Circumcision and numbing

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I work for a pediatricians office and I am required to help out with infant circumcisions she uses a gomco clamp with no anesthetic what is everyone else’s experience with this and have you ever assisted with one without anesthesia what did you do and how did you cope with it all 

Specializes in ER.

Baby and children's memberes don't look like Dad's anyways. 

My sons are intact, they are in their 30s and 40s. It never has been an issue. My Grandson is also intact. 

It's a cultural norm that originated in a sandy desert environment where getting a grain of sand under a foreskin in a land with little water could be a problem. 

There are many cultural norms that are oppressive or barbaric from many parts of the world. I'm not sure if male circumcision rises to that level, but imposing that on a newborn without any anesthesia or numbing is cruel.

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Specializes in Oncology, ID, Hepatology, Occy Health.
On 3/30/2021 at 12:52 PM, CommunityRNBSN said:

It is a cultural norm. Hopefully we can all be respectful of cultural norms, can we not?  If not, believe me, there are TONSSS of Reddit boards where you can share your horror and disgust. (Also my son isn’t circumcised, so I’m not some sort of circumcision advocate. But I’d hate for this thread to descend into xenophobia where you insist only barbarians would do such a thing.) 

We can only respect cultural norms if we understand them which is why I ask the question. We're also not obliged to respect cultural norms we disagree with, for example in some cultures female circumcision is accepted as a norm and there's no way I can respect that, so no, respecting cultural norms is not a given. One needs to ask WHY and HOW something became a cultural norm and that is the point of my question. I'm not into bashing Jews, Muslims or Americans. I simply want to understand why people have this done to their boys since I come from a culture where it's just not done. Curiosity and interest in somebody elses culture is surely the antithesis of xenophobia. 

 

 

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@DavidFR Hey there! It's interesting to hear your perspective on this matter. I'm from the US and I would say (from my experience and others I've spoken to) that it's far less common to NOT be circumcised. I remember back around the time I graduated HS (2006) hearing about people being made fun of for not being circumcised (so ridiculous). I'm sure some is cultural, some religious, some people probably choose to do it because that's what their parents/father's have done before them.... Just like everything else, you have to weigh out the pro's and con's and do what's right for you and your situation. 

But as far as assisting with procedures that you are uncomfortable with, I personally wouldn't. I have been put in very uncomfortable positions before and if I don't feel like it's sitting well with me, I speak up and honestly, if this is a procedure done routinely in your office, maybe it's time to consider somewhere else? This is a person to person dilema and you have to do what's right for you! 

Dani

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Specializes in Oncology, ID, Hepatology, Occy Health.
1 hour ago, Danielle Sanchez said:

@DavidFR Hey there! It's interesting to hear your perspective on this matter. I'm from the US and I would say (from my experience and others I've spoken to) that it's far less common to NOT be circumcised. I remember back around the time I graduated HS (2006) hearing about people being made fun of for not being circumcised (so ridiculous). I'm sure some is cultural, some religious, some people probably choose to do it because that's what their parents/father's have done before them.... Just like everything else, you have to weigh out the pro's and con's and do what's right for you and your situation. 

But as far as assisting with procedures that you are uncomfortable with, I personally wouldn't. I have been put in very uncomfortable positions before and if I don't feel like it's sitting well with me, I speak up and honestly, if this is a procedure done routinely in your office, maybe it's time to consider somewhere else? This is a person to person dilema and you have to do what's right for you! 

Dani

I agree with your sentiments Dani, however it isn't me working in the paediatrician's office, it's the OP.

I simply asked why this has become a cultural norm in the US.

I understand the religious angle, and I personally can't condone a procedure like this for any dogma, religious or otherwise. I have a colleague who's married to a muslim. Her adult son now reproaches his parents for having had him done. Not least because of this:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23374102/

I'm curious as to why this has become a common practice amongst largely non-Jewish, non-Muslim Americans of European descent when in European culture it's not done. What happened historically to make this more common than not? Does anybody know the history of what changed in American society, and  the rationale behind it? I'm not attacking, I'm just very curious.

I agree wholeheartedly with the poster above who stated that to do this without anaesthetic is not acceptrable.

In a private sector health care system, is this a money-spinner for the paediatricians?

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