Wednesday, 4 January 2012
0
Circumcision in Western countries is typically an unfamiliar topic, unless you happened to know someone whose culture typically recommends it. Some cultures have male babies circumcised, while others recommend the process to be done when the child is older, perhaps just at the onset of puberty.
But what is this process really all about? Is it as barbaric as some people imagine it to be? Or does it really have advantages to a man’s overall health?
The first recorded instance of circumcision is traced back to Jewish history, where the patriarch Abraham was apparently given the mandate by God. The strange thing was that at that time, several thousands of years B.C., the instruction was to circumcise male babies at eight days old. Recent scientific studies have discovered that a baby’s natural blood clotting mechanism is still developed over the first few days of life outside the womb. On the eighth day, the baby’s blood clotting mechanism is at its highest, at several times the normal rate. This may perhaps explain why babies had been successfully circumcised without a rise in mortality rate for that particular time in history when there was still little knowledge about sterilizing and medications.
This may perhaps have contributed to the stigma that Jews have had to suffer for many generations, as other cultures think that they simply circumcised their sons in order to be different. But perhaps they were simply obeying their God in a process that actually contributed to proper hygiene for the men.
Modern circumcision is a simple process wherein the sleeve of mucosal tissue and skin that normally covers the glans or the head of a male penis is slit or removed. This double layer is also commonly known as the foreskin. One type of circumcision involves the actual cutting of this foreskin, as is done in Muslim and Jewish cultures. In some Asian countries, what is done is not an actual cutting but rather what is known as the dorsal slit, in which the skin is simply opened up to expose the head. Then the doctor folds back the skin and sews it up.
Other than cultural reasons, circumcision is commended as a hygienic practice, as a circumcised penis is cleaner and much easier to keep clean compared to an uncircumcised one. This is because a white waxy substance, consisting of natural secretions and shed skin cells, typically appear underneath the foreskin, and this natural substance is more likely to accumulate with a foreskin still on.
For cultures that circumcise boys at puberty, parents need to be aware of the emotional ramifications of the act. Some parents choose to talk to the child and let him decide whether he wants to do it, while others may simply force it out of cultural issues: it’s a given, and it is not a choice. If that is the case, the parents need to bear in mind that the child understands what the process is for and how it is done in order to help dispel any unnecessary fears. Peer pressure may play a major role in how your child reacts to the process. For example, if you live in a country that commends it but none of his friends have done it, it may still be a scary and unwanted experience. On the other hand, if you are connected to a community of those in the same culture, you may have an easier time because it will not be such an unknown occurrence.
When a child is circumcised, there is proper care that needs to be undertaken. The doctor typically puts a first dressing, which is then easily removed by hydrogen peroxide. A once-a-day dressing is usually recommended. If the wound causes pain or swelling, doctors typically recommend an anti-inflammatory pill. If any infection happens, a doctor needs to be consulted for possible prescription of antibiotics. The wound typically heals by itself in roughly seven days. Although the process may have used to be risky, proper care and antiseptic conditions have altered that risk factor.
These are the basic things you need to know about circumcision in order to make an informed decision to help your child as well.
Is Circumcision Barbaric or Hygienic?
But what is this process really all about? Is it as barbaric as some people imagine it to be? Or does it really have advantages to a man’s overall health?
The first recorded instance of circumcision is traced back to Jewish history, where the patriarch Abraham was apparently given the mandate by God. The strange thing was that at that time, several thousands of years B.C., the instruction was to circumcise male babies at eight days old. Recent scientific studies have discovered that a baby’s natural blood clotting mechanism is still developed over the first few days of life outside the womb. On the eighth day, the baby’s blood clotting mechanism is at its highest, at several times the normal rate. This may perhaps explain why babies had been successfully circumcised without a rise in mortality rate for that particular time in history when there was still little knowledge about sterilizing and medications.
This may perhaps have contributed to the stigma that Jews have had to suffer for many generations, as other cultures think that they simply circumcised their sons in order to be different. But perhaps they were simply obeying their God in a process that actually contributed to proper hygiene for the men.
Modern circumcision is a simple process wherein the sleeve of mucosal tissue and skin that normally covers the glans or the head of a male penis is slit or removed. This double layer is also commonly known as the foreskin. One type of circumcision involves the actual cutting of this foreskin, as is done in Muslim and Jewish cultures. In some Asian countries, what is done is not an actual cutting but rather what is known as the dorsal slit, in which the skin is simply opened up to expose the head. Then the doctor folds back the skin and sews it up.
Other than cultural reasons, circumcision is commended as a hygienic practice, as a circumcised penis is cleaner and much easier to keep clean compared to an uncircumcised one. This is because a white waxy substance, consisting of natural secretions and shed skin cells, typically appear underneath the foreskin, and this natural substance is more likely to accumulate with a foreskin still on.
For cultures that circumcise boys at puberty, parents need to be aware of the emotional ramifications of the act. Some parents choose to talk to the child and let him decide whether he wants to do it, while others may simply force it out of cultural issues: it’s a given, and it is not a choice. If that is the case, the parents need to bear in mind that the child understands what the process is for and how it is done in order to help dispel any unnecessary fears. Peer pressure may play a major role in how your child reacts to the process. For example, if you live in a country that commends it but none of his friends have done it, it may still be a scary and unwanted experience. On the other hand, if you are connected to a community of those in the same culture, you may have an easier time because it will not be such an unknown occurrence.
When a child is circumcised, there is proper care that needs to be undertaken. The doctor typically puts a first dressing, which is then easily removed by hydrogen peroxide. A once-a-day dressing is usually recommended. If the wound causes pain or swelling, doctors typically recommend an anti-inflammatory pill. If any infection happens, a doctor needs to be consulted for possible prescription of antibiotics. The wound typically heals by itself in roughly seven days. Although the process may have used to be risky, proper care and antiseptic conditions have altered that risk factor.
These are the basic things you need to know about circumcision in order to make an informed decision to help your child as well.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 Responses to “Is Circumcision Barbaric or Hygienic?”
Post a Comment