Caring For Your Intact (uncircumcised) Male Infant
If you are in America, expecting a baby, and that baby will be male you have probably been asked whether or not you are going to circumcise.
What used to be ‘standard procedure’ is changing.
Parents are educating themselves & advocating for their infants in so many new ways.
HOWEVER…
…every single day I hear stories of medical providers or family members forcibly retracting intact males and it’s time this information became well known to EVERYONE.
We are going dive into:
-the history of this practice
-medical reasons for circumcision (hint: there are none)
-how to PROPERLY care for an intact male infant.
Please do not make a body-altering, life-changing decision for your newborn without completely educating yourself first.
This blog post DOES NOT exist to shame parents who have made the educated decision to circumcise. It provides education on the history of the procedure and how to properly care for an intact male.
The History of Circumcision
Male circumcision, the surgical removal of the foreskin from the penis, is the oldest known human surgical procedure. The earliest available records date this ancient procedure back to at least 6000 years BC, and anecdotal evidence suggests it as a rite of puberty in aboriginal tribes before 10,000 BC.
The word circumcision derives from the Latin circum (meaning ‘around’) and caedere (meaning ‘to cut’).
Although the origins of this practice are debated, it's known that the act of circumcision has been performed across geographically and culturally distinct groups–including ancient Egyptians, Semites, Jews, Muslims, Australian Aboriginals, Polynesians, and even the Aztec and Mayan civilizations.
Reasons for the procedure can be religious, cultural, or personal. In the Middle East, circumcision was incorporated into the traditions of several different emerging religions. In Judaism, the bris is a ritual circumcision. It was mandated by the covenant between God and Abraham, as described in the Torah. Islamic faith adopted circumcision as a tradition, although it is not explicitly mentioned in the Quran. In Christianity, the practice varied between different sects and changed over time.
When advances in modern medical science occurred, circumcision began to be viewed from a health perspective. In the 19th century, Western Medicine viewed circumcision as a preventative measure for a variety of conditions.
As David Gollaher explains in his book ‘Circumcision: A History of the World’s Most Controversial Surgery’: a circumcised penis swiftly became a mark of distinction, a sign of good breeding, sound hygiene and the best medicine money could buy.
During the 1970s it has been estimated that as many as 80 percent of American males were circumcised in infancy. Routine neonatal circumcision was an ordinary pediatric practice.
However, the practice has fallen by the wayside in Australia, Canada, Britain and New Zealand. Fewer than one-fifth of all male Europeans are circumcised.
In Germany, a district judge ruled in 2012 that ritual circumcision of juveniles is a crime that violates “the fundamental right of the child to bodily integrity.”
Today, the rates of circumcision have declined. And although it is a deeply person decision–it would be beneficial if more Americans questioned a medical establishment that encourages a surgery that every other country in the industrialized world recognizes as unnecessary.
Medical Reasons for Circumcision
Whatever one thinks about the benefits of the circumcision procedure, it is a procedure.
Some surgeries are necessary. Routine infant circumcision is one that is not.
Let’s however discuss some of the medical reasons you may hear in favor of circumcision…
Urinary Tract Infection: one of the biggest arguments in favor of circumcision is the prevention of UTIs in the first year of life. There are no studies on circumcision and UTI that adjust for variables. Studies have also failed to find a UTI risk-reduction effect from circumcision.
Sexually Transmitted Infections: There is no evidence that circumcision has reduced the incidence of STIs in the United States. The longer you look the more you realize that evidence actually indicates that circumcision puts males at HIGHER risk of contracting an STI.
Cancer of the Penis: Cancer of the penis is a rare disease of elderly men. Evidence reports that there is no difference in risk when comparing intact males to circumcised males.
There is a lack of evidence-based science to support circumcision. In almost all medical diagnoses discussed above–there are alternatives to circumcision that are more effective for prevention.
Caring For The Intact Male
It’s honestly a lot more simple than you think.
Caregivers & medical professionals are STILL misinformed on how to properly care for an intact male.
When in doubt remember this phrase:
WHEN INTACT DON’T RETRACT
NEVER PULL MY FORESKIN BACK
SIMPLY CLEAN WHAT IS SEEN
WIPE OUTSIDE ONLY
LIKE A FINGER BASE TO TIP
There is no special cleaning involved.
A child's foreskin is naturally fused to the glans (head of the penis) to protect his developing genitals. On average, the shared membrane between the foreskin and glans fully separates around age 10, with a wide range of normal. For some healthy children, the process of foreskin-glans separation lasts through puberty.
Never try to retract (pull back) a male’s foreskin to clean under it. Retraction by a caregiver can be very painful and can cause bleeding, infection, scarring, and other complications.
The only person who should ever retract a child’s foreskin is the child himself, and only if the fused membrane has dissolved naturally.
Once a male’s foreskin is fully retractable, he can simply pull it back in the shower or tub, rinse with water (no soap), and replace it to its forward position.
Before any physical examination begins you must make sure your doctor knows not to retract your son's foreskin for any reason.
NEVER EVER.
Many parents have a ‘look don’t touch’ policy for their children during doctor examinations. This is in place because even medical professionals aren’t educated on proper care.
Clean with water-–soap should not be used on genitals.
The foreskin keeps the glans healthy, clean, moist, and sensitive. The sphincter like tip of foreskin protects the urethra from contaminanats. The foreskin is densely populated with nerve endings that transmit fine touch sensations.
PLEASE visit https://www.yourwholebaby.org/ for more information & to conduct your own research.
When intact do not retract. Only clean what is seen.
References
Anwar, Mohammed Saqib et al. “Circumcision: a religious obligation or 'the cruellest of cuts'?.” The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners vol. 60,570 (2010): 59-61. doi:10.3399/bjgp10X482194
Birthbootcamp. (2022, September 24). Should I circumcise my baby? guest post by dr Adrienne Carmack, Urologist. Birth Boot Camp® Your Headquarters for an Amazing Birth. https://birthbootcamp.com/should-i-circumcise-my-baby-guest-post-by-dr-adrienne-carmack-urologist/
Your whole baby. Your Whole Baby. (n.d.). https://www.yourwholebaby.org/