Little Boys

(Disclaimer: Many may already know my stance on this subject.  Please don't let that affect what your about to read. I put my stance in another blog post, here I've pulled together information from (as much as I could find) unbiased resources, taking months to compile these resources and write an informative article.)

Circumcision

I've found through my personal experiences that circumcision is a surgical procedure that is performed on infants in the US regularly. Personally, before my child goes with the doctor -for any reason, but especially a surgery- I want to know everything that I can know about the procedure. I want to know exactly what is going to happen and why. 

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So let's start with the basics: Male ANATOMY

(Web MD) Shown with foreskin

The male penis reaches full size at puberty. It is the male sex organ and a conduit to release urine from his body. The urethra, the inner most chamber of the penis, conducts urine out of the body. The corpus spongiosum is a column of sponge-like tissue that runs along the penis. The corpus cavernosum consists of two columns of tissue that run along the sides of the penis. The glans or head of his penis is, for circumcised men, dried skin with limited sensitivity. For uncircumcised men the glans is covered with a pink moist tissue - mucosa, and covered by the foreskin. The glan is smooth, shiny, moist, and extremely sensitive for uncircumcised males. (CIRP & Web MD)

(CIRP) Intact penis (hidden structures shown)

Males have a foreskin (if not removed) that covers the glans of the penis, folding in on itself forming a double layer making up about half of the total skin covering his penis. The outer foreskin is the outer fold of the skin, it is a continuation from the skin on the shaft of the penis. The inner foreskin is the inner fold of the foreskin, it is a unique mucocutaneous (both skin and mucous membrane) tissue that is not found anywhere else in the body. There is a ridged band that joins the inner and outer foreskin layers that narrows the foreskin opening when his penis is flaccid and creates ridges about half way down and around his penis when it is erect. (CIRP)

Similar to the flap of skin found under the tongue, the frenulum is a connecting membrane under his penis, another sensitive area. (CIRP)

The main functions of the foreskin include: keeping the mucosa over the glans, protecting the glans from waste in diapers and from friction and abrasion throughout life, also to provide sufficient skin to cover an erection, and provide stimulation during intercourse. (CIRP)

(CIRP) erect circumcised penis

An erection is the result of increased blood flow into the penis and expanding blood vessels that hardens the corpus cavernosum when a man is sexually aroused. An uncut male has enough skin to cover the erect penis and be loose enough for a little movement. A cut male may have a scar and, when erect, skin is tight around the shaft with no movement.  (CIRP & Web MD)

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WHAT are we talking about?

Circumcision: the surgical removal of tissue covering the head (or glans) of the penis, the foreskin. This exposes the end of his penis.  The foreskin becomes naturally retractable when a boy is about five years old and can be cleaned by rinsing with water. (Kids Health, Mayo Clinic & Web MD)

WHY is this surgery perfomed?

The practice of circumcision originates in religion and commonly continues today for religious reasons. Other reasons may include: family tradition, personal hygiene, and preventative measures. Some parents choose circumcision for social reasons like a desire for the male to look like other males in the family or in the culture. (Kids Health, Mayo Clinic & Web MD)

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BENEFITS of a circumcision

There are no scientifically biased benefits of removing the foreskin of a healthy male baby. Some research has found possible links with health concerns, though most of these issues are resolved with proper hygiene practices. This includes a reduced risk of urinary tract infections, though the over all risk is low and more prevalent in females. It may reduce the chance of penile cancer, though this is rare. Reduced risk of various penis inflammation problems, this is also affected by hygiene. Circumcision will reduce any risk of an inability to pull back the foreskin or recover the head of his penis once it's pulled back, this is an uncommon problem of uncut males. Good hygiene prevents most of these risks and a condom should always be used in sexual intercourse to prevent STIs and other infections. (Kids Health, Mayo Clinic & Web MD)

RISKS of a circumcision

Risks to this surgical procedure most commonly include excessive bleeding and infection where the penis is cut, sometimes leading to death. There is a possibility of life long pain from the procedure. Irritation of the glans (the head of the penis), an increased risk of inflammation at the opening of the penis (the urethra), and injury to his penis may also occur. His penis may need to be amputated due to complications. There may be foreskin problems such as being cut too short or too long, not healing properly, and what's left of the foreskin reattaching itself to the head of the penis requiring further surgery to correct. (Kids Health, Mayo Clinic & Web MD)

Most of the risks of circumcision, including the circumcision it's self, are irreversible and may cause life long damage and/or death. (Web MD)

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THE PROCEDURE: how a circumcision is performed

The procedure of circumcision removes the foreskin from the head of the penis. Fifty-five to sixty-five percent of all newborn boys in the US are circumcised. The procedure takes about ten minutes and is often done one to ten days after birth. (Kids Health, Mayo Clinic & Web MD)  

For a newborn, the procedure takes place while he is on his back with his arms and legs restrained.  His penis area is cleaned then an anesthetic is either injected into the base of his penis or applied as in a cream form. An acetaminophen (Tylenol) suppository may also be inserted into his rectum to help with discomfort. A clamp (or ring) is then attached to his penis and the foreskin is then removed with a scalpel. After, his penis is covered with an ointment and loosely wrapped. (Kids Health, Mayo Clinic & Web MD)

When done as an adult the procedure takes about an hour. For adults and older boys the procedure is similar to a newborn circumcision with only a few additional steps. The surgery may be done under general anesthesia and stitches may be needed. (Mayo Clinic & Web MD)

HEALING from a circumcision 

The cut area of his penis heals in about a 5-10 days. After the surgery his penis will be sore and may look red, swollen, or bruised, and a yellow crust may form at the tip of his penis.  For newborns, change the bandage and diaper often, making sure the diaper is loosely fastened, and wash the area during normal bath times. When changing the diaper, a small amount of blood is normal, if there is excessive amounts a doctor should be informed. (Kids Health, Mayo Clinic & Web MD)

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Life AFTER Circumcision

Circumcision is irreversible. It is commonly thought to not affect fertility or sexual pleasure. Though men have testified that circumcision has affected the sensitivity of his glans causing less sexual pleasure. (Kids Health & Mayo Clinic)  

Resources

CIRP: www.cirp.org
Kids Health: www.kidshealth.org
Mayo Clinic: www.mayoclinic.org
Web MD: www.webmd.com

My stand on routine infant circumcision in the US as expressed in memes: Intactivist