I'm so uncertain about doing a circumcision on my baby. Thoughts?

Question

I'm so uncertain about doing a circumcision on my baby. Thoughts?

Answer 1

There's really no reason to circumcise a baby; there are conflicting studies on if it has any benefits at all, but currently the American Academy of Pediatrics doesn't recommend it.

Answer 2

hmm.... should I mutilate my son or shouldn't I?



Tough question... [face_sarcasm]

Answer 3

Many Americans are surprised to hear that circumcision (the surgical removal of the foreskin) is uncommon in the western world. Foreigners are often shocked to learn that this practice exists in the U.S. It is an outmoded practice that was introduced in the U.S. by an anti-sexual Victorian initiative which began around the 1830’s. Numerous publications between the 1830’s to times even as late as the 1970’s had been advocating circumcision as a means to prevent masturbation, and permanently desensitize the penis.(2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12)



Circumciser's had then moved on to manufacture a sleuth scientifically unfounded health claims, all of which have been thoroughly discredited. These claims were designed to cater to the fears and anxieties our culture has at any given time. Some of these included epilepsy, convulsions, paralysis, elephantiasis, tuberculosis, eczema, bed-wetting, hip-joint disease, fecal incontinence, rectal prolapse, wet dreams, hernia, headaches, nervousness, hysteria, poor eyesight, idiocy, mental retardation, insanity, strabismus, hydrocephalus, clubfoot, cancer, STD’s, UTI’s, and etcetera.(13) Circumcision has remained a solution in search of a problem ever since. Many Americans are surprised to discover that female genital cutting (FGC) had shared a strikingly similar history in the United States. (4,14,15,16,17,18,19). FGC was even covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield until 1977.



One study showed that 40% of parents believe the doctors failed to provide enough information, 46% reported that doctors failed to give them any medical information, and 82.8% of parents regretted the decision they made within the first six months of their sons life(20) Another study found that physicians were less likely to circumcise their own sons.(21) This suggests that they know very well that circumcision is a non-therapeutic (ritual) surgery; but they do not seem to share this knowledge with the parents. A busy physician can supplement their annual income with as much as $60,000 from the circumcision surgery alone.(22) Such an incentive can cloud a physician’s judgment when it comes to providing parents with accurate circumcision related information. Many parents are surprised to hear that anesthetic is not always used.(23) Local anesthetic drives up the cost of the surgery significantly and when it is used it does not reduce the pain entirely. Infants can not be effectively anesthetized because of the risks involved. In the recent past, anesthesia was used rarely if ever. This traumatizing experience has been shown to cause an array of sort and long term behavioral consequences including post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and a possibly self destructive behavior.(24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36) Many circumcised men, some of which are doctors, experience a strong denial of loss that fuels an emotional compulsion to repeat the trauma.(37,38,39,40,41) You may be surprised to learn that FGM victims are often the most vociferous proponents of FGM.



A charity called FOREGEN.ORG is collecting donations for a clinical trial of foreskin regeneration Foregen’s mission is to reverse the damage done by circumcision for men who have suffered surgical and psychological complications.



sry cant fit all my references



(5) Hutchinson J. On Circumcision as preventive of masturbation. Archives of surgery 1891 Jan;2(7);267-9

(12) M. F. Campbell, "The Male Genital Tract and the Female Urethra," in Urology, eds. M. F. Campbell and J. H. Harrison, vol. 2, 3rd ed. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders, 1970),1836.

(13) F. A. Hodges, "Short History of the Institutionalization of Involuntary Sexual Mutilation in the United States," in G. C. Denniston and M. F. Milos, eds., Sexual Mutilations: A Human Tragedy (New York: Plenum Press, 1997), 35.

(16) Benjamin E. Dawson, A.M., M.D. Circumcision in the Female: Its Necessity and How to Perform it. American Journal of Clinical Medicine. Vol.22, No. 6, June 1915, pp.520-525

(18) Mc Donald, C.F., M.D. Circumcision of the female. General Practitioner Vol. 18 No3, Sept 1958, pp.98-99

(19) W.G. Rathmann M.D. Female Circumcision: Indications and a new Technique. General practitioner Vol. 20, No.3, Sept 1959, pp.115-120

(20) Adler R, Ottaway S, Gould S. Circumcision: we have heard from the experts; now lets hear from the parents. Pediatrics 2001 Feb;107(2):E20

(22)Fleiss, Paul M.D. What your Doctor May Not Tell You About Circumcision. Warner books. New York. Sept 2002.

(23)Stang , M.J., & Snellman, L.W. (1998). Circumcision practice patterns in the United States. Pediatrics, 101(6)

(25) Porter FL, Miller RH, and Marshal RE. Neonatal pain cries: effect of circumcision on acoustic features and perceived urgency. Child Dev 1986;57:790-802.

(28) Marshall RE, Stratton WC, Moore JA, et al. Circumcision I: effects upon newborn behavior. Infant Behavior and Development 1980;3:1-14.

Answer 4

Most men in the world are not circumcised. 85 % of the world's men are intact. In 2009 only 32.5% of boys were circumcised in the US so they would actually be the minority. Either way if you really think about it, cutting off a functioning body oart because he may get fun of is ridiculous.. It's NOT your penis and if he wants to be circumcised then he can make that decision on his own. the fact that your fiance is circumcised has nothing to do with your baby. Foreskin is a healthy functioning body parts that actually protect the penis. removing it also removes more tahn 20,000 nerve ending. More newborns boys die from circumcision than they do from auto accidents or even SIDS every year. And this is jsut death rates. There are many complications that circumcision can cause. I Urge you do do some realy research on tehe functions on the foreskin. I had my first son done and i deeply regret it. My second son is happy and whole



They don't just do a small cut. Foreskin is fused to the penis at birth like a fingernail. they have to rip it away from the penis and then cut it all off. This also means you never retract the foreskin ot clean it on babies like many like to sayIn other countries they use the same excuses for remale circumcision and do it for religious reason but it is banned in the us. Even teh pricking of female genitals is banned in the US. Infant circumcision is a violation of human rights, even if it's for religious reason. Pease do not make the same mistake I did. My job as a mother it to protect my sons. just because a man has a penis doesn't give him teh right to violate someone else's. I was seriously not educated when i had my first son done. When we first saw his penis afterwards we were horrified. It was mutilated and raw. His father could hardly change his diaper without cringing. Just looking at it I knew this wasn't right.



Also, normal adults don't go around talking about circumcision and making fun of men for it. Men are born that way, it's normal to have foreskin. I personally have never been with an intact man but i don't have a long list of men. I have friends who have and even have a guy friend who is intact and had no clue until his girlfriend mentioned it in a conversation at one point

Answer 5

circumcision is unnecessary risky and painful and complications occur 2-10% of the time!(1)If you count more "minor" skin tags, complication rates as high as 55%(1) have been documented. worst of all, more then 117 (4) to 230(5) infants die from circumcision every year.



DO YOUR RESEARCH The circ rate is down to 30% in the U.S. so your child will be in the growing majority!. Besides who is to say your son will even value conformity?



No official western medical organization in the world recommends it. The Royal Dutch Medical Society, The British Medical Association, the Canadian Pediatric Society, and the Royal Australian College of Physicians have all made official policy statements against circumcision. The AAP, the AMA, the AAFP, and the AUA are in agreement that there are no proven benefits.



What is the foreskin? is a question that many Americans would have trouble answering. Information about the foreskin is virtually absent during discussions of anatomy in biology classrooms, and yet, the foreskin provides a well-documeted set of crucial sensory, protective, immunological, hygienic, and sexual functions. The foreskin is a double fold of skin that is twice as big as its appearance. It can make up to 80% or more of the penile skin covering, and includes around 12-20 square inches of skin (the size of a 3x4 or a 4x5 index card!), and in turn includes a specialized sheet of dartos muscle(42,44). One of the functions of this mobile skin system is to glide up and down the shaft of the penis in order to facilitate non-abrasive stimulation during sexual activity without any need for artificial lubricant. This frictionless gliding mechanism is the principal source of stimulation for the intact penis and facilitates non-abrasive intercourse.



in a 2006 study which measured the sensitivity of all the parts of the penis. they concluded



"Five locations on the uncircumcised penis that are routinely removed at circumcision were more sensitive than the most sensitive location on the circumcised penis[...] "(51)



The foreskin, like the eyelid, also serves an important set of protective and immunological functions. The foreskin protects the delicate glans of the penis and puts the urethra at a distance form its environment protecting it from foreign contaminants of all kinds. While simultaneously shielding the penis from injury. The foreskins inner fold and the glans of the penis are comprised of mucous membrane tissue. These are also present in your eyes, mouth, and all other bodily orifices including the female genitals. These mucous membranes perform many immunological and hygienic functions. Certain components such as Langerhans cells(52), plasma cells(53), apocrine glands(54), and sebaceous glands(55), collectively secrete emolliating lubricants(56) rich in enzymes such as lysosomal enzymes, cathepsin B, chymotrypsin, neutrophil elastase, immunoglobulin, and cytokine(58,58) whose function is to sequester and “digest” foreign pathogens. The foreskin is also responsible for the production, retention, and dispersal of pheromones such as androsterone(59). In time we will discover even more information about the foreskin and its functional components.



The intact penis is naturally clean and maintains a level of hygiene that is optimal when compared to a penis that has been altered by circumcision. In fact, a myriad of rigorously controlled studies performed by objective researchers among racially and socioeconomically homogeneous study groups in developed urban settings have shown that circumcision is often associated with an increased risk of bacterial infections, viral infections, and major STD’s (60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71).



great article!!:

http://www.mothering.com/health/the-case-against-circumcision



Just watch a circumcision!!!! This should tell you all you need to know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=013PdUzvWpo



SAY NO TO CIRCUMCISION!!!



memory is irrelevant to trauma the psychological impact has been well documented(80)

(80) Goldman R. The psychological impact of circumcision. BJU Int 1999;83 Suppl. 1:93-103.



don't listen to mothers who have already circumcised a son. They have an emotional bias, just read the science.



(1)Williams, N; L. Kapila (October 1993). "Complications of circumcision". British Journal of Surgery 80 (10): 1231-1236.

(4) Bollinger, Dan; Boy's Health Advisory (2010-04-26). "Lost Boys: An Estimate of U.S. Circumcision-Related Infant Deaths". Thymos: Journal of Boyhood Studies 4 (1): 78–90

(5) Gellis, SS. Circumcision. Am J Dis Child 1978;132:1168.

(44) Taylor JR, Lockwood AP, Taylor AJ. The prepuce: specialized musocsa of the penis and its loss to circumcision. Br J Urol 1996 Feb;77(2): 291-5

(51)Morris L. Sorrells, James L. Snyder. Fine-touch pressure thresholds in the adult penis . BJU 2006 Oct:22, pp. 864-869

Answer 6

A study published three weeks ago in the British Journal of Urology found that circumcision decreases the sensitivity of the penis by as much as 75%. So much sensitivity is lost as a result of circumcision because the foreskin is the most richly innervated part of the penis. It has the greatest number of nerve receptors as well as the greatest variety of nerve receptors. After circumcision, the glans of the penis is the only area that is able to be stumilated, and it gets dull and calloused over the the course of a man's life from constant abrasion and rubbing.



The glans is pressure sensitive. It can only be aroused by pressure onto it or from within it. The foreskin is touch sensitive and it recieves stimulation like the fingertips and lips. Because circumcised men have lost all of the touch sensitive tissue of their penis, their sensation-capability is dramatically reduced.



Let the choice be made by your son, whose body it is, whose penis it is, whose sex life it will be. Wouldn't you want your glans covered, so that it you avoid unwanted stimulation throughout life? The glans is designed to be exposed only when the penis is erect. When it's not erect, it's "put away".



Imagine how angering it would be to have to live with a sex organ whose sensitivity level is less that what it was designed to be and your own parents decreased the level of sensitivity.



Your husband wants your son to circumcised because he can't handle the idea of his own son having a foreskin. He didn't didn't get a chance to have one, so neither will his son. Rather than your son getting circumcised to look like Dad, it's your husband who should start restoring his foreskin to look like his son. Plain and simple, your husband has not dealt with his own circumcision. Rather than even "go there" he would prefer to circumcise his son so that the BOTH of them are in the same boat. Is that right? Is that fair?

Answer 7

What!? Baby boys are already born perfect. Men don't need to be circumcised. Plus the foreskin is highly important in the development of the head of the penis in utero as well as in infancy. (that's why the foreskin is still attached to the head in infants and why circumcision does more damage as an infant than an adult)



Why are you worried he will be made fun of? only 35% of boys in his generation are going to be circumcised. Why would he be made fun of if he's in the majority. You should be doing actual research instead of making dangerous assumptions about the circumcision rate in the US. The circumcision rate has crashed because people are now aware how dangerous circumcision is and how much damage it does to the penis. Plus even if most boys were still circumcised who gives a crap if he's made fun of!? That's life, everyone is made fun of for something. Yeah it sucks but one day you graduate highschool, grow up and get over it. I've known a lot of uncircumcised males and I personally restored my foreskin.... even though most men around me are circumcised I don't get made fun of. Even if I did I don't care what some random strangers think about my penis. My partner loves my foreskin so any one that doesn't like it can bite me.lol



Leave your son intact, there is no reason to cut up his body without his permission. That's his decision to make for himself when he is of age.



-Connor

Answer 8

Please, don't.



There is no medical reason to justify routine infant circumcision. When you compare the risks versus the supposed benefits, the results are staggeringly in favour of leaving them well alone. These are some of the complications: http://www.circumstitions.com/Complic.ht… and this is a quick comparison of cut vs. intact outcomes: http://www.drmomma.org/2010/01/cut-vs-in…



If he decides on circumcision when he's older, he's:



-Not at risk of fatal haemorrhage

-Not at risk of fatal infection

-Not at risk of glans amputation, degloving or adhesions and skin bridges.



Any surgery is easier on an adult and has fewer complications, and the complications are less serious. The reality is though - in a non-circumcising country, which the USA is fast becoming with a neonatal circumcision rate of 33% (and falling) in 2009, it is incredibly rare for an intact man to want to be without his foreskin.



Some common myths:



- It's easier to keep clean.



It's NOT. An intact penis should only ever be wiped gently like a finger - http://www.fathermag.com/health/boy-care/boy-care.shtml A circumcised newborn's penis is an open wound sitting in excrement. Often, the glans (which is raw where the adhered foreskin has been torn away) begins to heal onto the skin of the penile shaft, resulting in skin bridges: http://www.noharmm.org/IDcirc.htm



I'll add to that to say that it's also NOT cleaner in adulthood. Around half my partners have been intact and half circumcised. I've never had a smelly intact partner (except a smoker, who smelled like smoke) but I have had smelly circumcised partners. In intact men, the skin hangs freely over the glans. In circumcised men, it bunches behind the coronal ridge, making sweaty folds. I had a partner who found it very hard to stop these folds from stinking of sweat. Cleaning under the foreskin takes the adult man less time than it does for a woman to keep her vulva clean.



-It reduces his risk of HIV



Highly questionable. The studies in Africa were very poorly conducted and controlled for, only showed any benefit for female-male transmission (most sexual transmission in the USA is homosexual) and one study was abandoned when a similar INCREASE in transmission to women was shown. In any case, 60% was the supposed reduction, when the risk can be virtually eliminated with condom use. Any vaccine trial showing a reduction of 60% would be abandoned. More here: http://www.futuremedicine.com/doi/full/10.2217/17469600.2.3.193



-It reduces his risk of UTIs



False. Circumcision commonly causes meatal stenosis in boys, or narrowing of the urinary tract. It is virtually unheard of in intact boys. For this reason, and because the foreskin is no longer protecting the glans and urethra, it may increase his risk of urinary tract infections. In any case, UTIs are rare in boys - even more so after the first 12 months - and can be treated with antibiotics. More on UTIs: http://www.circumstitions.com/Utis.html



- It reduces his risk of STDs



Highly questionable. Other studies have shown no difference or an increase in STD transmission among circumcised men - who may be less likely to use condoms as they already have reduced sensation. In any case - newborns aren't sexually active! This is one he can decide when he's older. http://www.circumstitions.com/STDs.html



- Most men are circumcised



False. Around 80% of the world is intact: http://www.circumstitions.com/Maps.html



- It's just a snip!



False. In adult males, the foreskin has separated from the glans. In infants, it must be torn away from the glans first - yes, even with the Plastibell procedure, which DOES involve cutting. Circumstraints are bolted to a bench and the infant is firmly strapped in place. You don't have to do this for a heel prick. Videos made by and for medical professionals: Gomco - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXVFFI76ff0&has_verified=1 & Plastibell - http://www.drmomma.org/2009/08/plastibell-infant-circumcision.html

Answer 9

personally, i am against circumcision and have done hours of research on it.



the reasons people say to do it now it to prevent UTIs STDs and cancers. none of these standpoints have been proven and the AAP is even considering changing their stand point. and many people say "if you think it COULD prevent cancer, i ask you, if you had a daughter would you remove her breasts to POSSIBLY reduce the risk of breast cancer? but yet remove sesitive, and very private tissue she should have the right to decide to remove for herself?)



circumcision also removes 1,000 nerve endings so is one of the most sensitive parts of the penis and aids in sexual intercourse. the glands penis is no longer protected when the foreskin is removed and the skin becomes thicker because it is exposed and dries out (it is originally closer to the skin surrounding your clitoris so this is a drastic change in moisture and the sensitivity decreases because of thicker skin and now less nerve endings)



and only about 40% of people are choosing to have their children circumcised in the US today (we are the only country that does it routinely for non religeous reasons) compared to about 85% before 1993, so if you chose for him not to be, he will not be ridiculed, and if your son is comparing his penis with other boys and does not like being uncircumcised, let him choose to do it himself ( i do not know any boy that would choose to have part of his penis cut off).



Your finace i highly doubt allow for a daughter of his to be circumcised (which is now illegal and punishable buy 5 years in prison, and according to the US constitution should be the same for males because of the "equal protection" clause.)



watch this video of a proper circumcision that is done in the current and most up to date way. it is of the whole procedure and is grafic, but i encourage you to see what could be done to your son when he is only a few hours old. This child is strapped down (done in almost every case) and does not appear to have been given aesthetic, which is not uncommon.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAGNnqyNidY

Answer 10

it isnt your penis, or your husbands. it belongs to your son!! i personally did not have my sons cirumsized because i believe it is a decision for a man to make. they can keep it clean if they are taught, just like a circ'ed little boy can learn to keep himself clean. it doesnt hold medical benefits either way you go... it is a cosmetic procedure. as many stated in the previous answers "it looks better" to alot of people. nowadays, the number of uncirc'ed children is growing rapidly. i dont think he will be alone in his group of friends if you chose not to go forth with the procedure. in the end its up to you, i really hate that you are getting such preachy & judgemental badgering over this... you are his mother and i am confident that after doing a little research and examining your own preferences and beliefs, whether he is circ'ed or not it will be the right choice because you made it with a knowledgeable and educated reason.

Answer 11

I don't have answers to all your questions, but I do know that now fewer than half of newborn boys are being circumcised, so the worry of being made fun of really isn't the same as it would have been even 10 years ago. Probably when your fiance was a kid, it was really unusual for boys to be uncircumcised and they did get made fun of, but it is really common now. I think pretty soon it will be the circumcised boys that are considered unusual.

Answer 12

In every country in the world except maybe Israel, most boys are intact, so leaving him natural will not incite ridicule (not that avoiding ridicule would be a reason to mutilate your son). If anything, your kid is more likely to be ridiculed if you get your kid circumcised.



If not remembering was a valid reason to do something harmful, then raping someone while they were unconscious would not be a crime.



If it were 'worth it', don't you think some medical organization would recommend it?



If your fiance jumped off a cliff, would that be a reason to throw your son off too? I don't freaking think so!



The fact that your fiance is mutilated is not a reason to do the same damage to your child. Circumcision is an extremely harmful, useless procedure that essentially rapes and mutilates a child, rendering him ultra-sensitive to childhood pain and deforming his penis in a way that makes it incapable of normal function in later life. You've experienced sex with your fiance - didn't you notice that sex was not as comfortable as it should be? The foreskin exists for a reason - and it's not there just for the man's benefit.



There is no 'healing process' with circumcision. What's gone cannot grow back. It's a mutilation. Children - hundreds per year - die from complications of circumcision. No loving parent should ever do this to a child.



If your fiance wants his kid to look like him, tell your fiance to restore his foreskin. It's healthier for him and more importantly, it will prevent his mutilated penis from harming your vagina during sex. Mutilating a baby's genitals is not the act of a loving father. Remaining in a relationship without restoring a mutilated and damaging sexual organ is not the act of a loving fiance.



In the end, it shouldn't be yours or your fiance's decision. It should be your son's. But in the real world, you both get to decide - but if you don't agree, they cannot circumcise. Be strong, and don't let anyone harm your baby.



If I can't persuade you to leave your son intact, just look at one of the answers above - Lunamiss, who is an ADVOCATE for circumcision clarifies why it is harmful. Look at all the stuff she had to do just to make sure it didn't get infected. An intact baby is not prone to bacterial infection. Circumcised babies are in constant MORTAL danger from this procedure.

Answer 13

Everyone so far has given really excellent reasons why you shouldn't circumcise your son. I think you agree too, the only person you have to convince is our husband. Sit down and show him the research and discuss it again. I'm English and circumcision is only performed on medical grounds in the UK. I think you Americans are crazy for still doing this unnecessarily!

Answer 14

I know how you feel. Fortunately, my first was a girl, and I'm worried that if the second is a boy, we will be arguing about it.



When I think about it, it just seems so awful to do that. However, I am not a man, so I do not know how this issue is for men and boys. The more I read about it, the more I don't want to do it.



I think it is best for you to read all the information on both sides, and then make your fiance agree to do the same.

Answer 15

I'm gonna give you a straight honest answer cause my son was done last year, ( and sorry for all the negative comments you will get from some people on this subject, some people don't agree with it, ya ya we get it)



Anyway went and had my son circ. done when he was 2 weeks old. I was so nervous. They recommended we don;t go in the room when it was being done, which i didn't mind. All they do is put a little local anesthetic on the tip and do a small cut.

afterwards they put vasaline and gauze over the penis, to keep the area from scabbing over and sticking to the diaper. (it does bleed a little but ti stops very shortly) They show you afterwards everything that you need to do . which I was very grateful for.

The son was great after, all he did was sleep , He really didn't even cry afterwards. For the rest of the day I must admit I would look at it while I was changing him and thought oh no my little boys perfect little penis what have I done.

But the next day Seriously that fast It already looked almost completely healed. I think it was about 3 days when it was totally healed but I continued to put Vaseline on the tip long afterwards just in case. I was so happy I did it for him.





It one of the preferences (where In your case) I really don't think any child will be tormented at school because they haven't had it done or anything. We chose to do it because My husband is and my family all was, and as a womans perspective it just looks a hell of a lot better then uncircumcised in my opinion.

Answer 16

I have a 7 mo old, and for religious reasons and my husband's preference, we decided to have him circumcised. The healing process didn't seem too bad for him, but I know it's hard to tell what a newborn is thinking! He didn't cry during subsequent diaper changes, he nursed and slept just fine afterwards. I made sure to put a good amount of Vaseline on his penis and diaper until the area was completely healed. There was redness but I didn't notice too much swelling.

There are chances that something could go wrong. Your doc will explain all of these risks, but they include infection, urethra problems. I don't know that he would be ridiculed, as I'm not sure there are many situations where he would be exposed to other little kids (it isn't like there is showering after gym class in school anymore, at least not where I live).

My sister in law had her first son circumcised because his father was, but her other 3 boys had a dad who was natural and so they decided to leave theirs natural. I think dad's opinion in this is very important.

Answer 17

Well, your fiance is the one with a penis...I'd listen to what he says about it.



Don't listen to the ladies on here...most of them are nuts. Based on what my husband and ex boyfriend's have told me...I would probably get my son circumcised. My husband said he couldn't even imagine not being circumcised, and an ex-boyfriend of mine was going against his religion (actually his parents were pretty pissed off about it and hadn't talked to him in a good year because he said he wanted to get it done) to get circumcised because he said sex sucked with foreskin and no matter how many times he washed down there...he'd get frequent infections.



I don't have a penis...so I can't tell you what you if it's a good idea or not, but the males in my life have said it's a good thing, and if your husband thinks it is, then maybe it's the right option for you.

Answer 18

my personal opinion is that if I had a boy I WOULD get him circumsize simply because I do feel he would feel awkward as an adult or made fun of.

Thats the only reason I would nad yes if I would have had a boy I would have

Answer 19

Get him circumsized. It looks better, and he will be glad you did it young when its a small procedure he won't remember rather than a major surgery when he's old enough to remember the pain and be out of his sexual game while he heals

Answer 20

Circumcised pros: less chance of std, cons: process itself is somewhat risky



Uncircumcised pros: as nature intended, cons: have a small chance of getting std's (in third world countries anyways)