First this video here has some of the myths and facts that I will be covering.
Myth #1 All men are circumcised or He will be teased in the locker room.
Fact ~ As of 2010 it was reported that roughly 30% of baby boys born into the US in hospitals are being circumcised. The CDC attributed the decline (from 56% in 2006 to 33% in 2009) to the American Academy of Pediatrics stating in 1999 that "existing data [was] not sufficient to recommend routine newborn male circumcision" also there has been a large decline in health insurance covering the surgery due to it now being listed as a cosmetic surgery with no health benefits. Another good source for info on the decline is Peaceful Parenting.
Myth #2 Routine Infant Circumcision (RIC) is recommended by ALL doctors and medical associations.
Fact ~ Not a single medical association in the WORLD recommend RIC and the AAP re did their state ment on the surgery concluding that (as stated above) data was not sufficient enough to recommend the surgery. The American Medical Association and American Academy of Family Physicians agree with the AAP statement.
Myth #3 Its just skin
Fact ~ The prepuce or foreskin can contain roughly 10,000 or more specialized nerve endings, up to a few feet of blood vessels and enough skin to cover an index card. What human wouldnt miss that? The foreskin actually has a function, its not just a piece of useless skin.
During the mans babyhood, every part of the body is born with a purpose. The gland or head of the penis is meant to be an internal organ, to be covered. The prepuce is meant to cover and protect the head. To keep it safe, warm, CLEAN and moist. It is meant to allow the head of the penis to develop normally. You can find more info and facts about how the foreskin functions here at this Peaceful Parenting page.
Myth #4 Cut penises are easier to take care of then intact penises.
Fact ~ In caring for an intact boy you do nothing! Intact do not retract. Its that simply, while the foreskin is still FUSED to the glad you do nothing but wipe the outside of the penis like you would a finger. A boy will naturally start retracting anywhere from age 3 till the early 20's in some cases and till then only the outside is cleaned. Premature retraction is what causes the damage and infections. That being said the only person that should ever be retracting an intact boys penis is the owner of the penis, the boy. Not even medical professionals should be allowed to retract it due to they could easily harm the boy causing pain, infections and other issues. Info can be found here, here, and here. Also if you take your intake child to a medical professional and they try to or do retract the child you can and should report them. Also you can find an intact friendly doctor here.
Myth #5 Circumcision prevents Urinary Track Infections.
Fact ~ First I would like to say, why do boys that have UTIs have to have a piece of skin cut off but girls (who also have a foreskin over the clitoris) get antibiotics to kill the infection? Does that seem right?
Now the main study that was done is seriously flawed, read here. In reality the foreskin protects against infections in males. The foreskin is designed to be tight around the end of the penis to prevent anything from entering under the skin. It loosens to allow urine out then re tightens back to protect the gland. More details can be found here.
Myth #6 It protects from penile cancer.
Fact ~ According to the American Cancer Society circumcision SHOULD not be recommended as a way to prevent cancer. Good hygiene and avoid HIV are ways to decrease the risk of the cancer.
I know that not all parents agree on whether to circumcision or leave intact and I implore all parents to seriously research the topic. I know one choice is not always the right choice for every family but as long as the family is making informed decisions then there is nothing wrong with it.
You can find more links to more information here at Peacefully Raising A Harvest, please take the time to research and educate yourself and others on this topic.
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