tight foreskin, a condition that may require a circumcision to correct. And in other cases, a man may choose to be circumcised as an adult. However, in both those cases, the decision is made for reasons I can accept, and the decision is not made at a mere few days old.

Bottom line: our son will not be circumcised, at least not now.

---

I also have another post up at Babies Online, where I look at a study that has found that an absent father means earlier puberty in girls.