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Advice needed

Written by US dad with decision at 21 May 2002 19:43:40:

My wife and I have decided to send our 15 year old son for a two week session at a summer camp that not only offers recreation, but also an intensive course in computer programming which is his passion. Yesterday afternoon he went for his pre-camp physical exam. During the course of the exam, the doctor tried to retract my son's foreskin, but after repeated attempts, which my son said were extremely painful, he was unable to expose the head. My wife received a short and embarrassing visit with the doctor as my son dressed, during which he kept insisting Bryan had to be be circumcised.

I am circumcised, but due to my wife's religious beliefs she is a Pentacostal, she was adament about not allowing him to be circumcised as she felt having his foreskin would help prevent him from stimulating himself. She understands the situation but still is flatly opposed to his being circumcised. As she considers the subject to be unseemly for her to discuss, the job is completely mine.

For his part, my son hasn't had any problems down there and says that he doesn't want to have THAT operation. He said that most all of his friends haven't had it done (we live in South Florida) and that he would be humiliated if he was one of the only ones without his skin on the end.

With both he and my wife against it and in the absence of any problems down there, I am inclined to leave things as they are. As my wife said, he can have the operation at any time. Will it bother anything to allow him to remain uncircumcised?


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