Ask Lemmy

If you're going off shameless, that wass 100% written by a straight circumcised from birth male, whole arc was odd af, kinda funny tho

I'm circumcised, but I can give the answer to if I wish I were uncircumcised. I would only want to choose circumcision if I looked into it and determined it to be good.

There's someone whose name I forgot who called this out as being barbarism at Harvard or Columbia before getting kicked out for basically giving the truth on circumcision.

Nope.

No

Only wonder what the difference would be like.
But it's on the same level as wondering what the other side is like.

Penis owners is a good band name

I wanted to be circumcised so bad one day I said "fuck it" and bent nearly in half and bit my foreskin off. One bite. Ate it too.

Problem is, you get a taste for it. When I hear a man is uncircumcised I seduce him, get him in the bedroom and bite his off too. I'm wanted if ninety countries and am the only person permanently banned from Burning Man.

Circumcise your child or he may become like me too. Or worse, in 18 years he may become my victim...

To preface this: The science seems a bit inconclusive on the exact effects on sexual function or sensitivity. This review paper from 2023 in the Journal "Sexual Medicine Review" suggests that: "Despite the conflicting data reported in articles, the weight of the scientific evidence suggests there is not sufficient data to establish a direct association between male circumcision and sexual dysfunction."

Unfortunately most papers are paywalled and we'd have to weed through the source papers to judge methodical weaknesses as well, since a lot of it is self-reporting. (I remember reading but can't find a paper right now, where they tested a more objective pressure threshold that could be felt in circumcised and uncircumcised males and found some difference. But I can't remember how significant the difference was.)

I’ve met a guy who was bullied in high school so bad for it he got a circ as an adult. (...) I don’t want to make him feel like something’s wrong with him his whole life because I was uncomfortable with the idea.

It's a value judgement. But if you ask me personally, I would not try to avoid potential (not ensured) bullying by doing a lasting medical procedure. Especially considering that like with every such procedure there is a risk of complications (3.84% overall). Much rather I'd try to be there for him, if there is bullying and see to it, that he doesn't feel shame around it.

Apparently crazy painful recovery.

That sounds like complications. Generally there's more complications when it's for therapeutic reasons and with higher age.

I’ve also talked to women who are generally grossed out by uncircumcised men. And I know women who prefer it the other way round. Again, you know your cultural environment better than me, but I don't think you should make a decision like this on subjective opinions of some limited anecdotes. Also: Even if these opinions were objectively prevalent, they can change geographically or over time. And: Think about the kind and quality of a relation that falls apart because of something like that.

And last but not least, we have a view of a clinician in this topic who highlights the necessity of teaching him good hygiene to avoid phimosis (or general build up of smegma and its risks) and the role you think you can and want to play in his upbringing. There's a lot of people around the world who are uncircumcised and I don't think there is any prevalent medical downside from it. And I would absolutely add as a precaution, that such a procedure, if you chose to do it, should absolutely be made in an appropriate medical facility by qualified doctors.