Will you, would you, or did you circumcise your sons? There's a lot of difficult and sometimes conflicting information about circumcision. Where do you stand?
Some background info:
Between 1950 and 1985, 80-90% of American male babies were circumcised shortly after birth. Today the number is only about 55%.
The idea that many Americans have about what a normal penis looks like is based on the scarring and mutilation that are so common in our country. (http://www.noharmm.org/IDcirc.htm)
After WWII, circumcision became more common in the United States in large part due to medical beliefs that it would improve hygiene. However, circumcision has also caused sometimes deadly infections, especially since the implementation of the now-commonly-used Plastibell(TM), which circumcises through necrosis. (http://www.infocirc.org/fourn.htm)
Where's the worth in circumcision beyond religious reasons or "looking like daddy"? Well, a 1995 WHO study found that circumcision increases one's likelihood of contracting HIV/AIDS, but a 2005 study by French university researchers on South African and Ugandan males found that circumcision reduced the likelihood by 50-70%. In fact, their findings were so stark that they stopped the study after only 9 months to allow the uncircumcised control group the opportunity to be circumcised in light of the evidence.
Here's a WHO pamphlet about the world-wide prevalence of circumcision, including a map: http://www.who.int/hiv/mediacentre/infopack_en_2.pdf
