tl;dr: partner and I are having our first kid soon. He's got a penis. Should we have him circumcised shortly after birth?
We've looked up tons of peer-reviewed papers on the practice. Here in the USA, it seems like circumcision rates are declining, slowly, with maybe 50-60% of boys now being circumcised from a peak of maybe 70-90% at one point. It varies heavily by state and racial/ethnic demographic, too.
But, looking at the papers, there are several benefits to circumcision: reduced risk of contracting HIV, HPV, penile cancer, and other diseases/ailments. The reasons against circumcision are more philosophical as the procedure itself is relatively safe with rarely any major complications. There doesn't seem to be much evidence to support removal of the foreskin causing decreased sexual pleasure. But, philosophically speaking, the baby obviously cannot give consent, and furthermore, the baby will feel quite a lot of pain once the local anesthetic wears off.
What would you do or what have you done? Any data or evidence to support your decision is greatly appreciated, but any discussion at all is appreciated.
We've looked up tons of peer-reviewed papers on the practice. Here in the USA, it seems like circumcision rates are declining, slowly, with maybe 50-60% of boys now being circumcised from a peak of maybe 70-90% at one point. It varies heavily by state and racial/ethnic demographic, too.
But, looking at the papers, there are several benefits to circumcision: reduced risk of contracting HIV, HPV, penile cancer, and other diseases/ailments. The reasons against circumcision are more philosophical as the procedure itself is relatively safe with rarely any major complications. There doesn't seem to be much evidence to support removal of the foreskin causing decreased sexual pleasure. But, philosophically speaking, the baby obviously cannot give consent, and furthermore, the baby will feel quite a lot of pain once the local anesthetic wears off.
What would you do or what have you done? Any data or evidence to support your decision is greatly appreciated, but any discussion at all is appreciated.