Do you prefer circumcised or not?

Circumsized is all I know, and what I prefer. But then again, love is more important.

Has he thought of foreskin restoration as a possible solution to his problem?

DITTO.

I agree, especially about the cleaner part! I have heard that uncut has more sensation tho, so I feel kinda bad saying I prefer circumcised- but I just do.

Thing is it's really not cleaner. The only thing that makes an intact penis dirty is not washing it, and really do you want to be with someone who can't wash their penis? It's not different than the labia on a woman.

Have you ever seen those little toy tubes that are full of water or goo; you push your finger into the hole and the tube just keeps turning inside out at the opposite end? They always remind me of those. At least when they are flacid. When erect they look like an erect penis.

I want to say that I agree with meganthomas, but I don't know what they mean by cleaner.

I would use sloppy? to describe my experience with the uncircumcised, which seems harsh but is not meant that way. Just the only word coming to mind at the moment... But then I think that may depend on the man. I find that there is more precum. I don't know why, but this always kind of turns me off. It's really a difficult preference to try to explain for me.

I have a son who we did no circumcise, I know that he will likely have more sensation; and to be honest, paying 200+ dollars to have my baby cut apart and subjected to the subsequent pain, was just out of the question for me. This causes me even more guilt over my preference because I would not want a woman to judge him by his foreskin. I think for most people, it is probably more of a case of what they have become accustomed to.

I think you're right that it's just what they're accustomed to. And a lot of babies now are not having it done (a big YAY for that!) and so by the time that your son is older it'll be more the norm for men to be intact, and I don't think it'll be the same issue as now where many women seem to prefer circumcised just because that's what they're used to.

I don't know about the precum, because I wouldn't think that having foreskin would change the amount of precum...maybe it was just that guy? Or maybe something about the foreskin and the undried out glans made it seem that way? Interesting though.

Yeah, I suggested it to him and gave him a link to some sites that help men restore their foreskins.

He doesn't seem interested. It's his penis, so all I can do is suggest, and after that, it's up to him.

Thanks for the suggestion, though. We have looked into it.

I've noticed that when I give my uncircumsizedpartner a handjob it gets a lot more wet than with a circumsized guy. Not because he has more precum, just because the foreskin produces moisture. I don't find it a turnoff though.

You're right, absolutely. A foreskin does not a "dirty" penis make. Not washing makes a penis dirty. It's like saying we should remove the labia of women "so they can get that nasty thing cleaner." There are actually societies which do this (Female Genital Mutilation) and it does untold damage to the psyches and physical health of these women, as often circumcision does to little boys and men.

There is a group for nurses called "Nurses Against Circumcision." I'm a member. I REFUSE to be part of this brutal act against innocent babies. If a grown man wants to have it done, to himself he can do it when he's old enough to make the decision.

The skin on the underside of the foreskin produces it's own lubrication. Removal of the this most important tissue (often more than half of the entire surface area of a baby's penis) causes the penis to stop making this lubrication. It's more than just "a piece of skin." Which I KNOW you know.

When I had my first son the OB/Gyn came in to do it because the nurse had mistakenly told him I wanted it done, when I told him I didn't he was so happy to hear it and he was talking with me about how he's always relieved when he hears that parents have researched it and chosen for themselves. He did respect that it was their choice but appreciated at least when it was looked into and not blindly done because people think it's the norm. When we had our last child I had a midwife and she was totally an intactivist and had her speech already for us, she was so happy to hear that we already had an intact son and by no means were planning on having that one cut. We lucked out with our pediatrician too because he was from a Country that did not routinely circumcise and so he knew how to handle (and by that of course I mean NOT do anything lol) an intact penis.

It's awesome when the medical community is on the same page and has done their research and I'm glad that there is a group like that, that's awesome and helps get the word out and helps people to make better informed choices for their children! Unfortunately in a lot of areas the Drs are the ones feeding the misinformation that it's cleaner to have it done. *sigh* someday maybe people will understand that just because someone is a doctor does NOT mean they are always right!!

I doubt any girl or woman with the ability to think and have compassion for other people is going to judge him. Like Alicia said, fewer and fewer parents are subjecting their baby boys to this procedure.

Right now, the make up of men under 25 is about 50/50 in terms of being intact. As fewer people do this to their babies, Intact Men will be the norm, in the US as it is in Europe, Australia, most of Asia and most of the world.

I can probably count on one hand the number of my friends and clients who have circed their baby boys. The vast majority refused to do it, and many of their doctors advised them NOT to do this to their children. I've worked in Maternal Infant Care and Lactation and see a LOT of baby boys. Intact is the majority, at least among breastfeeding moms.

Some insurance companies won't even pay for the procedure (YAY!) because they call it "Cosmetic Surgery." And it's cosmetic, with NO therapeutic effects, without CONSENT of the person being cut up.

Ahh, yea that's basically what I was thinking, similar to how women produce their own lubrication. I've unfortunately never had the opportunity to be with an intact man, seems that in the area I grew up and in that generation it was just about always done. I only knew I think three men who were intact..one was my father, one was a guy I worked with after I got married and one is my husband's best friend. So needless to say, no sexual experience there! LOL

In 2009 it actually dipped below 50% which is awesome! I love that people are starting to make informed choices more often and the word is getting out there on a more mainstream level!

I think as time goes on it will just become more and more the norm, especially as this generation of men grow up and realize what a gift they were given by their parents to be left intact. I think that by the time our children have children just about everyone will be left intact.

Good for your doctor and midwife! (I knew your boys weren't circed from past conversations. Mine would not have been, either.)

Yeah, there are still some doctors who think it's "cleaner" or tell the parents "It will hurt more when he has to have it done as an adult." The thing is, these doctors are not following the Medical Guidelines (which say it really has no therapeutic effects) that it is NOT "cleaner" it almost NEVER "has to be done" in adulthood, and often they are only going on what their OWN penis looks like. There ARE a lot of good, informed doctors and other health care professionals out there.

You won't find a Midwife or a Lactation Consultant with a circed boy of her own.

Yea, I guess I shouldn't have said "usually" because I don't think that's really the norm out there anymore for doctors to be not educated and share that knowledge with their patients, what I more meant to say was that I hear a lot about it, like when people say their reasoning for why they had it done they say that their doctor said that it was cleaner and like you said..that it will hurt more as an adult. When I had my first son it was 2004 and the nurses there were really pushing me to have him circumcised and even tsk-tsking me about not having it done. The one I remember the most about was an older woman though, so I think it was just because for so long that was what was the norm and what people thought to be true. That time I was even worried about letting him go to the nursery because I had heard stories about babies who had it done and the nurses just said "oops" (Not sure how true they were because that sounds like one hell of a lawsuit...) They also were trying to tell me to pull it back daily and wash under it with a Q-tip, which of course you know is wrong, wrong, wrong! I was so afraid to even let them near him for fear they were going to end up hurting him. But, by 2006 when I had my last son it was completely different. The nurses all were a lot more knowledgeable about intact boys and no one made me feel as if I was wrong to leave him as he was. This was a different hospital though, so I don't know if that had anything to do with it.

Yeah I knew that the procedure was being done less and less. I really think it is a huge mistake to subject babies to any sort of cosmetic surgery, which is really what it is. I know that people used to mistakenly believe that it was an issue of hygiene, which was silly considering the number of uncircumcised men in the world who do not have hygiene issues with their penis. I am happy to say that I made the choice not to have it done.

I just worry sometimes, because of course he is my baby boy, and I don't ever want him to suffer any animosity. Of course I know this is about as unlikely as discovering that I am god and control the universe but like every mother I just want my baby to be happy

I think, in this day and age an "accidental" circumcision would be grounds for a lawsuit and maybe an assault charge. I have heard of it happening (years ago, longer ago than 2004) but not recently. It's still one of those fears when you have to put that tiny, innocent baby into the Nursery's hands for even a short while. I was always afraid they were going to bottle feed my kids and ruin their ability to suckle, because it happened with the first one, without my consent.

You are of course right about Penis Care, NEVER pull down the foreskin of a small child and clean under it, until it has separated from the glans by itself. With some kids this will happen by the age of two, others not until much older. Usually little boys work it loose by their own comfort by playing with it. The foreskin is attached to the shaft with the same force that your fingernail is attached to your nail bed. Awful thing to do to a baby! I've known moms to grab nurses and doctors (and even Grandma's) hands who went to do this. Only clean the outside until it separates. I know you know this, just want everyone else to know. Forcefully separating the foreskin can lead to scarring and adhesions. It's sealed well enough that it should be just left alone, until it comes unadhered on it's own.

Good Mama, Alicia!

Girl with Fire, I understand your concern. All Mamas just want what is best for their babies. My Man has told me that no one comments on other men's penises in locker rooms. "It's not only creepy, you'd get called names for noticing." My nephew's mom told me he said the same thing when she asked him, "Mom, you don't look at, much less comment on an other guy's dick!" He won't be "teased" as not only fewer and fewer boys are being subjected to this procedure, but saying something about an other male's Manhood in public is not a subject most men would broach. Not even in a locker room.