Growing trend to get circumcised

Either way there will always be differing opinions in relation to circumcision.

Modern day social constructs with most nationalities still have a bearing on what their offspring undergo from birth.

Amputate part of his body? Puhleeze it's trim! Like a haircut.

@liquidsky said

Amputate part of his body? Puhleeze it's trim! Like a haircut.

I'm not sure I'd use the word amputation, yet it is elective surgery that involves bleeding, removal of a body part, and therefore permanent alteration. I might also return to the point about loss of some nerve endings. Hair has neither blood nor nerve endings, and to trim it is not a permanent modification. Therefore to compare this surgery with a haircut is simply not valid.

Therefore to compare this surgery with a haircut is simply not valid.

You forgot to add that no one screams bloody murder from the 'pain' of a haircut, nor do they wrap their head in a bandage for days afterwards either ... ha ha

Sorry I don't mean to demean something which is of course a minor surgical procedure. It was an attempt at levity. What comes to mind though is the vehemence of people's reactions. Now that Jds is gone there are few people who regret having had the procedure. There are many more who haven't been circumcised who seem afraid of having it happen to them. Don't worry! It's entirely elective you know.

@liquidsky said

Sorry I don't mean to demean something which is of course a minor surgical procedure. It was an attempt at levity. What comes to mind though is the vehemence of people's reactions. Now that Jds is gone there are few people who regret having had the procedure. There are many more who haven't been circumcised who seem afraid of having it happen to them. Don't worry! It's entirely elective you know.

That's fine. Well, almost, as the question of whether it is elective has been debated.

Leaving that aside I think you'll find that there would be vehement resistance against any elective surgery, not only circumcision, that Person A wanted to impose on Person B in order to make Person B like Person A. This is a recurring concept in many ways in the genre of science fiction, and it seems it has some basis in reality. Of course there will be resistance to such ideas, it's natural. No wonder it polarises opinion, especially on different sides of the Atlantic.

I think this has been a lively discussion, but I think now it's time to bring it to an end for now. We have raised points concerning form over function (that is to say what it looks like rather than what it does), health reasons (both truth and myth), social custom and religious reasons. If we continue like this, all we'll do is go round and round in circles. Unless anyone approaches it from a genuinely new angle, I think for now we've pretty much covered it all.

" He who has to have the last word is not the person who is correct , but the person that has wasted their breath" Bridgette

????

" He who has to have the last word is not the person who is correct , but the person that has wasted their breath" Bridgette

????

Not necessarily.

The person with the last word has given something for the others to think about, or not.

[color=#ffffff] . [/color]

On a lighter note, I have always enjoyed being able to say, "I told you so...." more than having the last word! 😁 😁 😁

The person with the last word has given something for the others to think about, or not.

Susie, you are correct.

The meaning of my previous post was "let us give it a rest for now". I clearly did not say, "this is done and we can never revisit it".

No doubt this topic will be resumed at some point, either with fresh thoughts on it or even recycling and retesting the same arguments. That's fine either way as long as it stays civil - but for now, it's pretty much run its course.

Susie, you are correct.

The meaning of my previous post was "let us give it a rest for now". I clearly did not say, "this is done and we can never revisit it".

No doubt this topic will be resumed at some point, either with fresh thoughts on it or even recycling and retesting the same arguments. That's fine either way as long as it stays civil - but for now, it's pretty much run its course.

My guess is sooner than we think! 😁

I can't believe it has gone on this long.

And this isn't the only thread about it!

I've never yet had a woman friend in romantic relationship who I have felt strongly enough about so that I would change myself from uncircumcised to circumcised for her sake and so that she knows it is represrntative of my dedication to her. Personally, I tene to flip flop and go through phases where I am completely convinced getting circumcised is 100% exactly what i want to do to phases where I don't think it is something I want.I have had girlfriends before make very compelling arguments as to why I should get circumcised for them and for myself however they passion and romantic love unfortunately was not strong enough within me towards any of those women to push me in following through. I believe there might be the potential for passion and romantic love within me toward the young woman I am now getting to meet however I have a feeling she actually might be one of those ones who actually doesn't have a preference (it took me a long tim to believe they actually existed)

I have had girlfriends before make very compelling arguments as to why I should get circumcised for them and for myself

I wonder what people would think if you, as a male, made compelling reasons for a girlfriend to have a labioplasty or her labia minora removed for your sake, as a proof of her love for you. You would probably be ripped a new one and cussed out from here to Sunday.

Yet a man altering his genitals on a lady's demand is considered legitimate.

Double standards.

I find this to be a deceptively profound hypothetical because while western civilization is progressing toward the ideal of gender neutrality by leaps and bounds we must, at some point, realize gender egalitarianism for what it is precisely before considerable meddling in the natural order of things becomes simply a circle jerk where everyone is patting each other on the back not for exhalting the human race as a whole, not even the promotion of a segment of society, but opposingly the repeated denigration of a segment of society. With that said it is difficult for me to imagine a modern society in which the male gender is not the hegemon. And here is where it becomes quite interesting to me.... it is precisely because I am not making the choice of getting circumcised for the sake of 'empowerment' by which it is therefore allowed to be pricely that as an empowering action for me by me. Even at this point, however, just because it has the potential of being an empowering thing doesn't mean it will be empoweing. However I believe its symbolism as a show of my romamtic commitment, that it is an act of benevolence, that it is an act of love, is what would make it empowering. Yet I think a similar act of today by a woman could never be truly empowering for her exactly because of those who would condemn the act as influnced by the male, and by that they are (without awareness of theiractions) giving the male an outsized portion of the power and responsibility of an action decided by a female.

With regard to the woman getting a labioplasty at the request of her husband, I MIGHT do that if I was vain enough (and I'm pretty vain about my appearance) and if it was very important to my husband it could be my gift to him. I mean it's just a minor snip or wave of the bipolar radiosurgery electrode and you're done. That procedure does result in a beautiful "clamshell" or "tulip" vulva (whatever you decide you want it to look like). Luckily, my mother, older daughter and I are clamshells and my younger daughter has a tulip so we don't have to be concerned about going under the knife.

My opinion is that a labioplasty is much less of a "life altering" procedure than being circumcised as an adult.

I do not think getting a labioplasty or being circumcised has anything to do with empowerment. It's simply a plastic surgery procedure to change one's appearance.

Well my inner labia are a bit on the big side but I like them and my husband does too. But even if my husband did not like me how I am I still would not think about having labiaplasty because I have read about some nasty complications. I do not think it is common but there is a risk that the part that is left gets less sensitive, and there is a risk of infection, bleeding and scarring too. It is not for me at all. Noooo thank you. @Switchablesusie I know my husband would not want me to take risks even if he had preferred me to look different.

@GilChat if you want to get circumcised or not it is up to you. I do not think it is really up to anybody else because it is not their body. Maybe you should just read a lot more about it. I do not think you should do it just because you think it is romantic and you think all women want it circumcised. I love my husband's foreskin and there are things I can do with it to please him.

however, just because it has the potential of being an empowering thing doesn't mean it will be empoweing.

In a country like the US or a Muslim country, getting circumcised is not so much empowerment as an act of conformity.

In Muslim countries it is obviously done for religious conformity, wishing to adhere to tenets and strictures that are thought to come from a non-human agency. In the US, the conformity comes from widely held notions about hygiene and masturbation that had their roots in ideas as written and expounded in pamphlets and medical treatises of 18th century doctors, which remained in vogue during the 19th and continued to exert influence through most of the 20th century (though in a somewhat less wacky and apocalyptic manner).

. . . . In the US, the conformity comes from widely held notions about hygiene and masturbation . . . .

Maybe in the VERY distant past.

Nobody except religious fundamentalists gives a rats ass about masturbation any more.

Maybe in the VERY distant past.

The past is not always that distant. It's also relative. For instance the ideas and medical notions I mention come from the 18th century, roughly a generation or two earlier than the ideas and principles that influenced and helped form the USA and its political Constitution. Things which are still relevant, even revered today, though how they are interpreted today will probably vary from how they were in the past.

Meaning that as an influence, ideas often far outlast their own time and still work in various not so immediately obvious ways into the present.

Some people think 1990s music is incredibly dated, others live out their musical appreciation through 17th century polyphonic compositions. And everything in between. And all of these things still have resonance today, sometimes slight, sometimes more than you would think, once you begin to think and ponder on the origin of ideas and notions. But first you do have to take a step back from your immediate world.

There is a good Englis (!) blurb here on the book 'Masturbation - the History of a Great Terror' by Jean Stengler/Anne van Neck :

https://www.amazon.fr/Masturbation-History-Terror-Jean-Stengers/dp/0312224435/ref=sr_1_1?s=english-books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470851469&sr=1-1&keywords=masturbation+anne+van+neck

The masturbation scare came to be linked with ideas on circumcision as a possible way of curbing or curing this 'horrible affliction'. Both are intertwined and certainly up to the middle of the 20th century, difficult to untangle, the one from the other.

I could go on and bore you, but I would recommend the book as a good way of learning how ideas (on masturbation) percolate and slither through generations. It's a bit expensive as books go, but I found it worth the price. Serious stuff by accredited historians.

Nobody except religious fundamentalists gives a rats ass about masturbation any more.

I'd also note that there are more of those still around than any sane society really needs. Even in politics ...

Besides, you know that along with all their ranting about the sins of homosexuality and promiscuity and public obscenity, that masturbation is on their list too. It's just a bit less fashionable to rant on about it so much.

And I'd also note that in 1994, the US Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, got fired for publicly talking about masturbation. Not that long ago and fired under pressure from elected politicians, not necessarily religious fundamentalists - at least not openly avowed fundies ...

I came across this article and found it fascinating to read all the comments.

From a personal point I had a girlfriend who was very keen to get me circumcised on her behalf and tried to push me firmly towards the procedure citing cleanliness and a preference for cut men.

The discussion around why was because she had been with mostly circumcised men, only me and one other uncut guy and she liked the taught erect look and clean exposed head when flaccid. This went on for months and she would tell me about previous experiences and pointed out other men she knew were cut through conversations with her girlfriends, a topic they often talked about.

During sex and foreplay she would hold my skin back firmly for a hand and blow job and sometimes when inside her so I could experience the cut feeling. She would also dry rub me and drive me crazy with the sensation on the head saying if I was cut I would be taking this like a man! Probably the most intense rubbing was immediately post orgasm when she would continue to rub me off and make me squirm in blissful torture for a few seconds until I could take no more, again she was firm handed and said I should be taking the pleasure more if I was cut for her.

Before we split up I was close to making a circumcision decision in her favour and get clipped but we ended the relationship and I am still intact.

Now my wife wants me to get circumcised for her and I will be booking in the clinic soon.

^^^ Don't you think the decision is yours to make & yours alone . Weigh it up as for yourself there's no going back later. Try suggesting to your wife that she consider having surgery to re-model her labia because it's aesthetically more pleasing. .see how well that's received

I totally agree with That Australian. I'd have to think very carefully about having a circumcision because a partner thought it would be a good idea. It's likely to be a fabricated story in any case.

Let me preface my question with this: I happen to prefer men who are circumcised and always have.

HOWEVER - - - - (I purposely did not say BUT or BUTT because that has become childishly, horribly overused ad nauseum play on words here)

What makes you think your wife will stay with you?

Don't do it for her.

@Dr_Mark

Before we split up I was close to making a circumcision decision in her favour and get clipped but we ended the relationship and I am still intact.

Do not do it for her if it is not something that you want. I usually try to MYOB but I don't think she will respect you or appreciate what you are doing for her. You wouldn't be doing it FOR her, you would be doing it BECAUSE of her. My brother had a wife who would play mind games with him, she was never happy and there was always just one more thing for him to do before she was satisfied. She never was satisfied and it was always about her.

I wish you all the luck in the world and hope you find happiness.

Getting a body modification for a relationship is silly. Relationships don't always last forever but the modification does.

I was the first uncircumcised guy my boyfriend had been with. It definitely was not his favorite thing. He did oral on me but the amount of skin I had made it difficult for him and jerking off was more complicated to figure out how to do it without making it uncomfortable for me. I've had those issues with men prior, even the ones who were enthusiastic about me being uncut.

Often they would grip it oddly and cause chaffing or be too brutal with it. For me sex was unpleasant with others for jerking off and oral was neutral as a wet mouth and a wet foreskin felt the same. I did have one guy say if I agreed to date him, he'd set up my circumcision because he didn't want an uncut boyfriend.

I wasn't offended, but was definitely caught off guard. I asked my current boyfriend if he wanted me to get cut after a couple of years together. He said it was completely my decision, he wasn't going to try to influence me one way or the other. I knew it was affecting our sex life, and I kept having complications due to the length/tightness/tearing and infections.

So at 36 I got cut. Even though he didn't ask me to , he definitely perfers the new cock and it has made sex life with him better. I can understand a bf/gf/spouse asking but in the end it is up to the guy to decide for himself. You can't change your mind after, and if that's all the relationship is based around then it isn't much of a relationship to begin with.

Going through all those posts i am surprised how much emotions circumcision creates. I would never expect peoples can get angry and divided that much about it. For me its rather curious object, Im not circumcised and when i was a kid, about 15, it caused me some problems as i couldnt retract my foreskin. Hey due to sexual education or lack of it i didnt even know that i can retract my foreskin till i saw it in the porn.

It took a lot of pain and practice to manage to pull it back and stretch that skin. Now 20 years later i still got my foreskin though, i thought about circumcision a few times especially due to, as i heard somewhere, glands are less sensitive and it helps to last longer. In the end i realised lasting longer its all about mental approach and never decided to cut this bit off. My wife loves my cock as it is and to be honest pulling the skin back has some sexual charge and pleasure

Going true all those posts i am surprised how much emotions circumcision creates. I would never expect peoples can get angry and divided that much about it.

It has a lot to do with proponents of the practice wanting everyone to become as they are. Sort of like trying to convert people to their own religion and never taking no or free choice for an answer. That is definitely not cool, especially as there is a huge gender discrimination factor with the whole question. Lynching seems too good for those who practice female genital alteration on the under-aged and yet they think nothing of doing the same to under-aged males.

Circumcision should be left to adults as a free choice.

I belong to a forum for people who are interested in circumcision. Most of the members are uncircumcised adults who are contemplating or have recently undergone circumcision. A couple of guys have recently posted photos of their penises before and after circumcision which were performed by doctors who specialize in cosmetic circumcision. I have to say, their penises look really nice and I do not think you can tell their circumcisions were done in adulthood.