Yeah, I'm going there.

The amount of ignorance I see on a daily basis surrounding the topic of circumcision never ceases to amaze me. Infant circumcision is a highly controversial topic. It would seem that cutting off the organ of an infant would prompt the parent to RESEARCH the procedure before making such a huge decision....yet, 32% of Americans are still choosing to blindly make this choice with little knowledge on the extreme decision they are making. Typically, I ignore the nasty messages I get due to people sharing my most recent research paper, but one I just got was particularly nasty. So, I'm going to write some more :) For every person the sends me a nasty message, I get a message thanking me.

I believe that all parents and would be parents should investigate ALL of the aspects concerning circumcision. That includes the purposes and function of the foreskin. This should be done BEFORE the baby makes its grand entrance into this world. There is a plethora of information available on the topic- as well as medical videos of the procedure itself. 

Think about this- The United States is the ONLY nation that circumcises for cultural reasons. As of 2009, our rates were at 32%. Canada has a rate of 9% and England has a rate of 3%. Most other developed countries maintain a rate of 1-2% (as of January 2008) 

If that isn't enough to make you second guess this procedure chew on this bit of information: NO HEALTH ORGANIZATION IN THE WORLD recommends that this procedure be done. None. Zero. Nil.

Why? Circumcision is a very painful procedure. Imagine being a brand new baby boy who has just entered the world. As a newborn it is very dangerous for you to put under general anesthesia and you can only receive a limited amount of numbing drugs. Many babies go into shock and enter a comatose state so their bodies can cope with the pain. Don't believe me? Try cutting off a part of your genitals only using a numbing cream. Let me know how it feels. 

The tissue removed, a.k.a. the prepuce, is the exact same as a baby girl's clitoral hood. Guess what? It has a purpose and a function that occurs pre and post puberty. In the infant state the prepuce's function is to lubricate, provide natural antibiodies, protect the glans/head and in adulthood it does all of this as well as play a role in intercourse. 

Circumcision removes the skin with the highest concentration of nerve endings of ANY male body part. It constitutes 1/3 of the newborn penis. And it can never be replaced. In a grown adult that skin would equal the same size as an index card. 

Well, now you may say, "but what if he wants it done when he is older?" If a man wishes to be circumcised later in life, he is then able to CHOOSE this for himself, and be fully numbed for the procedure. It would be his choice.

As more and more parents learn about the truth of infant circumcision, it is not surprising that fewer parents are opting for this procedure.

I am closing this blog post with a video. It is a recent circumcision performed at a US hospital with the Gomco WITH anesthesia. For the sake of your future children PLEASE research this practice. Make circumcision end in your family. Stop the cycle.