For context, I’m circumcised and expecting a son and my wife and I are torn about the circ. We’re American so from a cultural standpoint circumcision is the default choice. Thing is, there’s no real benefit besides practicing a religion we don’t believe in, and I’m uncomfortable about cutting the tip of my son’s dick off.

On the other side, I’ve met a guy who was bullied in high school so bad for it he got a circ as an adult. Apparently crazy painful recovery. I’ve also talked to women who are generally grossed out by uncircumcised men. I don’t want to make him feel like something’s wrong with him his whole life because I was uncomfortable with the idea.

From a moral standpoint I’m against it, but from a social and cultural standpoint I feel like I should do it? It’s a crappy situation. If there’s any uncircumcised American men who want to talk about their penis I’m all ears.

Edit: I really appreciate everyone’s responses I never expected to hear from so many people. With the decision hinging on social and cultural norms it’s been really helpful to be able to take the temperature like this. I obviously need to talk to my wife, but given the overwhelming support of dick hats I don’t thing we’re going to do it. Thanks, lemmings!

  • troglodyte_mignon@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    This will be of no help to you OP, but: damn, this all seems so bizarre read from France.

    How likely is it that your kid’s going to be bullied, though? I looked at some state-by-state data (warning: it’s not that recent, and I haven’t checked its accuracy), and it seems to vary a lot depending on where you live. Also, even in West Virginia, where circumcision seems to be the most common, almost one male in ten seems to be left intact. Obviously, I don’t know what I’m talking about, but even if your child ends up being in the minority, he might not seem that strange to his classmates and friends.

  • GreenKnight23@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    I agreed to do it for my first son.

    the screaming broke me. I can still hear his cries.

    my second son, they didn’t even ask and just did it. I was furious.

    don’t do it.

  • BurgerBaron@piefed.social
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    4 days ago

    Absolutely barbaric practice. Obviously not in favour of genital mutilation.

    You’d be removing a lot of sexual function for masturbation (now you need lube) and a lot of nerve endings that give pleasure are now chopped off. Dried out numb penis head/gland. Less sliding when having penetrative sex so it’s also worse for women.

    For what? In honor of weirdo American puritan? Kellogg brother who hated masturbation? No,it’s bullying. What a rancid country the USA is.

  • Zetta@mander.xyz
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    4 days ago

    Male circumcision is genital mutilation, and I think it’s pretty gross that it’s still so common. I’m grateful that I’m American and my parents didn’t mutilate my dick when I was a baby.

    I’m glad you’re asking and taking people’s opinions with validity because it’s important that you don’t do that to your baby.

  • blarghly@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    Considering that so many people are circumsized, and I have yet to meet anyone who says they are terribly unhappy about it, I’ll start off by saying that I really don’t think it matters either way.

    However, I am uncircumsized, and American. I literally don’t think about it at all. I was bullied a lot in school - but never about my foreskin. I’ve slept with a lot of women - none of them have ever cared (the foreskin stretches away when you get hard, you can’t even see it).

    Focus on giving your kid material resources and emotional support, and on setting a good example of being a happy, functional human. This just doesn’t matter

  • beejboytyson@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    America has a 90 percent circumcision rate.

    Canada has a 40 percent rate.

    Most of the rest of the world doesn’t do that.

    I’m not letting any stranger cut a piece of my boys parts off.

  • RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    Nope. Heavens no. It’s a feel-good part of the body, hell no.

    The only requirement is to keep it clean. Parents shouldn’t shy away from educating your boys about this and have some open conversations about it.

    Might as well ask if you wouldn’t mind having one fingertip shaved off at birth, the difference being you’d know what you were missing because you have the other fingers to compare it to.

  • TrackinDaKraken@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    When my son was born, I casually asked his mother (my now-ex-wife) whether he should be circumcised because it was a question on a form. I hadn’t thought about till then, we hadn’t discussed it. She was vehemently against it, and I didn’t care one way or the other, so that was the end of that.

    There won’t be any bullying about this, because most boys don’t see each other naked anymore, in P.E. for instance, at least not in the U.S., and most boys are not circumcised now.

    Of course, circumcision started with and is tied to religious BS, but in the sixties, when I was born, it was so common even my atheist parents had it done to their two sons. I supposed it was recommended for “health reasons”, I dunno. Also, my dad was, but I don’t know why–I don’t know much about that side of my family.

    It’s just how I’ve always been, I’ve never resented them for having it done. I’ve never wished I wasn’t or wondered what I missed, or had any desire to try to recreate it. I’m sure my uncircumcised son feels the same way, we haven’t discussed it.

  • t0fr@lemmy.ca
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    4 days ago

    There will always be one kid who will try and find something to bully someone else about.

    Not American, not circumcised and I never want to be.