The American Academy of Pediatrics basically concludes that although there are potential medical benefits, the evidence for them is not strong enough to recommend routine circumcision, given that circumcision, like all medical procedures, carries potential risks.

More from the AAP:
http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/prenatal/decisions-to-make/pages/Should-the-Baby-be-Circumcised.aspx

http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/prenatal/decisions-to-make/Pages/Circumcision.aspx

So, they say that it's up to the parents to decide, based on factors like religion and personal preference.

Those who choose to circumcise generally do it for religious reasons, or so baby will "look like dad" (presumably some years down the road, since he certainly won't right after birth....)

Those who choose not to circumcise are generally those who think if baby is healthy and does not need a medical intervention to stay healthy, then it does not make sense to have a medical intervention.

BTW, most insurance doesn't cover circ, and it can cost $250 - 500. Apparently it's worth calling around to different doctors who perform it to get the best deal.

I am not circumcised and every day I am thankful for that decision by my parents.

Sometimes, more than once a day.

You might check out the "circumcision" sections in various pregnancy and baby books and think about the issues. Dr. Sears' "Baby Book" says something like:

Q: Does it hurt.
A: Yes, it hurts.

I'll add the voice of another recent parent. Our son was born a few months ago and we decided not to circumcise, although I am. Just to restate what other have said, when you look into it objectively, there is just no reason to do it besides social custom, and even that is dying out in the US (our family is a good example of that). The HIV issue is not relevant in a country with such low prevalence. The chance of error or harm is small, but it happens - a friend of mine's son had some complications.

I didn't feel particularly strongly about it during the pregnancy, but as the delivery approached we felt more and more certain that it made no sense. Then, when I saw a baby-care DVD that showed how to care for a circumcised newborn, and saw the bloody gauze, I said, "No fucking way!" There is no way that I wanted unnecessary surgery performed on my little son on his first day out. He had a rough enough day being born and we wanted him to relax and feel safe.

Those are my thoughts.

I'm against infant circumcision. Janelle has provided a good outline, so I'll explain why in more detail.

I never really gave this subject much thought until, like Cagey, I spent time as a counselor on a Health & Wellness board and decided to go into pediatrics. I totally disagree with his observations, though. Hygiene shouldn't relate to circumcision. The penis should be washed once daily. That should be taught regardless of circumcision status; it's basic hygiene. As for the sensitivity arguments, I think the evidence is mixed, but I'd just warn against trusting anecdotal arguments either way.

The STI arguments are not especially more compelling either. In a developed country, you would have to perform something like 2,000 circumcisions to prevent one case of sexually-transmitted HIV. That's insanely inefficient from a public health standpoint. Imagine if we put that money into public health education instead of circumcision. Even from a cold, utilitarian standpoint, infant circumcision is bad public health policy.

The thing that pushes me to being completely opposed is a little less utilitarian: The informal polls on the health sites I've been on show that 15-30% of cut guys wish they weren't. There are reasonable arguments for and against circumcision. Most guys will be content either way. But individual choice is important on something this personal, and unless the justification against it is really compelling and urgent, it should be respected. Here, the argument against individual choice is just not strong enough.

There's two cents from a pre-med with too much free time over summer break. Happy to take any questions/comments.

The cultural imperative to do this is tied closely with sexual oppression. Circumcision is one of the many ways to keep boys from masturbating. Other preventives included Graham Crackers. Break the cycle and raise children whose sexuality is guilt-free.

Nope. As more people learn about circumcision, they are learning that the harms and risk of complications outweigh any benefits. Many young men are questioning their parents why they were circumcised when there was so little, if any, true benefit to the surgery. They are questioning why their parents consented to the surgery when there was all sorts of information available about how circumcision is primarily a cosmetic surgery performed for the benefit of the parents.

As you noted, the CDC recently announced that the male infant circumcision rate is down to 33%. That means that intact boys will be in the majority and circumcised boys will be the ones that are different.

Bottom line, the baby is healthy and so is his sex organ. He is the one who will be using that sex organ, not his parents. Let your son keep his whole sex organ. He will appreciate that when he gets older.

Are you planning to teach your son about safe sex and consistent condom use? If you look at STD stats, I think you'll find those facts tend to represent unprotected situations. Condoms do all the work, preventing STDs as well as pregnancy, so your son, in my opinion, would benefit best on all sides from simply being very conscientious about condom use. His future girlfriends would benefit too.

My boyfriend is not circumcized, and he has no problems using off-the-shelf condoms. He just had to learn how to roll back the foreskin properly while putting it on; it's a small matter of skill. He also washes himself every day -- another small matter of just rolling back the foreskin and washing with water and gentle soap. It's really no problem at all, and whether you're circumcised or not, it's always the best practise to clean regularly anyway.

While I do have very strong feelings about circumcision, it all started with the simple question, "So why do we DO this instead of just not doing it?"

Circumcision has been practiced for health reasons for many decades.

Recently, some men have been suing their parents and medical authorities for cutting them as infants and removing some of their sexual sensitivity.

As a cut man, I can say I have never missed any lack of sensation due to a circumcision.

I think that most circumcised men who have spent part of their life un-cut, find that the ease of cleaning oneself far outweighs any loss of sensation.

As a counselor on another website, I frequently run into uninformed teen who don't understand that they must clean under the foreskin, or are complaining because their foreskin is too tight, or because there are attatchments that tug and are painful.

All arguements for early circumcision, in my book.

Perhaps others will differ...