What
and why?
The
purpose of this page is to look at adult vs infant circumcision.
As a side note, there are no pictures of the operation here, but
words aren't all your should expose yourself to, not with something
permanent, there a pictures and videos out there as well. If you do not view them, it is difficult to fully understand what is done. Many
people in the US think getting it done as an infant is best, but
why? What complications/risks are there between the two? How is
pain different? What about remembering the procedure? What about
cost and healing time? How about consent?
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Adult
circ vs Infant circ.
This
is not a medical risk analysis, for that, go here. You may also wish to read my personal experience with be circumcised as an infant.
Consent:
For
starters, the most important to me is consent and understanding.
An adult can research and understand if circumcision is what he
wants to do. Is the argued about reduction in contracting HIV
worth it? Will he take the gamble on his life, or wear a condom?
Regardless of what stuff is argued and debated about at the time
he decides it is ultimately him making the choice, whether he
regrets it later or not. Another thing is that as an adult he
will make the decision with the current medical knowledge,
not with 15, 20 or even more years outdated material that his
parents could have used, if they even researched it.
His parents decided their personal preference was "good enough
for them" so it will be "good enough for him"...
they were ok with it, so why not get their son done? But should
personal preference be pushed in this way... its permanent, no
going back? Why shouldn't their son be able to decide what he
wants?
Perhaps the parents were told
about medical benefits. Wouldn't
good medical benefits place it more in the parental choice side?
I mean, parents will vaccinate their kids to prevent problems.
However, even IF the medical benefits argued about for circ were
all true and accurate, most of them apply to adults, while vaccines
protect the child... if you wait until they can choose for vaccines,
it may be to late. Vaccines also don't remove part of the body
permanently or cause psychological/emotional problems like circumcision
can. Also, side effects/complications from the circumcision procedure
itself would negate any supposed prevention benefits for the child.
Because of these issues, consent and understanding for the child
isn't trumped by medical reasons. Many of these reasons help fuel the decline of infant circumcision and has even led to bans in Australia and Germany, while being considered in Sweden and in general has been on the radar for legal consideration.
Some
people also like to bring up the removal of tonsils, appendix,
wisdom teeth, etc. However, most of the time these
are removed when there is or will soon be a problem, they are not recommended before
anything goes wrong. People undergoing these procedures also receive
proper pain prevention. And not only that, they are
unseen, internal parts removed. They are also not used in something
as sensual as sex. A person's genitals are something deeply important and
personal. Taking away their choice there can be much worse.
Pain:
Another issue is pain. You
have probably heard various stories when it comes to this, i know
i have. He cried and cried it was horrible, he cried but the pacifier
(dipped in sugar) helped, he cried a little but was fine after.
There are different reactions to the pain because people deal
with it different ways. Some are able to use use distractions
to try and cope, some go into a more unconscious state (some might
call a partial coma), but others cant break away from the pain.
However, on top of those stories, you might have also heard that
babies don't feel pain. Maybe doctors used to think that, but
no longer (despite how much people want to believe it). This myth
lingers because of those infants that have the "unconscious"
response to the pain and because people get this mixed up with,
babies wont remember the pain. But come on, "don't remember
the pain", what the?? Ok, ok, I can see why people want
to think "its not so bad", but here's a scenario. I
gave myself a nasty paper cut the other day, the memory of it
is no big deal (honestly, I'm fine), but right when it happened
was the worst... the searing pain as the paper cut through my
skin, followed by the throbbing reminder and bumping it in to
things until it healed. Place anything you like in that scenario,
broken bones, twisted ankle, slamming you finger in the door,
falling down the stairs, getting teeth pulled, maybe even circumcision
as an adult, whatever. Experiencing the pain at that time was
probably the worst of the whole ordeal, the only time that remembering
is an issue is when whatever happened is still affecting you,
examples here would be, rape, death in the family, paralysis,
loss of a finger, birth defect, or an unwanted circumcision.
So that is why I hate when
people try to say, "he wont remember it" because he
sure is experiencing it. However, lets say for whatever
reason he managed to feel no pain during the procedure... what
about afterwards? I didn't need meds after that paper cut I got,
but circumcision? You really think that Tylenol is going to be
enough? That removing/applying bandages, pulling off the adhesions
(remaining foreskin trying to reattach to the glans), isn't painful?
You really think getting urine/feces in the wound is no big deal?
Eh, sorry for the image... but come on. And that is only in the
short term.... in the long term he could have any or all the personal/pleasure
issues I already talked about. You don't have to experience the
pain to feel consequences from what happened or be upset that
it did.
For a consenting adult who
can get the proper pain meds and express the level of pain, not
only is the pain minimized, the psychological/emotional problems are eliminated (unless perhaps he regrets it), he can "customize"
his circumcision to how he wants it, no urine/feces in wound,
retractable/unfused foreskin (an infant's foreskin is "fused"
to the glans), and the glans/head of the penis is "fresher"
allowing for better sensitivity after the circ then one exposed
since birth. The only real drawback compared to infant circ is
cost, but I wouldn't want to skimp on pain meds, and given the
other issues, it would be worth it... and leaves it all up to
him.
Finally, I couldn't
help but put up this quote talking about a mother-in-law who gave
a nice baby present....
"The circ care
kit (gauze, lotion, etc)!!?!?!?!? Yea, that's a great new baby
gift!!
I like the "intact care kit" - love, care, and protection!"
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