What's The Fuss About?

Posting Date: 03/01/1999

Anna: My family is of European origin and I?ve never seen a circumcized penis. So, it?s hard for me to see why it?s such an issue.

Dr. Dean: I?m so glad you called. What you?re saying is kind of shocking for American women to hear, but it?s important to look at other cultures. Where are you from?

Anna: My husband is British and my sons were born in England. The idea of circumcision never occurred to anyone in my family.

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Dr. Dean: I hope all you American mothers are paying attention here. You make most of the medical decisions and today the nation?s pediatricians say they no longer will recommend routine circumcision of newborn boys.

Anna: I would never have circumcised my sons. I can?t imagine anyone doing that to a child, putting him through that ordeal.

Dr. Dean: Anna, you?ve made a great point. Medical circumcision?s a cruel act. I tell parents to watch a procedure before deciding to put their newborns through it. I think any mother ? or father for that matter ? who witnesses a circumcision would be against it.

To demonstrate what I?m talking about, I invite people to check out some graphic pictures we?ve put up on this website, www.healthcentral.com. There?s a photograph of a baby being prepared for circumcision in a hospital. His arms and legs are strapped down and in most cases, there?s no painkiller given. This is a very traumatic thing.

Here in America we give birth naturally, we coddle our newborns and provide them with everything they need. Yet, after all this warmth, we allow our newborn sons to be circumcised. It?s really unimaginable.