Research and the "C" Word

Note from the writer:  Please let me preface this blog by saying that I LOVE all of my friends and family dearly, and this blog has NOTHING to do with their decisions/choices whatsoever, and I sincerely hope I do not offend any of you.

Research.  Everyone's LEAST favorite part of English class in school.  Except me.  There is something liberating about finding numerous sources that support a topic or argument.  My husband always tells me I should have been a lawyer because I can argue with the best of 'em and I can find supporting proof better than anyone.  So, while in my quest to learn as much as I can about how to care for my daughter in the best way possible, I came upon an interesting topic that has virtually nothing to do with my daughter, but that spurred my curiosity and has made me start digging into the topic.  So, what is this intriguing topic you ask?  Circumcision, of all things.

Until recently I hadn't given much thought to the practice.  It had never really occurred to me, and since I had a baby girl, it wasn't a decision I'd had to really think about when she was born.  But once the topic was brought up (by a NUMBER of other sources I found along the way while looking into things about caring for an infant), I had a MILLION questions. 

I had always heard of two reasons for circumcision.  One, it was a practice of the Jewish faith.  I am not Jewish, so I know next to nothing about this.  The second was because circumcision supposedly kept boys "cleaner".  Little did I know that I was seriously misinformed and essentially ignorant to ALL facts related to this entire topic.  So I started reading everything I could get my hands on.  And I still am.  I am by no means an expert on this topic, but I am hoping to learn as much as I can about the issue. 

The first thing that comes to mind when I think about circumcision is "Why?"  I believe that God does not make mistakes.  And he certainly wouldn't make a mistake and then ask MAN to fix it.  (This is by  no means an argument against the Jewish religion or their reasonings for circumcision because I don't exactly know those reasons.  This is just my personal thought on the entire matter.)  Why would I permanently alter what God created, and without my child's permission?  Mike and I recently had a discussion about piercing Emmalyn's ears, and I am of the belief that she should get them pierced when she's old enough to ASK for it.  To me, it is somewhat the same concept.  No child's body should be permanently altered without their consent, especially when it is something as important as a penis.  (Yes, I said penis.)  However, this is just my opinion and I have used no research to support it.

So, that leads me to the research that I have found so far.

The first thing I ran across was a video of an infant circumcision.  I was so disturbed and upset that I broke down crying and literally had nightmares about my child being tortured.  And right then and there I vowed that my son (if I ever have one) would NEVER go through such an awful procedure unless it was absolutely medically necessary (as in the only way to save the organ or his life).  But one video is not enough justification to make such a medical decision, is it?  So I began to research more.  You can see the video for yourself HERE, but let me warn you... it is heart wrenching.

In this age of technology and blogging and online medical advise, where do many people turn for answers to their medical questions?  Web MD is one of the first resources to come to mind.  So, what does WebMD have to say about circumcision?  "Circumcision is not usually medically needed."  and  "Male circumcision is a surgery to remove the foreskin, a fold of skin that covers and protects the rounded tip of the penis. The foreskin provides sensation and lubrication for the penis. In most cases, circumcision is elective surgery, which means there isn't a medical reason for it." (WebMD)

I have heard the rationalization that infants do not feel pain, or have diminished pain.  In an article published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, researchers found much, much differently.  Access the article HERE.  HERE is an article about pain management during circumcision.

Reasons such as "I want my son to look like his father", "An uncircumcised penis looks gross", and "I don't want my son to be made fun of in the locker room" are not even considered into this reasoning.  Mainly because this is superficial and these reasons put circumcision into the realm of "cosmetic surgery" on an infant who is only hours old and I find that abhorrent.  My daughter looks exactly like her father and almost nothing like me.  So would that make it right for me to change her features (without anesthesia, mind you) in order to make her look more like me?  I think not.  Or what about the girls who get boobs before all of their friends (and trust me, there is some chastising that goes along with this, from both boys AND girls)?  Should we remove them at birth in order to prevent girls from being made fun of for being different?  Hardly.

I am currently equating infant circumcision to female genital mutilation.  Hasn't FGM been outlawed everywhere and don't we speak ill of countries who allowed their women and girls to be tortured in these ways?  So why do we allow it to happen to our boys?

I have yet to find some solid information on men who were intact and later chose to be circumcised during adulthood.  I am interested to hear what these men have to say.

I could go on and on and on with all the resources and opinions and such. Each source leads to 10+ other sources and more and more... I am discovering amazing things! Next week I plan to hit up the bookstore to see if I can find some of the books that I've seen used in professional articles and papers.

Please do not misunderstand.  I am looking at both sides of the arguments, but I think everyone knows which way I lean, based on what I have seen.  I think everyone, especially parents who are having children (and even more especially, parents who are having sons) should look into this deeply and thoroughly and decide where they stand on the issue.  If you decide that circumcision is wrong, not for parents to decide, should not be performed, etc., then spread your knowledge.  Help others to learn what you know and to keep from making an uninformed, life-altering decision for their child.

Even if you are dead-set in your beliefs, take a moment to see the other side of the argument.  Just check out some information about the subject.

Here are a few resources:
WebMD
Foreskin.org
Intact America
Peaceful Parenting - A research-based site that focuses on the health, development, happiness, and well-being of children.
National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers
Circumcision Videos - More than just videos of circumcision, they tell the story behind why so many people are opposing this procedure.