Dr. Michael Tan ran an interesting commentary yesterday about the health and cultural implications of circumcision – or the lack thereof. Even though the topic is quite off for this blog, I think it’s thrilling to write about something that never fails to elicit the most laughs and/or rabid opinions from my friends, especially the male ones. Believe me, our long-held beliefs on the matter is enough to bring us back to the Middle Ages, a belief that is now the subject of growing medical debate: should we or should we not circumcise?
Circumcision is definitely part of the Pinoy male’s macho persona. That is why they have quite a disparaging term for a person who did not undergo the requisite baptism of fire – supot. Just imagine what some people say behind the backs of Filipinas married to foreigners who most often did not go through the ritualistic circumcision: “tisoy nga pero supot naman :P”
Admittedly, my fear of the supot was the reason why I did not date a single European when I was working in the continent in my mid-20s. Talk about missed opportunity!! (haha)
All these changed a good many years later when I was in Manila already (also already single by this time) and going out with The White god. I adored TWG (who was a gorgeousss professional athlete towering above 6 feet) because he knew how to make a woman up-to-the-roof happy. Most of all, he was clean and certainly didn’t smell even if – yay – he was uncircumcised. TWG therefore shattered all the myths I had about uncircumsised men being dirty, foul-smelling bastards.
Of course there are are some quarters who say that uncircumsised men feel more pleasure and give more pleasure to their partners. Honestly, I was clueless. It’s quite hard to distinguish when you are faced with a rather awesome equipment 😛
Dr. Emer in fact told me once before that there are now health experts who think that circumcision is “inhuman.” The pro-circumcision camp, on the other hand, maintain that undergoing the procedure is recommended for health reasons since it reduces the risk for penile cancer and a host of other infections, including HIV. I think these remain assumptions rooted without reason. It is a question really of safe sex and personal hygiene. Knowing how openly promiscuous some Pinoy men have become, they will risk equal chance of contracting AIDS and STDs if they bang their dicks without discrimination to every pelvic wall unprotected, even if they are circumcised.
But my biggest quandary actually is facing another milestone in my parenthood the summer when my son is scheduled to be circumcised. To be or …. how about not? That is the question.
Of course being a Westerner then I have a different view to circumcision to that of Pinoy men.
Firstly, seeing as this is a medical procedure I can see no need to perform it unless there is a medical need.
Secondly, the only way to reduce the risk of contracting HIV & STD’s is to stop having unsafe sex. If people continue to have unprotected sex then then they will continue to run the risk of contracting and spreading HIV & numerous other STD’s whether circumcised or not.
As for improving personal hygiene the best way to improve this is to spend more time in the shower every day!
As for your son, as you can probably already guess, i would suggest that you don’t have him circumcised unless there is a definite medical need.
Oooo Ajay! I imagine TWG to be someone like Big in “Sex and the City?” 😉
i cant help but laugh.
id rather go under the knife than hear the “supot” word in my entire lifetime.
ahhahahahah nakakawalang antok ang topic na to. ehehhe
Since you are in the Philippines and this is the norm, and it’s quite a common procedure (although of course, still with risks), I’d say have your son circumcised.
Or maybe wait until he’s a little older. He can make the decision himself later on di ba? After all, its his penis and (future) sex life.
Explain the pros and cons to your son, and then let him decide.
😉
:shock:shocking… being circumcised are many benifits but i dont want to be one.:!:
Delicate question. In Norway we don’t curcomcise and to me it sound a bit odd to interfare with the natrual way you are born. This has never effected my sexlife negativly and I have never had any complains from my wife. Of course you own yourself and you’re partner to accomplish personal hygiene every day, curcomcised or not. So I suggest you advice you’re son not to, but there might be cultural reasons as well of course.
pangit siguro tingnan kung supot ano??? Kasi pag circumcised mas poging tingnan hindi nakatalukbong….
Hi Lawrence and Renny:smile: I think that being Europeans you can’t imagine having to undergo circumcision. But it’s really more of a cultural thing than medical and for Filipino men, it is tantamount to being ostracized. Hopefully as we get modern there’ll be a change in the mindset…
Toe, hmm..just as you thought:wink:
Eric, me too:grin: natatawa ako sa sarili kong post coz am getting varied reactions, hahaha. I guess we’re culturally apart eh?
Tin and Dr. E, thankfully painless na ang circumcision ngayon. We’ll get there when we get there:razz:
Hi ngeeeek, sige na pogi ka na:lol:
my son was circumcised a day after he was born. that’s how it’s done here now(before too i presume since my hubby was also circumcised right after he was born) in the US. so yeah, get it done :).
Thanks for the heads-up Dexie though there are some quarters who’d argue against infant circumcision. W T heck…
Who says it’s painless? Certainly not the baby. My husband (white American) and I (Filipina transplant) argued about it too, but in the end I had to admit there was no sound medical reason to do it, and Filipino cultural prejudice was the only argument I had on my side. Also, my son was a month premature so by the time he was healthy enough to have elective surgery, it cost too much and would have hurt him more. What made the decision easier for me was that we live in the US, where it’s not that big of an issue, and men here are probably 50-50. My husband is himself circumcised and after learning more about it he felt quite put out that the decision was made for him before he had any say in the matter, which is why he didn’t want it done to our son.
Prejudiced ignorant people everywhere can be quite cruel, but I hope we will teach our son to be confident in himself and not let others’ prejudices hurt him too much. But I say educate yourself and try not to let cultural prejudice affect your decision, because it’s your son you’ll be hurting.
There is a show by Penn and Teller called Bullsh*t on the cable channel Showtime. They did an episode on circumcision and it is quite enlightening as well as amusing. It’s not available to watch on any site that I know of, pity, but here is a link to their site for those interested enough to buy it or search for it via Morpheus or Bit Torrent or other peer-to-peer methods.
http://www.sho.com/site/ptbs/prevepisodes.do?episodeid=s3/circ
Hi Annapi. What mother would want his dear son to be hurt, right? Sometimes I would just like to stop worrying about this whole circumcision issue, dreading the time when I am already there. It would do good to be living in another place or continent where being circumcised wouldn’t be too much of a pressure. My son will most definitely have a say on this matter (even if he will probably have to go with a cousin his age!) If millions can live without it, why push the issue. Thanks for expounding on this matter:smile:
if you are an uncircumsized filipino adult or a young boy who wants to remain uncut, you may join us:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/uncircumsizedfilipinos/
Exclusive and secret group for uncircumsized Filipinos. For emotional support and bonding of us who live among a 95 % circumsized population.