POLL: Circumcision?

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This stunned me when I read it in the other thread. I almost wrote about it there, but I felt it was tangental enough to the original topic to be made into a seperate thread. While I knew the practice of circumcision varied in different countries, I did not know that there were countries where the practice was actually banned. So in Finland, you can't get one even if you were an adult and wanted one?

If it's part of a religious belief system, I frankly don't see how one can ban it.

I got a baby boy on the way, and while I really didn't think about it before now, I think I would have him circumcised (as a baby), even though it wouldn't be for religious reasons. Since the vast majority of boys are circumcised in the US, I wouldn't want him to have any uncomfortable moments in the locker room because he was "different" from the other boys.

Anyway, two questions. For this to be any help, please state what country you are from when replying.

Poll Information
This poll contains 2 question(s). 41 user(s) have voted.
You may not view the results of this poll without voting.

Poll Results: Circumcision? (41 votes.)

Are most men circumcised in your country? (Choose 1)
* Yes - 44% (18)
* No - 46% (19)
* I haven't the slightest idea. - 10% (4)

What is the legal status of circumcision in your country? (Choose 1)
* It's legal if you want one. - 100% (41)
* It's required by law. - 0% (0)
* It's only allowed if you are a member of a religion that requires it. - 0% (0)
* It's banned. - 0% (0)

 

In Denmark its legal, but not required of anyone. Since at least male circumcision is not harmfull in a young age and is used to help people with a too thight foreskin, i cant really see the problem with it.

the only problem is, when your a young boy/adult the penis head can get sore if its constantly exposed, but as far as i can undestand this will pass after some time for most people.

as far as i can see its only done in Denmark as a religius thing or a medical issue, so its a minority who is circumcised.

 

In Canada it is exactly the same as the States - almost all boys are circumsized as babies but it is completely optional.

 

I'm suing my parents. I want my foreskin back.

 

I find it unusual - granted it may be because most people who voted didn't post, so we don't know where they are from - that most people indicated the majority of males are NOT circumcised in their country. Could be sampling error though. Come to think of it, I don't know anyone who isn't circumcised (well, other than some of the people on these boards I suppose).

 

Gah, I really phrased that very badly and was accordingly misunderstood. Of course it's legal to get yourself circumcized if you want to. No reason to ban it really, a child however can't be legally circumcized no matter how much he consented or the parents wanted it. As an adult one is of course free to circumcise himself or even castrate himself if he would feel the need to do so.

Since I'm no lawyer I do not know the specifics about the law or when a child has the full rights to decide if he wants to go through with this (14 or 15 years would be my guess.)

My personal opinion is that circumsition should be reserved for people who need it for medical procedure. If one otherwise wants it then it can be done when he reaches the proper age of consent.

 

Out of curiosity, is their a religious exception to this? Although you did say that the mother of a child was charged with assault, so maybe there is no medical exception...

Apparantly so. While I do no know exactly who has and who has not voted, there are currently 3 votes for yes and 7 for no. Since myself, JSSB, and DR are all from North America, presumably everyone else who voted is not.

I also may have to re-think this decision for my child. I mean, there really is no medical reason to do it in most cases.

 

Supposedly, sex feels better for non-circumcised men. That makes sense to me I guess, if one imagined the umm...engineering...of sex.

 

LNT,
one could say that circumcised men are happy with less.

 

@AFI: Maybe the medical reasons are more compelling than you think. Here are only two articles that I recall hearing about in the news recently.

Male circumcision may results in 50-60% reduction of HIV transmittal.
Male circumcision is associated with a reduced risk of penile HPV infection and, in the case of men with a history of multiple sexual partners, a reduced risk of cervical cancer in their current female partners.

 

Actually, you'll find that this isn't true anymore. For kids my oldest son's age (he's turning 8 in May) and younger, it's actually closer to 50/50.....and the trend is moving towards parents not circumcising their boys at all.

 

T3 was circumsized, I think it's about 50:50 according to our doctor. There are advantages and disadvantages for young children -- as Rally points out there are a lot of advantages for adults. Not the least of which was mentioned here by Barmy Army. What a classic post.

One could say that ... if referring to useless, flabby skin. Circumcision doesn't affect umm... adequate maturation (I think a certain Mr Holmes would be adequate proof).

 

Hmm, interesting discussion - not possessing the requisite body part myself, I can only speak as a spectator, as it were.

Most of the men I have had reason to know this fact about have been circumcised, probably because it's in the U.S. and, as already noted, it was a nearly automatic medical procedure for newborn boys for a long time. However, I was involved in caring for my father near the end of his life and so came to learn he was not circumcised. He was born in 1918 in a home birth attended by a midwife - so the medical circumstances leading to most U.S. men being circumcised didn't apply to him.

As for whether it makes a difference in sexual pleasure - that seems to me a question that could only be answered by a man who had experienced sex both before and after an adult circumcision. Otherwise it is so subjective there is no way to address it.

 

T2,
I simply think those nerve endings in that useless, flabby skin are good for something.

 

I live in Luxemburg. Circumcision is legal, but very uncommon here, I know only two people who've been put under the tiny guillotine.

I likes me foreskin, wouldn't swim around naked without it.

 

In Canada, I have no clue as to the percentage who are circumcized, and I really don't want to do the research...

I'm not sure of the law (never thought about it, actually), but I assume it's available if you wanted one...

 

I live in the rural US, where I am there is a GIGANTIC percentage towards circumcision. I can only give a rough guess, but I'd say about 80% of the people my age had the procedure. Not really much more to say here...

[ May 26, 2007, 05:35: Message edited by: ChickenIsGood ]

 

I'm from India and circumcision is perfectly legal if you want it. Having said that, I'm a Muslim and in my religion it is required to be circumcised...