To cut or not to cut, that is the question.
I believe, however, that this is no longer the question for Filipinos. I have no hard data to base this assertion, except the fact that none of the men I know are uncircumcised. This “fact” is, however, more problematic. I did not, and would not, for the life of me, actually check if they’re really circumcised. Considering the social stigma against those who have not undergone circumcision, it’s easy to say that some of those who say they’re circumcised are not really so. But let’s move on, shall we?
There are a number of benefits why men should undergo circumcision, and the benefits outweigh the risks, although according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), “the benefits of circumcision are not significant enough to recommend circumcision as a routine procedure and that circumcision is not medically necessary”. You can read about the risks and health benefits here or here. The more interesting benefit is this: “Most women prefer the circumcised penis for appearance, hygiene and sex.” We Pinoy Dads could not, of course, say if this is true. Only women could confirm or deny that.
Going back, the question, at least for me, is when to have your son circumcised. Some say it’s “very safe, can be pain-free and can be performed at any age,” although some would say that it “becomes more complicated and riskier in infants older than 2 months and in boys and men.” However, since no medical advice could be given here because I’m no doctor, this matter is best discussed with a competent doctor, preferably way before the expected date of birth.
In our case, we consulted our OB-Gyne and she said that it’s equally ok to have the circumcision upon birth or later. We decided NOT to have our son circumcized upon birth. I thought it’s better for our son to experience the “excitement” of waiting for the day of reckoning, the scheduled circumcision. (I’d say around grade school). He should be able to experience the whole process, from wearing loose shirts, spending a week or two of summer at home and walking in a weird manner. Ahh, summer, glorious summer. A season of fun, sun and sand. It’s also the season for Operation Tuli (or “tule”) and you’ll often see banners and posters announcing the schedules of free circumcision. Of course, you could have your kid’s operation in private, but no longer for free.
Some oppose circumcision because it mutilates the body. Some oppose it on religious grounds. For me, it’s one of the rites of manhood my son should not miss.
(P.S. Enzo, son, when you’re old enough to read and absorb this, I hope you’ll understand our decision. If you don’t, there’s nothing we can do about it because what’s done is done. Please don’t hate us for it.)
Comment by Ron Low
^^ Please don’t hate us for it. ^^
Of all the things that can go wrong with circumcision, him hating you is not the worst.
Obviously you need to let him decide at age 18. And urge him to be wary of practitioners using a western medicalized procedure instead of the traditional Filipino procedure of supercision which amputates no sensual tissue and only slits the upper part of the skin tube.
And by the way, the only thing that makes the procedure less complicated for an infant is that they can’t forcefully stop you, and their needs are completely ignored during healing.
Comment by Hugh7
“Most women prefer the circumcised penis for appearance, hygiene and sex.” That claim is based on a survey of 269 Iowa women, only 145 (46%) of whom gave usable responses. Only 24 of them had any experience with intact men! 77% of them said a circumcised penis “seems more natural” – which is just silly. The whole study is clearly biased towards circumcising. Another study, in which the women described their experiences in detail, strongly favoured a whole penis over one with its moving part cut off.
Comment by Fred
@Hugh7, thanks for pointing out to that studies. Perhaps you could give us the links so we could read even the study abstract. Thanks again.
@Ron Low, it’s only after reading your comment that I realized that, indeed, there’s no removal of any skin part. While I heard of the different “cuts” in circumcision, I didn’t know that in some styles, parts of the foreskin are actually cut off and removed. Thanks for that.
By the way, I know 18 is the age of majority in the Philippines. On the other hand, if you wait until your kid is in college, would it be too late, considering that he would have been the subject of ridicule all through high school? Just wondering.
Comment by dannis ong kok meng
i want circumcision