If you had kids...

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It really gets on my nerves when people tell me (well not me, just on this board) that an uncut penis looks worse and is less clean than a cut penis. It probably just looks better to them because that's what they are used to seeing. Over here in New Zealand there has been a swing away from circumcison (my dad had it done, I didn't), now the younger generation make fun of the way cut dicks look. It's just a matter of perspective.
Personally I like my penis very much, it's perfectly clean, it looks fine and even though I had a bit of trouble with foreskin retraction (now solved) it works fine. I think some people on this board have a slighty distorted view on foreskins because of all the posters saying they are unable to retract. However you don't see all the people saying they can retract. I was looking at a survey and it said by the age of 18 98-99% of uncut guys can retract. For that 1-2% most (like me) can solve their problem by just stretching, there is only a tiny minority who have to resort to circumcision or a dorsal slit, or the like which isn't a major surgery.
Personally I would have been a bit miffed if I was circumcised at birth. Although I probably wouldn't have minded it at all, I wouldn't have liked the decision to have a non-essential medical performed on me without my permission.

Oh OK... Better answer then "the right thing to do".

You shouldn't get upset. When people have only seen circumcised penises for generations, that is what they are used to and is normal to them. You can't fault then for it.

That's what I was getting at. Still annoys me though.

i'm cut and i wouldn't put my kids through it.

I had mine reversed, by stretching under a doctors supervision since July 1993; he did a touch up surgery lastWednesday (06/14/2005) to make a pucker at the end of the foreskin. It was the best decision that I have ever made in my life. I am against circ., and try to convince anyone to think before they put their boy's through that. Let the boy's think for themselves when they are old enough.

Hey, that was a well-reasoned, non-shrill, non-emotional argument for not circumcising someone (i.e., performing and unnecessary surgical procedure). I give it rather more weight than the "I'm glad I'm circumcised and my penis is so pretty, and I'll do it to my sons because I want them to have pretty penises too" argument.If that's the argument, how can we tell the northern Africans (including the Egyptians) with a straight face that they shouldn't perform female genital mutilation on their daughters?Are the ideas of informed consent and self-determination just quaint old concepts?I'm not bitter about my circumcision either, but I really wish my penis would have been left alone. If I decided when I was older that I didn't want my foreskin, I could have had it removed then.

TOTAAL NEE - Absolutely not. The baby has just spent 9 months in his mum's womb developing a complete body, why would I think that God made a mistake and needed me to immediately correct it? - or why would I even entertain the thought that I had that right.Removing ANY other part of his body for non-medical theraputic reasons would be considered child abuse and prosecuted as such not to mention that in Nederland, a doctor would refuse to do it because it violates the rights of the child.It's religion, Judaism, Islam and some idiot Christians in the US who have a fetish about little boy's penises, making a specific exception for it cos their own rules forbid body scarification and mutilation. That line in the Old Testiment (Torah) about circumcision is utter rubbish. Penis mutilation didn't originate with Abraham and God didn't see it somewhere else and figure it was a good idea. It's all about "control" by the religious leaders, requiring obedience and marking someone for life that he's one of theirs.I shan't even start to explore what Islam does to some of their girls. In Nederland, the Turks like to catch their boys between 7 and 14 and the neighbourhood barber does the act with no anesthesia whilst all the locals stand around and enjoy it. Not so many Jews do it here in Nederland, only the real orthodox Hasidics in A'dam mostly but it's a party for them too, just not for the child!Sick, sick, bull shit.

Penis mutilation didn't originate with Abraham and God You're saying that the covenant with God described in the Jewish scriptures is not actually there? Can you elaborate, because this is news to me.> Penis mutilation didn't originate with Abraham and God Female genital mutilation is not Islamic. It's the convention of some African Islamic cultures (although it would be helpful if the other Islamic cultures would come out against it).> Not so many Jews do it here in NederlandBecause Dutch Jews have become very secular, as have Dutch Christians.

If or when I have kid I am for sure not getting them cut. Let them have some fun with themselfs. I will show them how to take care of themselfs and thats it!! simple as that!

I'd let the father decide, since I don't even have a penis to base my decisions on.

If you do that, make sure that he's well informed. Otherwise....

I don't have a vagina, but it doesn't mean I'd allow certain traditional north African practices to be performed on my daughter.

Ko9>> Of course.Steve>> I hope you wouldn't. What they do in Africa is pure evil. If I had to choose I'd take a male circumcision over North African female genital mutilation any day. Anyway i'll most likely have different feelings about whether I circumcise my son or not, when/if I ever have a son.

I most likly will.

What are the benefitial functions of foreskin?

The foreskin contains a huge number of nerve ending.The foreskin protects the head of the penis, which is a mucous membrane. When the foreskin is removed, the head dries out and becomes like ordinary skin.The head of the penis also has a lot of nerve endings, and is very sensitive. When it's not protected by the foreskin, it's always being rubbed by the underpants, which reduces sensitivity.The foreskin serves a purpose during intercourse, it has been argued.Circumcisions occasionally go wrong (with infections and other potential complications), causing grief for the recipient of the surgery.If the boy decides for himself that he wants to be circumcised when he's old enough to make an informed decision, so be it. But why would you think you have the right to decide on his behalf?

Doesnt it make sex also more pleasureble and also lowers chances of STI's? Thats what i read and heard.

There's evidence that it may reduce your chance of catching certain STDs. If you have phimosis and can't retract, it will help during sex (although stretching exercises are effective for lots of the relatively small fraction of people who have serious retraction issues).

Since there are nerve endings in the foreskin, and since the skin will retract and expose the head during sex, and since the head itself will be more sensitive if it's normally covered by a foreskin, how would sex be made more pleasurable by circumcision for the vast majority of guys whose foreskin retracts normally?

The sensations are so much better now than before I was circumcised. But that's for me.Let us know how it is in 20 or 30 years. Some people claim diminishing sensations over time. I don't know how you'd measure it objectively.> I've read where people blamed the surgeon for ruining their sex life!There are men who have had their circumcision surgery botched. Some have gotten infections during surgery. It's a relatively small percentage, but it happens.> I don't understand the animosity towards it, especially due to my experience, but I read about it a lot.This is so personal, I feel one can only report what they experienced and let others make up their I will never know. ... Should you take the ability to choose away from a child? Personally, I think it's 50/50. I don't think it matters sexually.I don't think it's fair to generalize from your own experience. Before I would deprive someone else from making his own choice, I'd want to be really sure that it has little effect for almost anyone. We certainly don't know that now. Several people here have posted after having had bad results from circumcision as teenagers (usually forced into it by parents). I don't know what percentage they represent.> This is so personal...What good reason is there to deprive another person of the right to make his own decision?In most of the U.S., most boys are circumcised. In most of the rest of the non-Moslem world, most are intact. The rate of circumcision is decreasing in the U.S. As that happens, and as Americans become less provincial, the stigma of being circumcised, such that it is, will diminish.

Theres going to be some show about Circumsition and junk tonight. Something on Discovery Channel.I was reading the Men's Health magazine thing, that said that its better to be UNcircumcised. Alot of is the danger of infection, also sometimes if it fails, you can lose the whole penis :O "By no doubt, uncircumcied guys would have much more pleasure during sex" - Dalton Dimmitrii.