The Circumcision Discussion

Specialties Ob/Gyn

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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 :)

Specializes in Critical Care.
Merged the circumcision threads for consistency of discussion.

Wowsers! This now makes my OP from last year the lead thread. In THAT thread, I was pointing to the research that showed a link between circ and HIV reduction.

I wasn't trying to discuss the cultural ramifications in the U.S., at all, although, I did end up defending that position.

In the meantime, I've tried to stay out of the general cultural debate. Now, anybody coming here and reviewing this thread will start with lots of what I have to say.

It's cool, but I'll probably avoid posting much in this current debate. I just wanted to point out that it's not that my opinions have changed. I hashed this all out last year and it's here for the reading. In fact, the only reason I ever brought up circumcision at all was in very promising research to eradicate HIV from a Continent where it is so rampant, it is destroying whole societies. What a wonderful thing a 60% reduction of HIV could be in those regions. It would translate to millions of lives saved.

I will say, though, now that I'm going to have a girl, at least ONE of my kids will avoid the fate of being circ'd. Until, at least, the NEXT child comes along. . .

~faith,

Timothy.

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Apples and oranges arguments..... try explaining to a full grown man that it is much better now getting the circumcision done then when he was a baby.

I don't think it is apples and oranges. The point is that the baby won't remember the pain so that makes it ok. That is not a good argument, in my opinion, because then you could say you could do all kinds of things to the baby that are painful simply because they won't remember. It wasn't that long ago that babies had surgeries and other painful procedures w/o anesthetic or anesthesia because of the "they won't remember" idea and because of the theory that babies don't feel pain.

I think it is a bit cowardly to push the circ on the baby because a grown man wouldn't want to deal with the pain and the baby won't remember.

Don't forget . . . .my boys and my husband are pro-circumcision.

steph

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Regardless of whether we are pro or con about this subject-- wouldn't it make sense to let each man decide for himself if he wants to be circed, rather than having the parents decide for him? It shows a disrespect for the child's right to choose what he wants done to his own body. If we are talking about STD's and HIV, he would most likely be of age by the time he had to be worried about the possible consequences of not being circed. Or he would be educated enough to use a condom.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.
I'm not necessarily for or against circumcision, but I can't help but wonder, how many of you think piercing a baby girl's ears is barbaric??

I don't like the thought of it, that's for sure.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

Probably the most interesting reason a parent gave me for having their baby circed was that "Jesus was circumcised."

:confused:

Now, before anybody gets upset, I have no problem with people wanting to follow Jesus.

But if you believe the Bible, then a lot of other things happened to Jesus that you might not want to have happen to your child. Please find a better reason to circ him!!

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Specializes in Nurse Educator; Family Nursing.

Thank you, Arwen. . .

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I'm British, but my daughter married an american and is about to have a her newborn son circumcised, I'm afraid i find it disgusting and uncivilised.

Can i point out:

There are no significant, proven heath benefits of circumcision. the American Academy of Pediatrics stated;" the Academy concluded that there was no absolute medical indication for routine circumcision" (AAP Circumcision Policy Statement 1999).

There are no hygiene issues that can't be solved with soap and water.

In the UK we have very strict ethical and legal standards.

Surely there are Human Rights issues surrounding this?

Don't you have informed consent in the US?

Might i suggest you leave the boys untill they are over 18 years and ask them then if they want to look like their dads!!!

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

Hey, I completely agree with you on all points, Jane. My dh and son are both intact.

I had just remembered that one dad that said he wanted to have his boy circed bc Jesus was. I can't think of a single GOOD reason to do it, but that ranks right up there as one of the worst for sure.

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Specializes in Telemetry, Nursery, Post-Partum.
Probably the most interesting reason a parent gave me for having their baby circed was that "Jesus was circumcised."

:confused:

Now, before anybody gets upset, I have no problem with people wanting to follow Jesus.

But if you believe the Bible, then a lot of other things happened to Jesus that you might not want to have happen to your child. Please find a better reason to circ him!!

What a reason! People are funny sometimes. Does anyone watch "Desperate Housewives"? The last episode cracked me up!

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I'm British, but my daughter married an american and is about to have a her newborn son circumcised, I'm afraid i find it disgusting and uncivilised.

Can i point out:

There are no significant, proven heath benefits of circumcision. the American Academy of Pediatrics stated;" the Academy concluded that there was no absolute medical indication for routine circumcision" (AAP Circumcision Policy Statement 1999).

There are no hygiene issues that can't be solved with soap and water.

In the UK we have very strict ethical and legal standards.

Surely there are Human Rights issues surrounding this?

Don't you have informed consent in the US?

Might i suggest you leave the boys untill they are over 18 years and ask them then if they want to look like their dads!!!

My boys are glad they are circ'd . . . .I specifically asked them when this subject first came up on allnurses a few years back. Both boys said they would be very angry with me if I had managed to talk their dad into NOT having them circ'd. They did not want to go through their teen years NOT circ'd. I guess up here there was only one boy NOT circ'd (and his dad is kind of an old hippie and his mom is Asian) and he was unfortunately teased, a lot.

Remember - I'm against circing.

But waiting until the boys are 18, might just p i z z them off.

Not that that is an argument . . . .

steph

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Specializes in DOU.

There are no significant, proven heath benefits of circumcision. the American Academy of Pediatrics stated;" the Academy concluded that there was no absolute medical indication for routine circumcision" (AAP Circumcision Policy Statement 1999).

!

You know, I don't have a problem with people who decide NOT to circumcize, but to say there are NO proven health benefits is untrue. Whether or not you consider the risk of contracting HIV significant enough to warrant circumcising, there is no question that it has a medical benefit. The National Institute of Health backs circumcision as a way to reduce the HIV transmission rate, and The World Health Organization said that making circumcision widely available, inexpensive and safe could prevent 5.7 million HIV infections over the next 20 years.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6176209.stm

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/20/AR2007102001206.html

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.
You know, I don't have a problem with people who decide NOT to circumcize, but to say there are NO proven health benefits is untrue. Whether or not you consider the risk of contracting HIV significant enough to warrant circumcising, there is no question that it has a medical benefit. The National Institute of Health backs circumcision as a way to reduce the HIV transmission rate, and The World Health Organization said that making circumcision widely available, inexpensive and safe could prevent 5.7 million HIV infections over the next 20 years.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6176209.stm

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/20/AR2007102001206.html

Medical benefit is for sexually active men. Not newborns. So let them get in line when they decide to become sexually active.

Still NO medical benefit to circumcising infants.

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