Circumcision of infant boys used to be pretty much routine in America, whether a child was Jewish or not. Then, since the American Medical Association declared the procedure elective, some parents are deciding not to circumcise.

I asked some local parents how they reached a decision on whether to circumcise or not. Here are a few of their comments. Read my full story by clicking on "continue reading entry."

Jody Brown, a Syracuse mom of three grown sons and one grown daughter:

"I choose not to circumcise my sons because I wanted to leave the choice to them as to whether or not they wanted their foreskin removed. Two of them have actually thanked me for giving that choice."

Mom of two sons, ages 7 and 17: "One is circumcised, and the other is not. When my youngest was born, I asked my then 10-year-old if he thought his brother should be circumcised, and he said yes, that he wished he was."

Aisha McConochy:"I have a 2-and-a-half-year-old son, whom my husband and I chose not to circumcise. He has two older sister, who are also not circumcised. The reason I share that information is because it made no more sense to us for us to circumcise him that it would have to circumcise his sisters."

Laurie Sanderson: "I face that question a long time ago. I was very opposed to it; my husband was not ... I had researched thoroughly and finally related on one reason, our faith tradition. My husband's grandmother had been orthodox (Jewish)."

More resources

How to decide whether to circumcise.

Frequently asked questions on Jewish circumcision.

Rabbi Rachel Ain of Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas in DeWitt explains the Jewish perspective.

A group is trying to ban circumcision.

By Gina Chen

Family Life editor

It used to be just about every American baby boy was circumcised.



It was as much a part of the first few days of life after a hospital birth as getting swaddled in a blanket or sleeping in an infant nursery.



Today, more parents are choosing not to circumcise -- or at least considering whether to do it.



"It's one of those questions that come up: Do you or don't you?" says Sherri Kimber, an Onondaga Hill mom whose son, now age 7, was circumcised after birth.



In the 1930s, about 30 percent of American boys were circumcised. By the 1970s, the numbers increased to 80 percent before declining to roughly 65 percent in 1995, according research in the Journal of the American Medical Association.



The AMA declared circumcision elective in 1999, noting that the potential medical benefits were slight. The procedure has been linked to a slightly lower incidence of urinary tract infections in infancy and of penile cancer or sexually transmitted disease later in life.



For many parents, that meant circumcision became a choice, not a requirement. Some parents argue that circumcision can lessen sexual sensation in later life, or they worry about the pain of circumcision. Others say why perform an elective procedure that isn't medically necessary unless it is tied to a religious ritual.



A poll of moms-to-be on Cafe Mom, a 1.6 million-member social-networking site for mothers, offers a glimpse of what women today are thinking about circumcision.



Sixty-seven percent of the moms-to-be who are members of the site's Pregnancy Group said they plan to circumcise their sons, according the unscientific poll Cafe Mom conducted for The Post-Standard. Twenty-nine percent said they won't circumcise; 3 percent weren't sure.



Murugan Pandian, a dad of two from Clay, and his wife chose not to circumcise their son, but they faced some resistance from the medical community. Pandian, the New York representative for a group that advocates outlawing infant circumcision, wants parents to educate themselves about the procedure.



"It's something that's not needed," says Pandian, whose son is now 3 and daughter is 1. "We didn't agree with the procedure and the surgery. We felt it was best to keep it the natural way."



Parents who do circumcise may do it for religious reasons. Jews and Muslims, for example, routinely circumcise infant males. Other parents make the decision based on whether the father was circumcised or so the child will fit in with other boys while undressing in adolescent locker rooms.



"The real ultimate decision was: What does his dad look like," Kimber says. "Will it make it more difficult if he looks different from you?"



Here are views of other Central New York parents:



I circumcised my son because ...



"It's what's we're used to. ... I understand why people don't, and that's their opinion. But for me, a little pain, that didn't bother me too much."

-- Rhiannon McElroy, a Manlius mom of two boys, ages 7 years and 7 months

I did not circumcise my son because ...



"I did more research and found that many of today's reasons for circumcision are outdated and misguided. I felt that not circumcising my son was the best decision for my son. However, if he should choose to have the surgery done himself as a capable, decision-making adults, I will happily help him with the cost and support his decision."

-- Karen Kitchner, a DeWitt mom of a 7-month-old son

