I recently caught wind of a on the Lutherville-Timonium Patch. It began with the story of a mother who opted not to circumcise her two boys, only to be plagued by issues, which required their youngest to have the procedure performed as a toddler.
When my husband and I asked our obstetrician and pediatrician about circumcision, neither offered a definitive medical recommendation. While they provided pros and cons, they ultimately declared it “a personal choice.”
Both sides of the case seem to have merit—perhaps because there is no right answer? As a parent, we love our children and want to do what is best for them on all accounts. When we make a decision, we tend to stand firm and hold our ground. But I wonder, if there were a clear medical answer, instead of just research and recommendations, would it be such a highly debated issue?
What do you think? Why is circumcision so controversial? Is this only "a personal choice" for parents?
The foreskin, like the eyelid, also serves an important protective and hygienic function. 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.It is a double fold of skin which offers two layers of protection. Natural secretions of oil are achieved by sebaceous glands which are abound in the foreskins inner lining, these are not present in the glans. [1] They are also present in the eye lid and perform the same function in both places. They secrete the oils necessary to keep the glans surface soft, moist, warm, sensitive, and with a healthy red or purple color. This moisturizer keeps the surface of the glans glistening, smooth, soft, maintained PH balance, and optimal cleanliness. This is required to keep the surface of the glans healthy and clean via the cleaning effects of mucous secretions. This function is analogous to the eye lid. The glans are meant to be an internal organ covered and protected from the outside world.
In infancy, simple sugars in breast milk, like antibacterial oligosaccharides, are acquired from the mothers milk and excreted in urine. University studies have shown that these substances cling to the mucosal lining of the inner foreskin and protect against urinary tract infections [18] , as well as infections in other parts of the body [19]
"Natural secretions of oil are achieved by sebaceous glands which are abound in the foreskins inner lining," -- as I pointed out above, these don't exist. You did read my reply, didn't you? "In the genitally intact penis the urine stream flushes out the urethra and foreskin of foreign microbes" -- if that were so, studies that sampled the urethra and glans would consistently find fewer pathogenic bacteria in the uncircumcised male. But the opposite is true (see refs below). "At birth, the foreskin is usually attached to the glans(head) of the penis, akin to how a fingernail is attached to a finger." -- another claim that we've already discussed. (continued)
Fussell EN, et al. Adherence of bacteria to human foreskins. J Urol. 1988 Nov; 140(5): 997-1001 Wiswell TE, et al. Effect of circumcision status on periurethral bacterial flora during the first year of life. J Pediatr. 1988 Sep; 113(3): 442-6 Glennon J, et al. Circumcision and periurethral carriage of Proteus mirabilis in boys. Arch Dis Child. 1988 May; 63(5): 556-7 Neubert U, Lentze I. The bacterial flora of preputial space. Hautarzt. 1979 Mar;30(3):149-53 Cascio S, et al. Bacterial colonization of the prepuce in boys with vesicoureteral reflux who receive antibiotic prophylaxis. J Pediatr. 2001 Jul; 139(1): 160-2 Savas C, et al. Comparison of preputial sac and urine cultures in healthy children. Int Urol Nephrol. 2000; 32(1): 85-7 Wijesinha SS, et al. Does circumcision alter the periurethral bacterial flora? Pediatr Surg Int. 1998 Mar; 13(2-3): 146-8 Gunsar C, et al. The effect of circumcision status on periurethral and glanular bacterial flora. Urol Int. 2004; 72(3): 212-5. Bhargava RK, Thin RN. Subpreputial carriage of aerobic micro-organisms and balanitis. Br J Vener Dis. 1983 Apr; 59(2): 131-3 Jackson DH, et al. Carriage and transmission of group B streptococci among STD clinic patients. Br J Vener Dis. 1982 Oct; 58(5): 334-7
I find it astonishing that in 2011 some people still try to justify cutting off a normal, healthy part of a child's genitals when there is no compelling reason to do so.
Wiswell TE, et al. Effect of circumcision status on periurethral bacterial flora during the first year of life. J Pediatr. 1988 Sep; 113(3): 442-6
19. ↑ Coppa GV, Gabrielli O, Giorgi P, Catassi C, Montanari MP, Veraldo PE, Nichols BL. Preliminary study of breast feeding and bacterial adhesion to uroepithelial cells. Lemcet 1990 Mar 10;335(8689):569-71.
"Ectopic sebaceous glands concentrated near the frenulum produce smegma" -- Craig, instead of making the same claims over and over again I really think you ought to address the studies I've already presented, which clearly state that there are no glands in the subpreputial space.
I NEED TO KNOW IN ORDER TO MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS FOR MY CHILD.
They measured bacterial rates in dead, amputated, chemically treated prepuces inoculated with virulent strains of pathogenic bacteria--conditions that represent no known biological or behavioural reality. That must make fussells findings, good right? Fussell EN, et al. Adherence of bacteria to human foreskins. J Urol. 1988 Nov; 140(5): 997-1001
Taylor failed to identify them. http://www.cirp.org/library/disease/STD/fleiss3/ # Delbanco E. Über das gehäufte Aufreten von Talgdrusen an der Innerflähe des Präputium. Monatshefte für praktishe Dermatologie 1904; 38:536-8. # Hyman AB, Brownstein MD. Tyson's "glands," sebaceous glands and papillomatosis penis. Arch Dermatol 1969;99:31-7. # Piccinno R, Carrel C-F, Menni S. et al. sebacous glands mimicking molluscum contagiosum Acta Derm Venerol1990;70:344-5. # Krompecher St. Die Histologie der Absonderung fur Smegma Praeputi. Anatomischer Anzeiger 1932; 75:170-176.
"adhesions (25.6%),"(1) (1)Van Howe RS. Variability in penile appearance and penile findings: a prospective study. Br J Urol 1997; 80: 776-782.http://www.cirp.org/library/complications/vanhowe/
skin disease that were twice those of uncircumcized males http://www.cirp.org/library/complications/enzenauer1/
they also said "this hardly seems justifiable Bering in mind that the operation is not with out risk." i wonder what the results would be if the stuck the swab in the urethra of circumcised boys. (1)Glennon J, et al. Circumcision and periurethral carriage of Proteus mirabilis in boys. Arch Dis Child. 1988 May; 63(5): 556-7
You can see the kind of medical sophistry at work when Jakew starts defending circumcising healthy babies by reference to that small subset of UTIs (already rare at ~1 in 100 boy babies - commner in girls - and treatable) so severe they cause kidney damage, which must be phenomenally rare (and accompanied by neglect). The other thing indicating that circumcision is not just a medical procedure to prevent medical conditions is the VAST number of unconnected and often contradictory reasons for doing it. (See http://www.circumstitions.com/Stitions&refs.html) It is no coincidence that circumcision is a prehistoric modification of the sexual orgains, though many of the reasons now given have ostensibly no connection to sex. Circumcision is a memeplex (a cluster of units of culture, transmitted by imitation). See http://www.circumstitions.com/meme.html But that is only part of the story. The full reason it has such a hold on human culture has yet to be fully explained.
It's not YOUR penis. It's not a choice that morally belongs to you.
Further info: http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/info/HIVStatement.html http://www.cirp.org/library/disease/HIV/vanhowe2005a/ http://www.cirp.org/library/disease/HIV/ http://www.circumstitions.com/HIV.html http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_6869/is_10_98/ai_n32398719/?tag=content;col1
http://www.circumstitions.com/Complic.html How to identify circumcision damage in the adult male: http://www.noharmm.org/IDcirc.htm Circumcision and psychological harm: http://www.norm-uk.org/circumcision_psychological_effects.html Male genital mutilation in America (warning - graphic video of infants being assaulted): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDuDhkiDdns http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXVFFI76ff0 The tragic story of David Reimer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFMfrBWM7_A