Circumcision has been part of many cultures since ancient times and many people have been practicing it. Many cultures in the ancient times looked at sex as an evil exposure of sexual pleasures and believed they were to be controlled. In males the prepuce of the penis was considered to be the most sensitive and erogenous zone and therefore they believed that circumcision would reduce these effects.
Circumcision is defined as the removal of skin or the outer sleeve of the skin which cover the glans of the penis. It is also commonly referred to a prepuce in medical terms. It is performed on new born commonly. But there have been a lot of cases of adult circumcisions too. Parents that are planning to have their baby boy circumcised should first gain complete knowledge of the procedure and also speak to the doctor so that they know the risks involved and know if it is advisable for their baby. It is sometimes possible to have a look at the circumcision procedure in a hospital.
Parents are advised to consider the benefits and losses of a circumcision procedure and take a decision based on that. If the doctors do not allow you to the actually see a circumcision procedure then you could look up a video on the internet which is easily accessible for free. Even adults who are considering a circumcision procedure can see this and then take an informed decision. Circumcision is looked at as genital mutilation by many communities which are against the whole procedure of circumcision especially in babies. They campaign saying take the whole baby home.
In a penis the fore skin which is removed by a circumcision procedure serves a few functions like the foreskin acts as a protection for the head of the penis, it acts as a sensory organ and sexual too. At birth this foreskin is fused into the glans and eventually separates from the glan over a period of time. In babies the foreskin protects the penis from abrasion because of the diaper and possible infections. The foreskin also keeps the glans soft and keeps it moist. The inner part of the fore skin is called the mucosa and is highly sensitive and contributes largely to sexual pleasures.
The mucosa is the skin which is directly over the glans and looks different form the rest of the skin covering the penis and the shaft. The frenulum is a narrow membrane which runs along the penis and attaches to the fore skin. The band which circumferences the bottom of the head in the penis is sensitive and stores a lot of muscle fibers. The foreskin also is a bundle of folded skin which actually covers the penis when erect. The skin moves during intercourse and so is a very elastic and flexible part of the penis.
For people who are not religiously or culturally bound to perform circumcision there is other reasons why they would want to perform this procedure on themselves or their children. Many people in the west consider the fore skin unnecessary and many a times a father has it performed on their sons so that they don’t seem different from each other.
And it is also a common belief that the circumcised penis is easier to keep clean than the fully covered penis. If there is for skin then smegma which is dead skin cells and other secretions get accumulated under the fore skin and sometimes may lead to infection internally. It is difficult to clean and maintain. Circumcision also reduces chances of urinary tract infections, reduces risk of penile cancer and sexually transmitted diseases. It also reduces risk of cervical cancer in partners.
There are many researches which go against all those medical findings and say circumcision does not help protect against urinary tract infections but these researches do not have any solid proof for their claims. Penile cancer n the other hand is a very rare occurrence and not even one percent in the world suffers from it. So there is nothing to worry in this area as penile cancer is not a big danger as of now.
Hygiene is very important in uncircumcised people and they should make sure their penis is kept clean. The smagma is cleared everyday while having a bath. Young boys should be taught to do this. A good hygiene should protect the penis from any possible infection. In circumcised penis there are no such head aches but at the same time the penis should not be exposed to harsh cleaning soaps and they tend to lose sensitivity by doing this and there will be abrasion of tissue too. Because the most sensitive area is exposed now it should be all the more protected.
If there are any abnormalities in the fore skin they can be treated instead of being circumcised so it is always better to check out all options first instead of directly opting for surgery. The most common form of abnormality is the phimosis or a tight fore skin which causes discomfort. This kind of foreskin may adjust normally in most cases by adolescence but if it causes discomfort than it can be wither circumcised or rectified through conservative procedures. These abnormalities are always treated individually based on the case and a common decision like circumcision is not taken in all cases.
Another common reason why most of them decide to get a circumcision even at adulthood is because of social pressure. Many men and children are teased if they don’t get it done. Especially boys develop a complex if they are teased too much and this may cause emotional and psychological problems for them. Parents tend to get worried about all these possibilities and decide to circumcise the child as soon as it is born. From the hospital point of view any extra procedure even if it is unneeded means more money for them and the doctor.
Insurance companies have to support it as it is a part of the pregnancy claim in most cases. Many hospitals don’t give a right perspective to anybody who is opting circumcision even if they are in the right place. Until date no hospital has ever advices against it and always left the decision to the patient. They don’t even shed enough light on the procedure. The best way to go about this is to depend on external neutral organizations which give pros and cons of the circumcision procedure and leaves it to you so you can make the decision. Thee organizations usually have nothing to gain or lose and they just give you information. Plenty of these resources are available on the internet.
Circumcisions are actually a painful procedure whether any one likes it or not. It is painful even for anew born. Moreover circumcisions do not require any anesthetics but it is painful because it is performed on the most sensitive part o the body. In adults the pain is even or pronounced.
Since circumcision is a surgical procedure there are some risks like excessive bleeding can happen, more skin than necessary can be cut, since the wound is raw there are high chances of an infection. If at all the doctor uses anesthesia hen there are complications involved in that procedure too.
There are common misconceptions that a circumcised man enjoys more sexual pleasures than a person who has the fore skin which is untrue. Both cases derive equal amount of pleasure because the sexual activity in the end is 50 percent psychological and 50 percent physical. The physical part also is the same in both the cases as the penis in both the cases is equally sensitive.
Circumcision was conducted more because of religious beliefs and society pressures in the past and there are no clear benefits or advantages indicated for having it performed and not having it performed. But in modern days there are no hard and fast rules and in this scientifically advanced world there is more medical knowledge than before. So modern men can take a much more informed decision than just considering religious beliefs and decide what is good for them.