Circumcision: The Unkindest Cut? | Asian American Poll

CIRCUMCISION: THE UNKINDEST CUT?
(Updated Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025, 04:39:10 AM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

Do you believe circumcision is beneficial for Asian American male infants?
Yes | 34%
No | 64%
I'm not sure | 2%

Assuming you are an Asian American man, are you circumcised?
Yes | 47%
No | 53%

Assuming you are an Asian American woman, would you prefer the males of your family and/or sexual partners to be circumcised?
Yes | 33%
No | 59%
I don't care either way | 8%

This poll is closed to new input.
Comments posted during the past year remain available for browsing.

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WHAT YOU SAY

[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]

Hey Asian Guy,

The truth is that there is no reason for circumcision. You say that circumcision keeps you cleaner? But that is non sense. I'm sure if I wasn't circumcised I would be able to take showers and make sure I clean myself down there. When did being in America mean that you have to be circumcised?

It's just the unlucky American born guys like myself born in the 60's, 70's and 80's that had ignorant american doctors.

I'm circumcised and was never given a choice. If I was given a choice you can bet I wouldn't choose having a freaking scar placed on my penis. Think about it... That freaking circumcision is like a ugly scar.

You circumcised asian guys out there who think that circumcision is great. You guys are fooling yourself. Circumcision sucks plain and simple.
If I ever have a son you can bet that I'm not gonna take away his foreskin without giving him a choice.
American Born Chinese Guy-Circumcised and hating it! Monday, August 27, 2001 at 21:38:53 (PDT)

TC I live in America hence I am only concerned with the opinions of American women. I have BTW dated girls from other parts of the world who were quite fascinated with my circumcision. Two comments that I remember were that it looked nicer and it was cleaner. But at the same time I remember a girl tell me it looked wierd too who later went on to tell me that she enjoyed oral sex more with me then any other guy. Mainly because of a certain missing slip cover. Look fella's I have had nothing but positive experience with my circumsized member. As far as decreasing sensitivity is concerned American men have a notoriously long sex life doing it well into thier 70's. The majority of whom are circumsized. You like to think that circumsion has nothing but negative aspects but your wrong. It is cleaner no matter what you say. Remember nature abhores a vacuum. The dark moist fold between two pieces of skin is a perfect breading ground for bacteria. The fact remains that forskins do become infected. Maybe not everyone but many men do. And often its merely chance and not neccesarily cleanliness. Thats like saying only dirty women get UTIs. It never smells funky because the dick is just skin then, not some scented oil factory. I never have to pull anything back when slipping on a condom and have never felt any chronic pain associated with a stiffy. Maybe in your eyes its barbaric and all but all I can say is I'm happy....=-)
Spearhead Monday, August 27, 2001 at 16:26:45 (PDT)

Ok Check this out , If you don't like being circumcised OK I'm happy for you! But ever think why most of Americans are circumsized?? We're not circumsized for fun. I've heard many doctors say it simply keeps you cleaner and reduces chances of cancer or some diseases. Theres a reason why they do it, and if it was bad to be circumsized America wouldn't do it! THINK ABOUT THIS Y'ALL BEFORE YOU ARGUE!
Asian Guy Sunday, August 26, 2001 at 16:36:26 (PDT)

American Born Chinese,

Thanks for the info. Finally, someone comes in here with some facts and scientific discussion rather than slinging all the usual B.S. about why circumcision is good...uh, just because. The fact is that routine infant circumcision for non-religious reasons is practiced in the U.S. and other countries heavily influenced by America such as the Phillipines and Korea soley because of cultural preferences and not medical necessity. The American Medical Association has even concluded after examining four decades worth of data that circumcision has very little benefit and is entirely a personal choice. All i'm saying is that little babies should not be subjected to this unnecessary pain. If they want to "look like everyone else" they should be allowed to make that choice for themselves when they are older, not when they are a few days old and strapped kicking and screaming. That's not a very pleasant way to begin life.
TC Sunday, August 26, 2001 at 14:33:36 (PDT)

Spear Head

Read this.

"Smegma is probably the most misunderstood,
most unjustifiably maligned substance in nature. Smegma is clean,
not dirty, and is beneficial and necessary. It moisturizes the glans
and keeps it smooth, soft, and supple. Its antibacterial and
antiviral properties keep the penis clean and healthy. All mammals
produce smegma. Thomas J. Ritter, MD [co-author of Say No to
Circumcision underscored its importance when he commented, 'The
animal kingdom would probably cease to exist without smegma.'"
"Where Is My Foreskin? The Case Against Circumcision," by Paul M.
Fleiss, MD, Mothering, Winter 1997)

"Infant Smegma: Skin cells from the glans of
the penis and the inner foreskin are shed throughout
life. This is especially true in childhood; natural skin
shedding serves to separate the foreskin from the
glans. Since this shedding takes place in a relatively
closed space -- with the foreskin covering the glans --
the shed skin cells cannot escape in the usual manner.
They escape by working their way to the tip of the
foreskin. These escaping discarded skin cells constitute
infant smegma." / "Adult Smegma: ... Adult smegma serves
as a protective, lubricating function for the glans."
"Care of the Uncircumcised Penis," American Academy
of Pediatrics, 1984)

"An infant's glans is very delicate and can be
seriously irritated by urine. The foreskin acts as a
cover for the glans and produces smegma for a
protective coating." (p. 55) / "As to smegma, the normal secretion
produced under the foreskin, Gairdner claimed that this
substance protects the glans. This is particularly
important if wet diapers are left on too long, since
decomposition of the urine can cause irritation of the
glans if it is not coated with smegma." (p. 64) / "[T]here
is not a shred of evidence to support to theory that smegma
is carcinogenic." (p. 91) / "All animals produce smegma, and none is
circumcised. When mammals reproduce, smegma is
deposited. If smegma contained a carcinogen or even
an irritant, then the propagation of the species would
be jeopardized. No such phenomenon exists." (p. 106)
Circumcision: An American Health Fallacy,
by Edward Wallerstein, Springer Publishing Co., 1980)

"Several researchers have tried to prove that
smegma causes cancer; all have failed. Not only is
smegma not harmful, it is actually beneficial, serving
as a protective coating and lubricant for the glans."
"The Circumcision Decision," by Edward
Wallerstein, Pennypress, Inc., 1980)

"This process of rationalization has
culminated in the supposed relationship between the
husband's foreskin and cancer of the genitals--one of
the greatest hoaxes in the history of medicine. The
theory is that the uncircumcised penis, because it may
generate a waxy substance called smegma, can
produce cancer of the penis and cancer of the cervix
(neck of the womb) ... Further evidence that circumcision is
not linked with cancer comes from tests of human
smegma. In 1942, the National Cancer Institute
conducted careful experiments and found that smegma
had no carcinogenic effect whatsoever. This test was
duplicated in 1963 on a more extensive scale by Dr.
D. G. Reddy and others, with the same conclusions.
Negative results have also been obtained in a number
of other experiments (Circumcision in Infancy, Charles
Weiss, M.D., Clinical Pediatrics, 1964)."
"The Unkindest Cut of All," by John M.
Foley, MD, Fact, July 1966)

"Analogous to tears, smegma is the
compilation of secretions by ectopic sebaceous glands
located in the prepuce, the seminal secretions of the
Cowper's gland and the prostate, the mucin content of
the secretions of the urethral glands, and the sloughed
epithelial cells. It provides the necessary mucosal
lubricant and moisturizer and is rich in sexual
pheromones. The prepuce normally prevents detection
of this phenomenally charged scent until the glans is
exposed at the time erection takes place." (Routine
Neonatal Circumcision: An Update, by Robert S. Van Howe, MD)

"Is smegma useful? Yes, certainly. It
lubricates the cavity between the foreskin of the penis
and the glans, thus allows smooth movement between
them during intercourse ... Nature has ... provided
a natural ointment, smegma, to ensure easy
lubrication and protect this delicate region of the male
genital organ. / To secure its even distribution,
smegma is formed from the whole inner surface of the
foreskin cavity ... Smegma production ... is
concentrated in the cells of innumerable small
prominences, minute microscopic protrusions of various
shapes and sizes found on the inner surface of the
foreskin cavity ... Sexual intercourse becomes a
regular feature of life [in adulthood] and the function
of smegma assumes its full value ... Freshly formed
smegma ... is a wholesome lubricant--making for ease
in erection and smoothness in sexual intercourse."
"How Smegma Serves the Penis," by
Joyce Wright, MD, Sexology, 10/70, pp. 50-53)

American born Chinese Sunday, August 26, 2001 at 00:18:44 (PDT)

Spear Head,
You are only speaking of American women, because people in this country are familiar with and only know of circumcision as the norm. But believe it or not, most of the world is not circumcised and some people in those countries believe that a circumcised penis is weird looking, not an uncut one, which is the norm. I'm talking about Europe, South America, and most of Asia. I think some people may need to be circumcised because of continued problems down there that keep coming back, like infections, tight foreskin, etc. but there is little medical justification for doing it. Circumcision does not prevent cancer or STDs or any other disease you may have heard of. It's all a fallacy perpetuated by the American Medical establishment to continue making millions of dollars on American parents each year. People continue doing it because it's socially acceptable and fashionable if you will, but does that mean you should follow the same route and go blindly with the same flock of sheep? I'm not saying that circumcision should be outlawed or anything, just that people should be given that option for themselves, not to have it imposed upon them at such a young age when they don't have a choice. Doesn't that seem reasonable?
TC Friday, August 24, 2001 at 20:33:57 (PDT)

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