Yahoo! News – Herpes Risk from Ancient Form of Circumcision
This is NOT a complication of regular circumcision. I’d describe the variant of the procedure, but, it is so out of my experience I cannot even fathom why it came to be. I mean, WTF? Whatever made this seem like a good idea?
Note to anti-circumcision trolls: I will ruthlessly delete or negatively alter your screeds about how awful regluar circumcision is, etc. I fully support circumcision done under normal hygenic circumstances. If you desire to grind your axe, do so elsewhere.
I saw this on another discussion group and thought, “What were they thinking?” Yuck.
That is so disgusting…Talk about perverted!
Doc,
You don?t think we ought to leave it up to the person (later in life) who is having part of his penis cut off to make that decision? I?d be interested in hearing your views on the benefits of circumcision. I don?t have kids and won?t but I am curious how the decision making process is achieved for those who believe in circumcision. What do you say to parents who want the procedure? Risks? Benefits? I don?t have a strong opinion either way except for the experiences I have had with elderly men with poor hygiene who are having penis cancer surgeries.
Azygos
Doc, I have a legitimate question that relates to circumcision. Doctors don’t think anything of seeing a circumcized male, but a lot of my pierced/tattooed friends have gotten serious hell for things as simple as navel rings. Beyond the obvious questions (was this sterile, have you been tested for bloodborne diseases), is it appropriate for a doctor to give a morality lecture on body modification to someone who isn’t asking for it? I can understand a doctor’s lecturing an obese person on the risks of obesity, but telling someone with a tattoo that he or she is a lowlife?
In answer to the above: I don’t counsel parents on circs, that’s the pediatricians’ of the FP’s job, as they’re usually done right after birth. I believe it is painful to the infant. So is falling down, hitting the coffee table, slamming a finger in a car door. Since I have never read about an infant describing his circumcision, it’s one of those things I think is best done as soon as possible (ask any adult who’s had a circ: it’s like chickenpox, the younger you have it the better off you are).
My main argument for it is hygeine. Yes, many many men take good care of themselves, but you only need to see a couple of men with severe balanitis or penile CA, and the argument gets better. I was once told by a urologist that after a slew of penile cancers / amps following WWI (hard to keep clean in a trench), circ became mainstream more as a preventive med thing than an act of religious faith.
As for lecturing people, some people are very full of themselves, and some of those people are doctors. There are some legit concerns about piercing, but by the time we see them the deed is done.
For what it’s worth, I do not assume people with unusual piercings or tattoos are lowlifes ( insert your tooth/tattoo ratio joke here).
It sounds like the dream job for a pedophile with vampiristic tendencies.