Circumcision

     The circumcision procedure that some cultures do on females is simply child mutilation and should never be performed.

     Circumcision of male infants is a different matter. There is a small but real risk of urinary tract and bladder infection in the first 1-2 years of life in males who are not circumcised. Circumcised males also have a lower risk of penis cancer later in life. Statistics show that if a circumcised male is exposed to sexually transmitted disease, including AIDS, he has a lower risk of getting that infection than an uncircumcised male. Uncircumcised males have risks of infection, adhesions and constriction of a too-tight foreskin. Often, an uncircumcised child will develop problems and need to be circumcised later in life when it is a painful, nasty experience.

     When circumcision is done in the nursery 1-2 days after birth, it is a safe and easy procedure. It can also be painless with the use of local anesthetic. An oral sugar solution is also given before the procedure to help quiet the infant. Early circumcision heals rapidly and is easy to care for.

     Some societies like the British and the Australians feel that male circumcision is barbaric and unnecessary. I have never seen a complication from a properly done circumcision but I have seen multiple problems when a child was not circumcised.  Because I only had daughters, I didn’t have to make the decision, but if I had a son, I definitely would have had him circumcised in the nursery.
     If you decide to have a circumcision done, talk to the doctor before the procedure. The Gomco clamp does the best circumcisions - not the Plasti-Bell and you need to be sure that the doctor will use a local anesthetic.
     Even though the scientific evidence in favor of circumcision continues to mount up, insurance companies continue to win the fight against paying for the procedure. Long before you go into the hospital to have the baby, check with your insurance carrier to see if they will pay for circumcision and how much, if any, of the bill you will be responsible for.