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 :)

[brillohead, ADN, RN]

Also, I wonder if the vehemently anti-circ people are the same group who tend to be anti-vaccine?

I'm anti-circ as a general rule, but I have always been pro-vaccine (except when specifically contraindicated, as in allergies to components of the vaccine).

My son has always had his vaccinations on time, and I even had myself vaccinated against chicken pox three years ago, when it was going through my son's school (I'm evidently one of the few folks born in the 1960s who wasn't invited to a chicken pox party as a child).

So may you wonder no more.....

[GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

I'm anti-circ as a general rule, but I have always been pro-vaccine (except when specifically contraindicated, as in allergies to components of the vaccine).

My son has always had his vaccinations on time, and I even had myself vaccinated against chicken pox three years ago, when it was going through my son's school (I'm evidently one of the few folks born in the 1960s who wasn't invited to a chicken pox party as a child).

So may you wonder no more.....

I am not fully against vaccines, either, and am very against circ. We selectively/delay vaccines.

[lamazeteacher]

I'm anti-circ as a general rule, but I have always been pro-vaccine (except when specifically contraindicated, as in allergies to components of the vaccine).

My son has always had his vaccinations on time, and I even had myself vaccinated against chicken pox three years ago, when it was going through my son's school (I'm evidently one of the few folks born in the 1960s who wasn't invited to a chicken pox party as a child).

So may you wonder no more.....

Some children who attended the parties didn't get chicken pox, due to resistence they had against it at the time. My (circumcised) son, at 6 years of age - not the age of his circ-, covered his newly arrived chicken pox spots with bandaids, as he wanted very much to go to the beach with friends, to which we'd all looked forward with great anticipation.

The parent (a dentist) in whose car he rode there, was furious to find that there were new uncovered spots, (David had no more bandaids) after the 1 and 1/2 hour ride in his car with his son next to my son. (I was at an out of town nurses' conference for a few days before they came to that location for the weekend.) The dentist's son didn't get chicken pox from my son, yet his dad was pretty ticked off when I didn't immediately leave with him for home, upon seeing what transpired. He kept saying disgustedly, "And you're a nurse!" I had been his childbirth educator.

My son had no fever then (and no adult at home noticed any temp elevation or spots before the trip), and I intended to keep him in the room we had at the resort, and have room service, so it didn't seem necessary for my husband, daughter (who'd already had chicken pox twice - really!) me and son to turn around after spending 2 hours on a more crowded freeway to get there, and $200. deposit). It was very embaressing, and obviously I was the one to stay in the room with him all the time the others

cavorted at the beach.....!

Sorry, sorry to have gone off topic for the detour initiated above. I just had to share the story and fact about chicken pox. The dentist's son eventually got the new vaccine (he and my son are 36 now), and I sure hope it was effective.

[rn/writer, RN]

It would have been pointless for you to go home after the "damage" had already been done. I'm thinking the doc wanted you to leave so you would be punished.

My oldest daughter was exposed on the last day of school (3rd grade, I think) when a mom sent her daughter because she would have been so disappointed to miss all the parties. My five kids took turns, each coming down with the pox at the end of the previous kid's contagious period. As they got it one at a time, we spent an entire summer pretty much isolated. ET was playing at the drive-in theater and we went every other week through August. The kids have some good memories of things we did to keep them entertained (pre-computer and video days) while apart from other kids. Beach trips. Picnics. Craft projects. I was so glad when the last one was over it!

Back to the regularly scheduled thread.

[brillohead, ADN, RN]

Some children who attended the parties didn't get chicken pox, due to resistence they had against it at the time.

In my case, I had never been exposed at all. (My doc even checked my titers, assuming that I would have been exposed at some point in my then-37 years on this planet, and he was shocked that it came back negative.) My brother had them before I joined the family, and they never went through my school, presumably because almost everyone else had already had them when their elder siblings brought them home (are germs the ONLY things that sibs share readily? )

I was amazed to find out that CP parties still exist in this day and age... an "acquaintance" of mine (can't bring myself to call her a friend) intentionally infected her daughter a couple years ago... and then expected pity when she had to miss a week of work to stay home with her sick child.

[firstyearstudent]

Circumcision is in no way comparable to a vaccine against HIV or HPV.

I am pro-vaccine and anti-circ.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

I am now, after being informed anti circ, I am NOT anti vaccine and am now very informed on that as well. I wouldn't do all vaccines but I am for 98% of them I would say. COMPARING CIRCUMCISIONS AND VACCINES IS APPLES AND ORANGES IMO OOps sorry about the caps I am to lazy to retype it all.

[deege58]

Yeah........let's just roll over and let everyone do as they wish.

How do you think Florence Nightingale would have viewed this scenario? Hmmmm...... Live and let live?

I think not. She would have had a MAJOR COW about letting folks think that because they don't want to vaccinate their children that they should be allowed to continue to think that they live in a vacuum and have no effect upon other people.

Well dear, i believe that circumcision is genital mutilation (because it is) maybe we should prevent you from doing that to your son... nope, you have the right to mutilate your son in this country... just as i, an rn with 24 years acute care experience, have the right not to poison my children with unnecessary MASS immunizations...hep b for newborns etc...please...

[APRN., DNP, RN, APRN, NP]

Well dear, i believe that circumcision is genital mutilation (because it is) maybe we should prevent you from doing that to your son... nope, you have the right to mutilate your son in this country... just as i, an rn with 24 years acute care experience, have the right not to poison my children with unnecessary MASS immunizations...hep b for newborns etc...please...

LOL!! My son's circ won't give your daughter measles.

[deege58]

LOL!! My son's circ won't give your daughter measles.

no, but it might increase his chance for std's which he could spread..

[APRN., DNP, RN, APRN, NP]

no, but it might increase his chance for std's which he could spread..

Then why are they trying to promote circ's in Aftrica to prevent STD's?

[deege58]

do a bit more research please before you make that statement, circs are a protection and a sexual enhancement, most women just need to feel better about what they did to their babyboys...no undoing that...but this was about immunizations..

And it is about our right to choose...