I am a mother of two, soon to be of three. I am to give birth to a baby boy in three months’ time and I have heard about circumcision of infants. Would you encourage me to get my baby circumcised at that early age? – Mai Dee
Dear Mai Dee
This matter is a bit personal and I feel I cannot advise you whether or not to get your son circumcised at that age. Circumcision has its own advantages that have been scientifically proven. But it has not yet become popular here as a culture like it is in other countries like Swaziland – where your son would grow up seeing every boy his age circumcised.
As it is not common here, it could possibly make him feel a bit uncomfortable and ‘strangely’ different from other boys as he grows up. He may be teased or made uncomfortable by his peers. I personally believe it is best when one decides on his own.
As mothers and parents, we know what is best for our kids, some may argue, but it does not mean we may as well identify the girls they would marry when they grow up. You are a very loving mother who wants the best for her children and I am happy you tend to consult with others on certain issues. I suggest you ask your doctor for more information. – Aunty Lisa
Post published in: Lifestyle
Let him decide for himself when he’s old enough. His body – his decision. If you give him the choice, he can get circumcised later on if he wants to, but if you have him circumcised now, he can never be intact.
70% of the world’s men are intact, and only around 10% of the world’s circumcised men were circumcised as infants. In Europe, Asia and South America, almost no-one is circumcised unless their parents are Jewish or Muslim.
Circumcision is actually quite rare in Swaziland too btw.
Circumcision alters sex dramatically. Just say no to all forced genital cutting. What’s to even argue about? Informed adults can decide for themselves.
Circumcision is a “cure” looking for a disease.
It offers only debatable or disproven slight reductions in rare diseases of late onset that can be better prevented by other means, or treated as they occur. What he will be born with has valuable functions (or will when he is a man) that can only be damaged by being tampered with.
In 10 out of 18 countries for which USAID has figures, more of the circumcised men have HIV than the non-circumcised. (Zimbabwe is one of those countries, and they did the survey twice, once before the circumcision campaign began and once after, with the same result both times). A study in Uganda started to show that circumcising men INCREASES the risk to women, but it was cut short before that could be confirmed. Since men have to use condoms even if they’re circumcised, what protection can circumcision add?