NUSWhispers – Confession #24624

With regard to #24578 and earlier posts on male circumcision, I am surprised and appalled to learn that there is apparently a sizeable number of males here who are basically circumcised by their families for supposed reasons of "hygiene" or "tradition". It is surely a travesty that female genital mutilation (FGM) is now denounced (and in fact criminalised) in countries such as the United Kingdom, whereas society looks the other way when the same practice is done to an infant or very young boy. In both cases, irreparable bodily damage is being done to a child incapable of understanding what is being done or the long-term consequences, let alone giving consent. You can live without a foreskin - just as a woman can live without a clitoris - but unless there are medical reasons involved, to permanently remove either at an age when the child is incapable of understanding or consenting, is a violation of the child, pure and simple. Both FGM and male circumcision alter the genitals in a way that diminishes its sensitivity, and therefore the child's future sexual experience. #24578 is correct when he says that the procedure will make the penis less sensitive. That is what happens when you permanently expose the inner surface of the penis, which would otherwise be sheathed by the foreskin, to contact with garments etc. If you are uncircumcised, you can easily demonstrate this: roll back your foreskin fully, put on your clothes and go around for a bit, see how you feel after a while (unfortunately, there is no way for those who have had their skin cut from them to feel how it is like otherwise). It will also certainly make it harder to masturbate - if you are also a male you should understand how this works given the reduced amount of skin left, so I will refrain from going into too much detail on this occasion. If you think about it, anecdotal "accounts" and "research" saying there is no loss of sensitivity or sexual pleasure after male circumcision can only be valid if the surveyed sample is EXCLUSIVELY made up of males who had personal experience of sex with and without a foreskin, NOT males who were circumcised when they were children and therefore in position to make a comparison. How many males do you think fall into this category? Would you believe such "accounts", which are contrary to common sense and the ordinary male experience? Where I would differ from #24578 is where he says circumcisions should be offered at birth "for reasons of hygiene and appearance". "Hygiene" is not a reason for male circumcision. Your hands can get dirty, why do you not chop them off at birth? Your hair can get lice and dandruff, why are people not going permanently bald for the "hygiene" of it? The reason: these parts are there for a purpose, and you do not remove them in the name of "hygiene" if you can keep them functional and sort out the hygiene in more normal ways. Likewise with the male foreskin, which has an important part in the sexual experience (solo or shared) of the male. If you are uncircumcised, simply take additional, relatively simple ways of keeping yourself clean. I am from a neighbouring country where bidets are routinely available in public restrooms, so keeping clean after "doing business down there" is usually not an issue. In this country I notice this is often not the case, but even so, dabbing clean with tissue or toilet paper after peeing does the trick until your next shower (which is hopefully not too long away). Likewise, clean or shower right after masturbation or sex. It's simple, really. You don't have to cut yourself up about it! Also, read the statistics - penile cancer and UTIs are already rare among men, and there is NO credible link between male circumcision and a reduction in risk of getting these things. Cutting boys in the name of "hygiene" is just a way for the lazy or uninformed parent to manage a fear of the unknown. As for appearance, it is utterly trivial to worry about what others (including girls) think about how your penis looks like, and certainly foolish to do irreparable damage to your own body (and your sex life) in order to fit in with the views of others. Boys have a right to bodily integrity as much as girls do. Do not allow yourself or your children to be permanently disfigured for no good reason. To parents, forcing circumcision on a child of either sex is cruel, and a betrayal of your duty as a parent to protect the child. For those of age who are considering doing it - do think carefully before you do permanent damage to yourself. TL;DR: Male circumcision; don't do it.