No.  We are all crazy in our house about "elective" surgery.  If you don't have to have it, you don't get it.  But everyone must do what is best for their family.

People make circumcision out to be a really big deal when it isn't: 

I was with my sons when they were circumcised and they honestly didn't feel a thing. Here is a video link of a (modern) circumcision if it would help:

http://www.circumcisionvancouver.com

I have done a lot of research on circumcision and thought this would help for anyone out there trying to make up their own mind:

http://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/news/?ItemID=26068

http://www.physorg.com/news86339340.html

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1141513

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/fishman/2006/circumcision.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15593753/

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/07/27/circumcision-sensation.html

http://www.circinfo.com/parents_guide/gfp.html

http://www.modern-psychiatry.com/circumcision.htm

even the World health Organization is recommending it now:
http://www.who.int/hiv/mediacentre/news68/en/index.html
http://www.who.int/entity/hiv/mediacentre/MCrecommendations_en.pdf

NO NO NO NO always NO!!

Reasons...Same as if someone  suggested a nose job, chin implant, or boob job for my little baby...

1.Unnecessary

2.He's only a baby...!!!

3.Pain

4.My boys are perfect the way God made them and I wouldn't change a thing!!!!

5.Hygiene????? They get snotty noses too...but we don't cut them off!!!!!!!

Absolutely not. Particularly when study after study comes to the conclusion that neonatal circumcision is unnecessary and traumatic.

my dad, my husband, my 2 brothers and my 2 sons are all curcumsised. havn't had any kinds of problems at any stage as a result. if anything i feel we have prevented haveing any problems, as i know people who have had to go in and get it done later on in life which is pretty painful. my 2 boys had it done when they were newborns they healed quickly and that was it. really glad i did it, and its everyones personal choice.

We got our two boys done because of our 'religion'. But also I knew so many friends as I was growing up that had problems with infections (yes I know not very good personal hygiene) and the foreskin actually not growing and having to get it removed as teenagers! Two of my friends had to have that op, I'm not actually sure how common that is. But really it is your decision on what you feel is best for your child. It's good to get unbiased information and then sit down with your partner and have a good discussion about it. Just like hubby and I did with our first pregnancy.

Well, Cath, I guess you got a few answers to your questions!

I personally didn't care either way.  I mean, I don't have one so I never really thought about it.  I grew up in the usa and had primarily seen circumsized penises.  I know my dad and brother are as is my exhusband.  My current husband isn't.  He feels very strongly about not doing it.  That is why we chose not to.

Proper hygeine is all that is needed to prevent issues (unless of course there is something else going on). 

If the lord had intended it to not be there, she wouldn't have put it there...

Hi. We have had both of our sons circumcised without a second thought (I know this may get me some flack) but it wasn't really an option for us not to have it done. It's not a religious thing for us at all but my husband was done & my brother also & I worked in pharmacy before having my children & came across way too many uncircumcised old men (and occasionally young boys/babies) with infected penises because they weren't cleaning them properly. It is a very personal choice & most doctors don't like to do it & actually charge for it to be done now as it is controversial but in the end it is up to you. Good luck.

There are pros and cons to being circumcised and not being circumcised, so it's really up to you. Though if it's a religious requirement, you should probably do it unless you want scorn from relatives. Just kidding!

There are bucket loads of information (both advice and Q&A) on circumcision on Minti, I've linked a few of them in the Related Content section which is under your question. You can also take a look in our Minti Archive by looking up circumcision in the "find stuff" search bar at the top right of the page.

lol - always a great topic to set a record in comments :)

our boys are both not circumcised, however this is mainly because in australia "not circumcised" is the majority now, and I want them to fit in. If circumcised was still the norm... then i would have had them circumcised.

My wife and i have 4 boys and they have all been done. We didn't even think about not having it done, one of our nephews parents didn't get him done and at the age of 5 had to have a major operation and it was worst at 5 than when they are new born. But it's up to you and your partner what you do with your child, but don't be pressured into doing something you don't want to do. Good luck and God bless you on your decision.

WOW. this really is a hot topic. I know here in the states what the Father is the child nroamlly is...MY son will be done. He is having his surgically done in the OR....BTW even IF we had NOT wanted his done we would have had no choice medically becuase he has a congenitial birth defect. It's called a hypospadias. The only way to "repair" his penis is to use his foreskin to "make" a new urethra.

Basically the opening to his urethra is on the side of his penus. Some hypospadias boys have a penis that is croked, Our DS does not have that. They will have to close one site and use the existing foreskine to make the urethra and surgically make a new opening as well. He will have afoley catheter in place until the new part of the repaired urethra is fully healed. If they did nto do that, the urethra could heal onto itself making it impossible for him to urinate.

Amzazingly enough, this is an out patient surgery and he will come home the same day from surgery to our house without an overnight stay. YIKES!!!!! It's considered very routine.

ALL boys born with a hypospadias are not circumsized at birth but they are ALL done during their repair, whether or not the parents WANT it done....

His is DX as a Grade 1 hypospadias. It is the easiest to repair BUT all hypospadias are repaired and there fore ALL baby boys born with a hypospadias are circumsized during the repair.

I did not have my son circumsised.  My mom asked me the same thing, as she had my brother circumcised.  I have to say it's really up to how you feel about it.  For me, I did not' want to do if for several reasons.  1 being it's painful to the baby, i don't wanna put him thru it. 2 religously it's not something that christians do.  It was a tradition that dates way back to the jewish beliefs of a spiritual connection to god.  Long story, and when Jesus was born it was no longer something that was to be done, as he lifted the burden from us.  Long story.  3 hubby did not have it done.  And 4 unless medically needed, it's better to leave it, after all it has the majority of the sensations in that part of the skin...Those are my basis as to why I did not do it.  But for you, think about what you and your mate wish.

Hi there. Wow, hot topic!

I dont really have anything to add that hasnt already been said. I didnt get my son circumcised because his Daddy wasnt. It seems that it was the fashion to do so 30 years ago, and now it has been recocnised as a cruel and unnecessary thing to do. Unless your son has a medical reason to have it removed, i wouldnt get it done.

I do know a girl who got her son circumcised and she said it was the worst week of her life. Her baby cried for a whole week after having it done.

I have 3 boys and all of them are NOT circumcised. I didn't feel it was necessary, even tho my hubby is, but that was our choice. The old saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". If you teach your son good hygiene habits there should be no problems.

If on the other hand one of them had a medical issue and it needed to be done, then I would have it done.

You shouldn't make up your mind just yet, but, as you are, look into the whole business.  I have 2 boys and both have been circumcised, and not for religious reasons.  The reason was -  Both my boys had phimosis - narrowing of the foreskin, thereby making urination difficult and in some cases painful.  In severe cases it could lead to infection and with repeated infections it could lead to infertility.  In theses case, it wasn't very bad, but I chose to have it done whilst they were still a babies and well before it could become a problem.

One other reason I had it done early was that before I got married, one of my boyfriends had phimosis, but never had anything done about it, despite several  cases of infection.  He was too embarrased!  I lived through the whole process with him and saw first hand what effect it had on him - not just physically but more importantly, mentally!  I then decided that I would never let that happen to my boys - should I have any.

Another reason I did it was that there is some evidence that women who marry men who have been circumcised have a lower incidence of vaginal cancer. 

Its strange as in this part of the world, circumcision seems to be really rare,  I have three boys myself and no one even suggested it to me or even asked me if it was on my mind.

I would never think of having it done anyway unless it was absolutely necessary, I can't get my head around the whole concept actually and echo word for word what Winnie already says below me

xxx

I dont have boy's and would not have it done anyway, Nature or God has provided all men with fore skin, I would think for a valid reason protection. If it were an anomoly and detrimental, then maybe, but well it is natural so, it must have a job to do. The other issue is equality, we in the west find the idea of female circumcision horrific, yet many women will angst over doing cirumcision to boy's. Now what is with that.

One could debate the religious aspects of curcumcision till one is blue in the face, Founding Christan religion does not condone the practice, Jewish or Orhtodoxy does, but should be done on the eighth day, after that the nerves start to awaken and ouch. Some babies do not cry, and there is a theory that they dont cry due to shock!!!!!!. Personally I think God is ,not, going to turn a child from heaven because he has fore skin, after all, God gave it to him, if that is ones belief. The majority  of male animals have foreskin to protect against injury and disease, Nature is pretty good at working that out for herself. Just a few rambling thoughts.

Luv,Winnie.xx

well no

My reason being there is no real medical benifets for having it done. People will tell you there is. But  there is not. Its not hard to teach a kid to wash down stairs and the penis is designed to be self cleaning to a point. Also sex is not as good for men without the foreskin they lose the extra pleasure nerves. Plus I think its a horrable act of violance to do on a child. But that is just my 2 cents

as sad as it seems this silly pair, Can explain more to you than i can

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=v7FgMOJIYEM&feature=related

I personally wouldn't do this. I don't think I have the right to make that decision, if my son wants to have it done later then fine. I feel that I'm not the one who should make that decision, I wouldn't want him to be angry at me later in life for doing it. Its his choice to make.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumcision_in_the_Bible#In_Christianity     This is from the bible.

They use to use it for a hygiene thing.  When Men were at war and went for months and months without having a wash i think it could be a problem but hopefuly our sons wont know that.

My answer is no.  I have three boys and have not done any of them.  Apparently it is very difficult to find someone to circumcise now  but i obviously didn't look in to it,  just what my doctor told us because we did discuss it as a couple.   We teach them to wash it, which is something you don't have to worry about until the foreskin comes back naturally anyway.

please everyone read this its fantastic info

http://www.caringforkids.cps.ca/babies/Circumcision.htm