How was it announced to you

Those of you who were circumcised later than birth, at an age where you can remember the surgery: how was it presented and justified to you?

I didn't have to go through with the surgery in the end, but I can still remember how the subject was brought up.

I was still naked at the time following an examination to deal with my phimosis and some other issues. The doctor said, as much to my mother as to me, that the problem with my foreskin would in time cause issues with hygiene and discomfort during intercourse and that circumcision should therefore be considered.

Whilst I had previously fantasised about having intercourse it was still embarrassing and a shock to have two adult women discussing the notion that it might one day actually happen, and that somehow my equipment in it's current state wouldn't quite be up to the job.

The doctor expained what the surgery would involve and reassured me that it would only be a slight discomfort for a few days and then competely normal. I had seen boys before who were circumcised so I knew what the end result would look like and I wasn't sure about "switching teams" . Fortunately she went on to first recommend the application of a topical steroid cream, which after a period of many months had the desired effect and surgery was avoided.

Andrew, did you think you would have a say in the decision to cut or not?

No I don't think I would have been asked whether or not I wanted it, I'm sure that had it been necessary then it would have simply been arranged and presented as a fait accompli.

However if I had refused to go through with it then I don't believe that they would have forced me, rather they would have tried to persuade or convince me of the benefits, allay my fears, or belittle me into "not being silly" about it.

At the age of 12 my mother explained to me that my tight foreskin needed to be "snipped" so that the "head" (glans) of my "peter" would be permanently and completely exposed. Her discussion included hygiene and aesthetics but her biggest concern was for my ability to procreate. I was familiar with pain as I had many cuts and bruises as a kid and didn't want my peter cut. She explained that it would be just the tight wrinkly skin on the very tip that the doctor needed to cut off. The pain would be brief but it needed to be done. I was reluctant but finally agreed. She made an appointment. I was very anxious the following week as I waited for my appointment. I would stand in front of a full length mirror wondering what my peter would look like after the snip. Finally the day came and my mother took me to the doctor. The doctor examined my foreskin and agreed that it was tight. A "stretching" was in order. The doctor inserted a hemostat into my foreskin and opened the hemostat. OUCH!!!! The doctor concluded that a local anesthetic needed to be injected into my foreskin and penis. OUCH!!!! again. The doctor left the room and came back 20 minutes later to check my peter. My penis was numb. The doctor re-inserted the hemostat into the tip of my foreskin and spread my foreskin wide. He did this several times until my foreskin was sufficiently loose and could be fully retracted. I was bleeding. With my foreskin in the retracted position the doctor bandage my penis. My mother and I were told to keep my foreskin in the retracted position so that "adhesions" did not form. A follow appointment was made for two weeks. If my foreskin stayed retracted then the circumcision could be avoided. If my foreskin slid forward the circumcision would be completed. My mother and I went home. Later that day my penis started to painfully burn. 3 or 4 days later my mother concluded that the bandage should come off. Almost immediately my foreskin slid forward covering my glans. My mother pushed my foreskin back and commented that I needed to keep my foreskin retracted so that adhesions did not form. I agreed. Shortly thereafter my foreskin slid forward and tightened to the original position. The two weeks came for the return visit to the doctor. I explained to my mother that my foreskin was permanently and fully retracted and that there was no need to return to the doctor. She accepted my statement and cancelled the appointment. Fortunately, she did not check my foreskin as it had slid forward and re-tightened.

Alden:

Years ago we had a discussion about foreskins being stretched. My mother did retract my foreskin a few times and it was painful but she removed the smegma which she called cheese. It was a treat for me to return the foreskin myself. At about six mother told me that I was old enough and I was told to clean my penis myself. I did not. One day I was on the toilet my year older brother, one year, was in the bathtub and I was amazed at how his penis had grown and how easy it was to retract his foreskin. I asked what happened and he said "One day he retracted the foreskin and it just popped like a rubber band broke." I was 12 and standing at the urinal as school and retracted my foreskin and it was still tight but very clean. Later in the bathtub and did It again and thought this is fun and a short time it became easier. I liked it better when it was tight. Many years later my daughter gave birth to a boy and to the amazement of the hospital staff she did not have him circumcised. She asked her pediatrician what to do with it. He said "Leave it alone". That was 25 years ago and he is now married.

Bruce E

Bruce E.

I am curious, how did you know my name?

Bruce E.

I am curious, how did you know my name?

Hopefully not because he works for the NSA. 😮

Bruce E.

I am curious, how did you know my name?

Your YIM is listed in your profile - that would be my guess (or he works for the NSA like User264 suggested).

On 2012, 03, 02 you responded to my post on foreskins and you signed your name.

Bruce E

Spies, they are everywhere.

It wasn’t really announced to me at all,

I was examined by the GP and there was a discussion between him and my mother where he suggested as “as you have private cover, I think we had better have him circumcised just in case” of course nothing was said to me and at the time i’d No idea what circumcised meant,

Next came an examination by a consultant, again nothing said to me, but not long after I found myself being taken to a private hospital, where it was a nurse that said to me I was going to have an operation to make my penis “much better than it is now”

Of course in the 1970s boys were not asked anything about anything, we were just told what to do, and wobetide us if we didn’t comply, and to be honest I think that’s right, I think all this talk of children having rights, and no punishment, has got us into a right mess, no discipline anymore.

Cutmedfanuk: Did you get any explanation later why you had been circumcised? the reason for that?

Pecan nut, yes I was upset initially as it looked a mess with stitches etcetera, so it was explained to me that it would soon heal up and look much better than it did before, and that going to my new school I would be like the other boys that also had theirs done because it was best that way,

But the best explations came from an older boy that talked to me about how much better it was being circumcised

Something like having to fix my wee wee, without being specific how. I was very surprised by the result!

Very much straight to the point looking back now, but at the time as a boy, I didn't understand,

"you are going to have your willy altered, were going to remove the skin and feelings you don't need from the tip"

"Those of you who were circumcised later than birth, at an age where you can remember the surgery: how was it presented and justified to you?"

I was never circumcised but when I was about 7 my doctor tried to talk my mother into letting him circumcise me because of my tight foreskin but she didn't want it done.

I am sure she hated me and men. She just liked retracting it when bathing me because of my discomfort.

I was in the ER unexpectedly and having great difficulty urinating due to phimosis and the nurses that took a look at admission said they were pretty sure I needed to be circumcised but they would talk to the ER doctor and get an order to attempt a Foley catheter but the attempts just seemed to make it worse and the surgeon on call was paged. She said there was no other alternative to circumcision and it would take about 20 minutes once we were inside the room and a local anesthetic would be used. I was wishing at that point that I had gotten it done at 12 or 13 when my step mother brought me for a consultation.

They basically told me that I would have a small intervention to fix a small problem with my penis. That I would be half a day in the hospital.

After the exam, the urologist told me that I was going to have a quick procedure called circumcision and asked if I knew what it was. When I told him that I didn't know, he explained that it was a minor procedure to remove the excess skin above the tip of my penis. When I asked why I needed it done, he told me it was for hygiene, to help prevent infections, and also because it hadn't been done at birth.

Days later, when he removed the dressing and I saw the result, I realized that he had removed the entire prepuce. When I told him I was expecting the skin to be shortened, he said, "That's right. The skin was shortened enough to expose the entire head of your penis. That's how circumcision is normally done."