What does it mean if you get circumcised?

Answer 1

Circumcision is the cutting off of the skin covering the head of the penis (the glans). Here is a video of it being carried out:
http://newborns.stanford.edu/Plastibell.html

and here is a more gruesome one where the baby is in considerable pain:
http://www.strimoo.com/video/17200531/Plastibell-Infant-Circumcision-Veoh.html

There are many reasons I can give you why circumcision is a bad choice.

Have a watch of this 20 minute video by the nocirc organisation. It is very informative:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHVvB1oHAgg

In regards to care. Care is a lot easier with intact, non-circumcised boys as there is nothing to do. The foreskin is unretractable in infancy so it should be left alone. No cleaning under it or pulling it back is required. This medical page explains further:
http://www.kidshealth.org.nz/index.php/ps_pagename/contentpage/pi_id/266

Circumcised boys actually require a lot more care.
Firstly, all newly circumcised boys are in discomfort because there is an open wound. The wound is susceptible to infection. It can also become irritated by ammonia in the urine - which provides more discomfort for the baby.
One common problem is a skin-bridge. The skin left over after the foreskin is severed can re-attach to another part of the penis resulting in an adhesion (see link below for picturesof this and other complications). Very little of this is told to you. Do you really want all this hassle when there is no need for it?
http://www.circumstitions.com/Complic.html
(Look around the circumstitions site - it has a wealth of information.)

The psychological effects of circumcision are open to dispute, but I cannot imagine them being anything other than negative. It certainly won't help you bond with your child - especially in those crucial early months:
http://www.cirp.org/library/psych/goldman1/
(Look around the cirp site- it has a wealth of information.)

The foreskin serves a sexual purpose. The negative sexual effects are rarely mentioned or worse, denied. Circumcision removes a functioning part of the penis. Many circumcised men do not even know what they have lost - especially in the USA where it can be a taboo topic - what with men having fragile egos and all.

As someone with a foreskin, I value it. It contains many specialized nerves on it's underside. When the foreskin is moved up and down it is very pleasurable and prompts the release of all sorts of feel-good hormones. Circumcised men cannot masturbate as easily as there is no gliding effect. If they try it without an artificial lubricant then it may chafe , become red and sore. I think this is terrible - to worsen the sexual lives of someone without their consent. This site shows the movement of the foreskin in masturbation (graphic). It also contains a 20 minute video on the function of the foreskin:
http://www.circumstitions.com/completeman/

Without the foreskin protecting the glans, circumcised men lose further sensitivity. The glans (head of the penis) dries out. It also brushes on underwear which causes the skin to toughen -sort of like when you walk bear feet - the skin hardens. This page shows pictures (graphic):
http://www.noharmm.org/IDcirc.htm

There are good reasons to believe that sex is better for the woman as well, if the man has his foreskin intact: This site is an educational one on why it is better for both partners to be intact (graphic):
http://xrl.us/foreskinfunctions

Men in Britain, Ireland, France, Germany and Italy, along with the rest of Europe don't get circumcised and they all do as good if not better than countries where circumcision is more common. So all in all it is best to be as nature intended. No medical association actually recommends non-therapeutic infant circumcision. Check out this site for frequently asked questions:
http://www.circinfo.org/parents.html

Here is some other information you might find useful:

History: Non-religious circumcision only started in English-speaking countries in the late 1800's. The main reason was to prevent masturbation. More info can be found at this at this site:
http://www.historyofcircumcision.net/

Rates of circumcision:
Circumcision rates have dropped in the USA to 60%.
http://www.circumstitions.com/USA.html
In Canada and Australia the rate has dropped to less than 10%. In Britain the rate is less than 1%. Only 20-25% of the world are circumcised, 2/3 of these are Muslim.