The Circumcision Discussion

[jmspeach]

I know this can be a HUGE debate, and I'm not looking to start any arguments. I was just wondering as you are OB nurses. I'm expecting a boy in July and not sure if we should circ. or not. My husband says yes, it's better medically in the long run. My gpa who just turned 70 had to have a circ. due to endless complications lately.

As nurses in this area, is the medication that they use good? And what are some questions to ask my Dr. about it. I already know that my hospital i'll be at uses a med. when they perform it, I"m just wondering what you all think.

Thanks

Jen :)

[neelyt]

I have just entered the all nurses discussion areas and took particular interest in this discussion as I am male. Now as far the medical portion of being circumcized I can't say. I do keep seeing the same thing said over and over again, you need to make sure and clean this area well. Ok, I agree hygene is extremely important but lets just say later on in life your son chooses to join the military (God help, make him go to college, but it is their decision), hygene is something that is difficult to conduct real well in an environment such as Iraq when all you have is a water bottle in the middle of nowhere. I know this because I have been there. Lets say that is not a real issue and probably is not. Me personnally I am glad I was circumcized, I couldn't imagine being one of the only guys who had not had it done with the crew I work with. I would definitely be the but of jokes for a period of time. Second considering how the person would feel depending on who it is, it might effect their sex life. I would dare to say in the beginning there would be a little apprehension in what a girl would think about how different my member looked from other guys. Would she like or would she herself be kind of apprehensive about it. Most of you are woman and no how hard headed some of us guys can be and telling your son that it makes no difference that his looks different from everyone else would do little good a lot of times, Why? because you are mom and you would love him no matter what. Now as far as the pain, I agree that numbing would DEFINITELY! be a good idea, I couldn't imagine anyone chopping any part off down there without any numbing medication. I have had a vesectomy done and if you can I would suggest the do the injection at it only hurts for a second and then no pain. I can say it is just another shot as is with any other and acutally hurts less than some you get in your arm or keester. Your choice on what you do with your son as far as me, I am glad I had it done and maybe your husband is thinking the same way. Congratulations on your future little one and I wish you and your husband well with you new child, as they are all blessings in life. Tom.

[Botched]

No opinion here, just observation: I have only seen two circ's, and both lasted no more then 5 mins. I can not remember if anesthesia was used or not- too long ago, however the infants didn't cry anymore then they did during the birth. Birth itself would have to be painful, wouldn't it? May be why we do not remember it?

I have also heard that it is more painful to be circ'd as u get older.

Another catch 22- son says, "mom why didn't u have me circ'd when I was an infant, so I wouldn't have to go through this now?

Question- how was it determined that having foreskin is more sexually stimulating? I have my thoughts........

[Dayray, RN]

I don't think circ's are nessasary or even helpful. As smileing said their arent any real medical reasons for it and some strong arguments against it. It is no longer recomended (not discouraged but no longer recomended) by the Academy of pediatrics .

I have seen countless circs and belive that they do hurt. Also it is hard to watch the procedure as it looks pretty grusome.

I have had disscussions with co workers before and they always bring up the same reasons to do it.

1. its cleaner -- um no it isent as long as you clean well and teach your son to clean well no prob here.

2. when men get older they have to have it done anyway so why not do it now? --- not all men have to be circed at 70 and if they do they probebly have other problems that are much more concerning then a circ.

truth be told the main reasons it is done (in my opion) is that either people think that it looks gross with the foreskin or the father is circumsised and wants the son to look like him (don't flam me for this have actually had patients tell me this)

It must be there for a reason so why take it off?

[neelyt]

I am with botched and would like to know the answer to that question as I couldn't imagine anything covering up that area, because that is the main area I get most of the feeling. Not disputing just curious and this is my personal observation.

[GraceyB]

If I were to have a son, I would go ahead and have him circumsized. One, it is cleaner and causes less infections because with the foreskin, bacteria can grow and here come the infections, second, my husband is circumsized, third, all the men in my family are circumsized and fourth, I dated someone that still had his foreskin and his member always carried a, let's say scent to it, and lastly, I know of three men that had to have circumsions at an older age which was very painful, one tore the foreskin while having sex and there was blood everywhere. Traumatizing experience.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

Rusty . . . I was waiting for the circ jokes.

Well, my eldest is 20 and I remember that being the first era of debate regarding to circ or not. I was of the opinion that it wasn't necessary, after reading all the literature. My husband (ex now) wanted our son circ'd because he was circ'd. Said he wouldn't remember the pain. I came back with "well, shall we then burn him with lit cigarettes because he won't remember the pain". Yes, I can be blunt. He didn't buy it. In those day, PP moms stayed in the hospital for 3 days. By the third day we were still fighting about it. I finally gave in and I had to sign the paperwork. Two years later we had another son and circ'd him. New hubby and a daughter (whew, didn't have to make that decision again). Then along comes our toddler . . . another boy. Well, he is also circ'd. I made sure this time that lidocaine was used.

This is such a personal decision. Men for the most part are all for it. Weird huh?

My best advice is make sure your physician uses a pain blocker. When I assist our doc I usually use a pacifier if the baby cries. Some cry . .some don't.

Best wishes . . and lots of luck.

steph

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

Originally posted by Browneyedgirl

An afterthought.....we cringe at the thought of episiotomy and lady partsl circumsicion....what's the difference?

I feel the need to clarify something.

If you are referring to FEMALE circumcision, there is a BIG difference. (What is lady partsl circumcision?). The proper term actually is mutilation, as circumcision is a misnomer.

The procedure that you are referring to varies from cutting out the privy parts to cutting away the privy parts, labia minora and labia majora. It is frequently done without any anesthetic or any hygienic measures. At times there is only a small match-sized hole is left to faciltate urine and menstrual blood passage - everything else is sutured up. Women sometimes have to cut open with a knife (also without hygeine, or anesthetic) on their wedding nights or for child birth.

The death/infection rate is high. The maternal death rate/infection rate/complication rate on these women are high. The infant infection rate/mortality rate is high. The long term side effects of the procedure is detrimental (UTIs/Incontinence).

The only known purpose for this procedure is to discourage women from having sex. PERIOD. Though popularly associated with Islam, it is not sanctioned officially by any major religion, to my knowledge. It is a purely culture phenomenon.

In terms of sexual sensation (and nerve endings), reputable MDs liken it more to having the entire member cut off in its most conservative form, and portions of other genitalia scrapped away in more extensive varations.

Please do not compare female circumcision to male circumcision. It is not remotely comparable.

[Mimi2RN, ASN, RN]

We have only one doc (out of about 18) who still does circs in the hospital. I think the majority of our babies in this area are never circed. I know a few docs still do, but several peds send them to someone else. The one doc that does it here uses lidocaine and a gomco.

Year ago when I worked at a different hospital, we did a lot,,,,different population. We had a bottle of sugar solution the we used for pain relief.....we would pour some in a medicine cup and dip the pacifier in it. Babe would suck on it through the procedure, and was much happier. Here we use sugar solution for during procedure, and for fussy babies....with the docs blessings.

My boys were both circed because daddy is, and wanted it that way. I was new here, didn't know any better.

mimi

[Browneyedgirl]

Shower Room Pickings.....

Do Guys LOOK That closely at each other's memberes while in the shower room???????

As a mother, THAT WOULD FREAK ME OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dawngloves, BSN, RN]

Originally posted by Browneyedgirl

Shower Room Pickings.....

Do Guys LOOK That closely at each other's memberes while in the shower room???????

As a mother, THAT WOULD FREAK ME OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:roll I brought this up to my husband when we discussed having my son circ'd. He said he'd rather teach his son to beat the crap outta the guy checking out his Johnson than have him cut!

So we skipped it. Couldn't argue that!

[Liddle Noodnik]

Originally posted by stevielynn

"well, shall we then burn him with lit cigarettes because he won't remember the pain".

Awful AWFUL experience when my son was circumcised. Awful for me, anyway. Don't know if he recalls.

My ex and I had discussed it and I had mixed feelings; really no reason for it anymore, hygiene not really an issue (altho today at 16 I bet it WOULD be, he is AWFUL!), sensation, well I'd heard too there was more sensation WITH a foreskin.

Anyway, my hub wanted to do it on the 8th day cuz of the Biblical principle (that I don't even want to get into) and was determined to get it done. But as the day approached, I felt more and more dis-ease about it and didn't want to have him mutilated or exposed to pain.

My hub (now ex, LOL) and I fought that day about it. Now this man who was so Biblically oriented had the foulest mouth on him, was a chronic drinker/drugger/dishonest SOB, and HE wanted to do the Biblical thing! Yeah right. total hypocrite. Not that I have any hard feelings LOL.

So that day we were supposed to go together to "be there" for our son and it ended up that I screamed, "Well, YOU do it to him!!!" at the top of my lungs. Dad scooped up the little bugger and walked out the door. I cried and sobbed the whole time they were gone.

The doc did end up doing a good job but what a mess mess mess. Doing it for the sake of doing it, man.......

So words of wisdom, be sure you are sure and if you're not it's ok to wait.

Still feel so sad thinking back to it ...

[Liddle Noodnik]

Originally posted by caroladybelle

Please do not compare female circumcision to male circumcision. It is not remotely comparable.

Yup, it is NOT.