Well this was my 2nd to last paper and I managed a 100%. It was a personal argument essay...
To Snip or Not to Snip
As a mother of two boys I have had to make a decision, along with my husband, about circumcising our two boys. This was not an easy choice for me with either child. I knew the process could be painful for my boys and I wanted to be sure the benefits of the procedure outweighed the risks.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states, “Scientific studies show some medical benefits of circumcision. However, these benefits are not sufficient for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to recommend that all infant boys be circumcised” (AAP). The AAP does offer some additional resources by listing common reasons one may or may not choose to circumcise a child. The thing I found most interesting about the information offered was their wording used:
Reasons parents may choose not to circumcise
The following are reasons why parents may choose NOT to have their son circumcised:
- Fear of the risks. Complications are rare and usually minor but may include bleeding, infection, cutting the foreskin too short or too long, and improper healing.
- Belief that the foreskin is needed. Some people feel the foreskin is needed to protect the tip of the penis. Without it, the tip of the penis may become irritated and cause the opening of the penis to become too small. This can cause urination problems that may need to be surgically corrected.
- Belief it can affect sex. Some feel that circumcision makes the tip of the penis less sensitive, causing a decrease in sexual pleasure later in life.
- Belief that proper hygiene can lower health risks. Boys can be taught proper hygiene that can lower their chances of getting infections, cancer of the penis, and STIs. (AAP)
“Fear” and “belief” - these words were off-putting to me. I was looking for firm reasons why I should or should not choose this procedure for my boys and all the reasons they offered to not have the procedure were described as simply fears and beliefs. Most parents have fears when making a choice about their child's health, but I feel we need to approach choices like these with rationality not our feelings, fears, and beliefs. Fears can be a good motivator to ensure we gather the information we need and ask the right questions, to know if the choice is correct for our child. In the end we need to decide from the evidence and not from our fears. We need to make an educated choice as to what is best for our children.
I also considered causing pain to my child as a reason to not do the procedure. After speaking with the surgeon about the procedure this was no longer a concern. The surgeons use medication to minimize any discomfort both during and after the procedure. I also considered that any discomfort my child would feel, he would never remember being it was done just a day after birth.
Let us now look at the list of reasons the AAP offer as to why one may consider circumcision:
Reasons parents may choose circumcision
There are a variety of reasons why parents choose circumcision.
- Medical benefits, including
- A slightly lower risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs). A circumcised infant boy has about a 1 in 1,000 chance of developing a UTI in the first year of life; an uncircumcised infant boy has about a 1 in 100 chance of developing a UTI in the first year of life.
- A lower risk of getting cancer of the penis. However, this type of cancer is very rare in all males.
- A slightly lower risk of getting sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
- Prevention of foreskin infections.
- Prevention of phimosis, a condition in uncircumcised males that makes foreskin retraction impossible.
- Easier genital hygiene.
- Social reasons. Many parents choose to have it done because "all the other men in the family" had it done or because they do not want their sons to feel "different."
- Religious or cultural reasons. Some groups such as followers of the Jewish and Islamic faiths practice circumcision for religious and cultural reasons. (AAP)
Religious reasons were not a factor for our family, but I am sure in families were this is a factor it holds a great deal of weight in choosing the procedure. Social concerns were a part of our consideration, but in no way a deciding factor. I do know this was a concern for my husband who is circumcised and felt the boys should look like him to avoid confusion as they grow. The wording here was also interesting to me. When I was looking over these reasons the word “slightly” stood out, but at the same time I mostly disregarded it. A lower risk is still a lower risk, even if it is slight. With choosing to circumcise I could help my sons lower their risks of urinary tract infections, cancer, sexually transmitted infections, and at the same time prevent other infections and conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also has found that, “Several types of research have documented that male circumcision significantly reduces the risk of HIV acquisition by men during penile-vaginal sex” (CDC). In a report published by the World Health Organization they found it decreased the risk of contracting AIDS by roughly 60% (WHO). When I weighed the offered risks of the procedure, with the benefits, I felt it was a clear choice.
I believe having a child circumcised is a clear choice. Even if the American Academy of Pediatrics cannot say clearly that circumcision is the best choice for infant boys, I believe their information is clear enough to show most healthy boys would benefit from the procedure. I chose to have both of my boys circumcised. Both of my boys handled the procedure without incident and recovered easily. In both cases their circumcisions healed before their umbilical cords fell off.
Having the procedure may only slightly improve the chance of not developing some condition, but isn't slightly better odds, better then no improvement to one's odds at all? Then one must also consider the greatly improved chance of avoiding AIDS once the child is sexually active. Much of our life is weighed out to us in odds. Why not offer children the best possible chance they have at staying healthy?
Works Cited
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). "Circumcision: Information for Parents.":n pag. Web 25 Mar. 2009. http://www.aap.org/publiced/br_circumcision.htm .
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Male Circumcision and Risk for HIV Transmission and Other Health Conditions: Implications for the United States”:n pag. Web 30 Mar. 2009. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/factsheets/circumcision.htm .
World Health Organization (WHO). “New Data on Male Circumcision and HIV Prevention:Policy and Programme Implications” pag 3. Web 30 Mar. 2009.
http://www.who.int/hiv/mediacentre/MCrecommendations_en.pdf .
