The Slow Decline of Circumcision in the US

[EZEtoGRU]

Interesting article. The West region stands out as having the biggest decline in circumcision rates over the years studied. I suppose this is partially due to the great influx of Hispanic immigrants into states such as CA, AZ, and NV.

 

 

http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/4-reasons-circumcision-rate-declined-over-30-years-154500980.html

 

I grew up in the Midwest and everyone I knew was circumcised. I was 15 years old until I saw an uncircumcised penis. It was in the locker room at school after swimming. The guy was an exchange student from South America and I remember thinking it looked so strange. With time, I have learned to love uncut cocks....I actually prefer them now. Of course some people have a strong preference for circumcised penises......which is fine as well.

[actor61]

Apart from preferences and esthetics, there are actual health benefits that come with circumcision. The rate of cervical cancer in women with circumcised partners is actually lower than in women whose partners are uncut. Likewise, penile cancer and hygiene problems in circumcised men are much less likely. As for me, when they're up, they pretty much look the same but I prefer cut. So much smoother and lovelier!

[bostonman]

I'll never forget the first time I saw an uncut cock. I was in 4th grade - the first year our school system had us changing/showering in the locker room for gym class. So of course there was that odd first day when we all were stripping down in the locker room, and of course we were all looking and not looking at the same time, lol.

 

Only one of us was uncut - an Irish-American kid named Joe. I remember someone calling attention to his dick when he was naked - I seem to remember a bunch of us looked at it and were a little puzzled and/or disgusted. I'm not sure any of us understood that he was actually the only "natural" guy there - even though I was Jewish, I'm not sure I actually knew about circumcision yet. Anyway, my first impression of Joe's cock was that it must have been broken or something, lol. But he seemed totally fine - I do remember he even put his hand on it and worked the skin up and down a few times (I do remember one kid yelling out "ew, don't PLAY with it..."). But that was it.

 

Sometime later, when I understood more about cut vs. uncut, I thought back to Joe, realizing that's what I had seen.

[Samai139]

I would be interested in hearing from others on the Forum concerning EZE's theory about the lower rates of circumcision in the Western part of the US. He may have a point, but I have little knowledge of circumcision among people from Central and South America, or Mexico---but it seems odd that given the disparity of people and cultures, that non-circumcision would be the norm. The article lists several reasons for the national decline and they all seem logical.

 

The topic brings up questions I have had for years about circumcision and a couple of new ones:

1. Other than Judaism and Islam, which religions mandate circumcision?

2. Is circumcision common in China, Japan, India? Or does it vary in the countries and in various regions?

3. In Africa, circumcision was a "rite of passage" among certain groups, but not in others. With increasing rates of education and exposure to outside influences, is this changing?

4. Are boys in the US who are not circumcised the victims of bullying?--this question was prompted by Bostonman's story and memories of my own encounters in locker rooms as a pre-teen and teen.

5. In parenting boys who are uncut, are both parents, given there are two parents, taking responsiblity for teaching the hygiene necessary for their sons?

[Guest boiworship08]

I welcome this trend. I wish I were uncut. The comments about hygiene are off- base in a modern society where frequent bathing is the norm. I prefer uncut. It's odd that the US has been the only Western country where the majority of males are circumcised. Worth investigating. Probably in some measure due to the health manias that swept the country in the 1920's.

 

I agree that the large number of Latino immigrants in the western states accounts for much of the change. Maybe that's why I love Latino guys!

[anotherjohnindupont]

I welcome this trend. I wish I were uncut. The comments about hygiene are off- base in a modern society where frequent bathing is the norm. I prefer uncut. It's odd that the US has been the only Western country where the majority of males are circumcised. Worth investigating. Probably in some measure due to the health manias that swept the country in the 1920's.

 

I agree that the large number of Latino immigrants in the western states accounts for much of the change. Maybe that's why I love Latino guys!

 

Many Irish, Italians and Slavic immigrants who had children in the 40's and in more recent years decided not to circumcised them, believing it would turn their kids into Jews.

 

I must say that I've had bad experiences with uncut Americans, most of them didn't wash before nor after sex... It's just my opinion.

 

I see regularly an uncut escort in DC and he says he had bad experiences too.

[+ Cock Eyed Optimist]

I live in Chicago, and in the midwest the MAJORITY of boys are still being circumcised. Take a look at the map at this website, and you will see the percentages. It drops off as one goes toward the coasts, but it is still very prevalent in the Midwest. My niece just had a boy and I asked if she was going to have him circumcised, and she gave me a funny look, and said, "Of course I am, are you nuts?"

 

http://www.mgmbill.org/statistics.htm

[McLeanspider]

I live in Chicago, and in the midwest the MAJORITY of boys are still being circumcised. Take a look at the map at this website, and you will see the percentages. It drops off as one goes toward the coasts, but it is still very prevalent in the Midwest. My niece just had a boy and I asked if she was going to have him circumcised, and she gave me a funny look, and said, "Of course I am, are you nuts?"

 

http://www.mgmbill.org/statistics.htm

 

I will upload some other maps on here following your example.

 

http://www.circumstitions.com/Images/map-usa-notfund.gif

 

http://old.post-gazette.com/images4/20090913circumcision479.gif

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Circumcision_by_Country.png

[Zapped]

Those maps are fascinating.

 

When my son was born in 1988, I insisted he not be circumcised, and my then wife was fine with that. Now he's grown and living in China, where he went to a doctor who gave him a big sales pitch about why my son should get circumcised now. Turns out he (the doctor) has a fancy new laser device to do the job. Maybe it's becoming fashionable there. Meanwhile, my partner, who is slightly younger than my son, is from China, and is uncut. At the start of our relationship, he wasn't always good about cleaning under the foreskin and would be reluctant to let me suck him.

[k9lover]

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Circumcision_by_Country.png

 

Strange "bedfellows"....

 

High level of circumcision in Muslim countries, medium in the USA, Australia and ex Yugoslavian countries, and almost non existent in Central America, South America, Caribbean, Europe, India and Far East.

 

Interesting difference when worlds collide, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, the 2 areas of the Island of New Guinea. I wonder if also there's a difference between Indonesian Timor and East Timor, Kazakhstan is a bridge between former Muslim and Russian culture.

 

Why such a difference between Australia and New Zealand?

 

For those who want to know the answer check this out:

 

http://www.circumstitions.com/NZ.html

[Samai139]

Mcleanspider---

thanks for the maps; at least two or three of my questions have been answered. Looking forward to responses about the others.

Thanks also to others who have posted anecdotes about their expeiences with men who are uncircumsized and their personal preferences.

[+ FreshFluff]

Wow, I would not have expected most of Africa, including non-Muslim areas, to be in the high-circumcision category. Not sure how the data are gathered, but could it be a reporting issue? I'm guessing that midwifes deliver a fair share of babies in Africa. But it's the births in hospitals--where most non-religious circumcisions take place-- that are most likely to be reported.

[Newly]

Lots of different opinions, and lots of religious issues, but biologically it's how guys were meant to be. Most liberal countries see the practice as being barbaric. In a few years I assume people will view it the way we view cropping dog ears or tails, as something bordering on abuse. I'm glad I escaped the knife. It may be harder to keep clean but simple hygiene takes care of that whereas circumcised heads supposedly loose sensitivity and look somewhat strange and naked if you're not used to it.

[Samai139]

Wow, I would not have expected most of Africa, including non-Muslim areas, to be in the high-circumcision category. Not sure how the data are gathered, but could it be a reporting issue? I'm guessing that midwifes deliver a fair share of babies in Africa. But it's the births in hospitals--where most non-religious circumcisions take place-- that are most likely to be reported.

 

 

freshsfluff--you could be right about the data and how collected, but there are other possible reasons for the high percentage of those circumsized in the continent: Islam accounts for most of the North African nations and other countries from Senegal eastward to Sudan, including the northern parts of Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Cameroon, etc. For the rest? Traditional practices amonst many groups perhaps account for the high percentages. In many groups, circumsizion is not done at birth, but shortly before or at the onset of puberty and is a sign that the "boy" is now a man. Recently there was a segment on a network news programme that examined problems in South Africa with untrained, unhygienic circumsizions---sad. Outside of urban areas, many babies are delivered by traditional midwifes and mother and baby are only taken to any kind of western medical facility if complications occur. How do I know? Spent over 15 years in several West African countries and have ssecond-hand experiences of practices in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Tanzania.

[+ azdr0710]

certainly strong debate over this and much history, too....I'm an all-American WASPy dude (so am definitely cut) and had a recent meet with an uncut guy....gotta say I barely even touched him down there....cut guys, to be blunt, just look neater, cleaner, more "groomed" to me....

[seeker630]

certainly strong debate over this and much history, too....I'm an all-American WASPy dude (so am definitely cut) and had a recent meet with an uncut guy....gotta say I barely even touched him down there....cut guys, to be blunt, just look neater, cleaner, more "groomed" to me....

 

I'm an all-American WASPy dude too - and uncut.

[+ azdr0710]

I'm an all-American WASPy dude too - and uncut.

 

 

uhhhh....gee.....busted!.....sorry about that, seeker!.....

[Newly]

What does WASPY have to do with it? Almost no one gets cut in the Nordic counties, it is extremely frowned upon and seen as a form of genital mutilation.

[Rod Hagen]

I'm cut. Although I love both, I used to be of the opinion that circumcising children was unnecessarily cruel since the child has no say in it and it does hurt, and that religion is, as always, a bullshit reason to hurt another human being. On TOP of that I always resented the argument that cut is cleaner, as that simply isn't true.

 

However, although there's really not much health benefit for gay sex, you can't (yet) know if as an adult the child will prefer butt sex, and given the proven health benefits of a cut dick where it hits a a Vag., I had to change my mind and I now believe, grudgingly, that infants should be cut.

[+ BOZO T CLOWN]

certainly strong debate over this and much history, too....I'm an all-American WASPy dude (so am definitely cut) and had a recent meet with an uncut guy....gotta say I barely even touched him down there....cut guys, to be blunt, just look neater, cleaner, more "groomed" to me....

 

couldn't agree more. The decline in the # of circumcisions is one of many components of the general decline of western civilization.

 

Bozo

[Tighty]

I'm cut. Although I love both, I used to be of the opinion that circumcising children was unnecessarily cruel since the child has no say in it and it does hurt, and that religion is, as always, a bullshit reason to hurt another human being. On TOP of that I always resented the argument that cut is cleaner, as that simply isn't true.

 

However, although there's really not much health benefit for gay sex, you can't (yet) know if as an adult the child will prefer butt sex, and given the proven health benefits of a cut dick where it hits a a Vag., I had to change my mind and I now believe, grudgingly, that infants should be cut.

 

 

What's the health benefit?

[+ FreshFluff]

couldn't agree more. The decline in the # of circumcisions is one of many components of the general decline of western civilization.

 

Bozo

 

How so? Your name notwithstanding, I can't tell if you're joking.

 

As for me, I don't think I've ever seen an uncut cock. I had no idea what they even looked like until I saw them discussed here and looked online. I admit that they're not too my taste.

 

But there's something awful about forcing that onto a helpless newborn. I'll never forget something a family member said when she saw the happy baby before the procedure: "Poor guy, he doesn't know what awaits him." Just writing that made me shiver.

 

It would be great if it became more acceptable for teens to get circumcised. That would give the child a choice in the matter. And with laser procedures and local anesthesia, the pain wouldn't be too bad.

[seeker630]

couldn't agree more. The decline in the # of circumcisions is one of many components of the general decline of western civilization.

 

Bozo

 

not to mention long hair on men and open homosexuality!

[+ WilliamM]

In June, I spent three very enjoyable week in the former Yugoslavia traveling with a friend. There is huge mix of religions in Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia and Slovenia, so I am trying to think of a reason for the high rate of circumcision. I know that Tito is still greatly admired by most people. Could it have been his government's decision? But that seems too easy an answer.

[big-n-tall]

What's the health benefit?

 

Basically when someone is circumcised the skin of cock head, for lack of a better word, toughens (btw it also becomes less sensitive). Thus the head gets a little more resilient to cuts, abrasions, etc. This toughening makes it harder to transmit diseases through the skin of the cock head, but not impossible.