This story sheds a slightly different light, and makes me question even more if we would or would not circumcise another son if we're blessed with one.
Circumcision Could Cut Millions of HIV Infections
Male circumcision, if widely adopted in Africa, would
prevent 3 million deaths over 20 years. It would work as well as a moderately
effective AIDS vaccine.
8 comments:
Why should this cause you to question? The study doesn't prove that infants should be circumcised, only that circumcised men may have a lower risk. Infants won't be having sex, nor should we expect that a particular infant will be at risk in his lifetime. What if he has one monogamous relationship in his lifetime? Will he ever actually be at risk? Even if he feels he is, won't he be in a better position to decide?
Also, the study researched adult circumcision, which is significantly different than infant circumcision. Aside from the clear distinction between voluntary and involuntary circumcision, the surgeon will be better able to determine the correct amount of skin to remove. The surgeon will also not have to forcibly separate the foreskin from the glans. He/she can also consult the man being circumcised to see if he wants loose or tight and whether or not he wants to keep his frenulum. That matters.
You make many good points, Tony.
We are lucky to live in a healthier environment than those mentioned in this study.
What I mean is the more I hear about circumcision, good or bad, the more I re-think circumcising in the future. I don't think it was necessary to circ. my son.
Similar to me & vaccines- the more I hear about them, the more suspicious I become.
Oh boy this is a hot one! I do not wish to get into ANY kind of debate on this, but we circ'd our sons and if I had my way, we wouldn't have, but there was no going against hubby. This is JUST my story. So. The only way I agreed is that we would both be present. I watched our youngest be circ'd during the procedure. He DID have a local anesthetic. The ONLY time he cried was when he fussed being held down at first. Then he was fine, and completely fine during the whole thing. The doctor walked us through the entire procedure and told us we were the 1st parents ever to ask to be present during one. We never even saw blood. He was completely fine afterward and nursed great, saw nothing negative from it. (This is not always the case, tho!) I would never PROMOTE it. It's one of those things, like vaccination that you have to do all the research you can and make an informed decision. Again, just MY story!
Stephanie-no debate! :)
I am very glad to hear your experience. I wish we had thought to be present for ours son's, but we didn't. Looking back, I have no idea why NOT.
I hope the doctors treat the babies that well w/o parents there, kwim?
And I am especially glad to hear it went so well. (gives me peace of mind) If we ever have another son and opt to circ. him, I think we'll request to be present for it.
Sharon,
I misunderstood, so I offer my apologies for that.
I agree we live in a healthier environment, even though that didn't protect me. (33 years ago, so only slightly relevant.) More importantly, issuing calls for universal circumcision based on studies like this does little more than reinforce the misguided notion that Africans aren't competent enough to learn, so we should encourage surgical "prevention". Pathetic.
The biggest problem for us is that this study is being used to justify infant circumcison in America, where routine circumcision has clearly not worked as a preventive measure against HIV.
As for your rethinking your decision, I'm impressed that you have the strength of character to question. Good for you. We do what we think is best. When we know better, we do better. I hope that comes across correctly. I'm genuinely impressed with your stance. Too many people dig in when confronted with contradictory facts. You're trying to be the best possible parent you can. A child can ask for nothing more.
Thank you, Tony. No offense was taken. :) And truthfully, I hadn't thought much about the difference between adult & infant circumcision until your post. (just as I hadn't thought to actually be present for the "procedure".) I know it's a very personal decision. If there were as many doctors telling us today that circ. is cleaner, leading to less infections for our baby boys, then I would be inclined to just accpet that as is. That is not the case, though. My husband has several cousins who are in tact, and they have had no problems. It started w/ the parents being taught how to properly care for the in tact penis, and once they learned, it was the same as any old diaper change to them.
I like the idea of it being my son's decision as it is his body, but in the long run, if it made a significant health difference, then I would decide for him in infancy.
The protection the study claims is gained is only 75%-- that is TOO high to even suggest circumcision as a preventative. The study also does not hold up when compared to real life either. For example, in European countries circumcision is extremely rare and HIV rates are much lower than compared to the US where circumcision is quite common.
The leap from consenting adults deciding to circumcise to promoting it as a reason for infant circumcision is just beyond me.
As others have said, the more I hear about circumcision the more suspicious I become-- thankfully I had mothers who told their stories-- both about leaving their sons intact and sadly, those that told how much they wish they had not had their sons circumcision. This helped me clarify my own thoughts and weed through all the information out there.
Jessica
Jessica,
Thank you for your input and thanks for stopping by.
I wish I had mothers to share w/ me stories of NOT circ'ing their sons. I may have still done things the same way, but it would have been beneficial to have stories from both sides of the spectrum.
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