To Circ or Not To Circ...(potentially a little NSFW)

Is this really a question? Is keeping a baby boy intact or cut an issue? YES!

No matter your stance on the issue, male children are affected by your thoughts and beliefs on circumcision. I'm not here to sway you one way or the other, (remember I'm a social worker and I only want what is best for you in YOUR situation, I promise) but I do want you to make the BEST DECISION for YOUR child and in YOUR circumstance/s! I think I've also been thinking more and more about this issue since I'm a soon-to-be, second-time, AUNT to a boy!

Recently, I had the pleasure (wrong word?!) of witnessing a circumcision procedure. Wow.  I honestly had no idea what all went into the procedure.  It's not an easy, quick, snip of some skin at the tip of a baby's penis.  It's a little bit more than that.

I will spare you all the gory details but I will show you the tool that was used...

I'll let you figure out how that was used :)

After doing some research on circumcision (anyone who looks at my browser's history right now would probably be concerned!) I learned that there are many different ways to do a circ and many different tools one can use.  Whatever. I saw the one above used and that was enough for me. But still, what's the point of a circ?

For those on the camp side that are FOR circumcisions, they usually list the following reasons as to why:

• It's cleaner! Like, who has the two seconds it takes to clean a baby's penis properly anyways?!
• The bible says it should be done, duh!
• It's done to prevent UTIs, the spread of diseases, and to prevent penile cancer.  You want your kid to get cancer?!?!
• My son should look like his dad.  I don't want him to think he's different!
• An uncircumcised penis looks gross.  Who wants to see that?!

For those on the other side of the camp, who are AGAINST circumcision, usually have these reasons as to why:

• You are not cutting my son.  The procedure is painful and he'll remember it forever...ahhhh!
• Having foreskin makes sex more pleasurable, don't take that away!
• God gave him that skin for a reason, not for it to be taken away.
• If my son wants it done, he can decide on his own when he's old enough
• An circ'ed penis looks the same when it's erect!

Ok, yes, that's all dramatic and stuff (and I know there's a lot more reasons for both sides) but for some reason, this topic is a sensitive topic that people get dramatic about!  Anyhow, at the end of the day, and what I want to stress to you the most is, THIS IS YOUR DECISION (as a parent), please make it wisely and with as much knowledge as possible.  Don't listen to others out there.  Do your research.  And talk to your doctor!!! 

and...if you really wanna know what I would do if, heaven forbid, I ever have a son, hit me up  :)