Chronicle Editor
Yoliswa Dube-Moyo
BECOMING a parent can, at first, be overwhelming.
The reality that you’re now responsible for a little person — their welfare and ensuring they have a great shot at life can be daunting.
The fact that you’re their first port of call for most, if not everything and contribute immensely towards shaping a lot of their thoughts and feelings about different things can be intimidating.
While it should make most of us endeavour to be better human beings so that we can be good role models to our children, we may still falter.
Often, we question and second guess some decisions that have a direct bearing on our children. One such decision is whether or not to have your son circumcised. Should this be a decision left to him to make once he is older or should it be made for him by his mother or father?
Being a mother to a son myself, the question of circumcision has been on the table in our home before. My husband was more passionate about the issue and naturally understood the dynamics of it all better than I did.
His argument was that a child must be allowed to make an informed decision whether or not to do it once they are older.
In putting forward his case, he made reference to a boy he went to high school with. This teenager had had the decision made for him and had been circumcised when he was a small boy. He apparently was so embarrassed about it and was too shy to bath with other boys as was the norm in boarding school.
Seemingly, he could see that he was different from other boys, which terribly affected his self-esteem. He would either be the first to bath or the last one to hit the showers, to avoid piercing looks and shrewd remarks from other boys.
Teenagers can be nasty and I can only imagine how this could’ve affected him and what kind of a man he has turned out to be.
We will never know the reason why he was circumcised early on but his experience according to my husband, is an eye-opener to the far-reaching impact a parent’s decision can have on their child, despite the motivation.
Not to be assumptive, circumcision is the surgical removal of the skin covering the tip of the penis. The procedure is fairly common for newborn boys in certain parts of the world. Circumcision after the newborn period is possible, but it’s a more complex procedure.
For some families, circumcision is a religious ritual. The procedure can also be a matter of family tradition, personal hygiene or preventive health care. For others, however, circumcision seems unnecessary or disfiguring.
The prevalence of male circumcision worldwide is primarily due to the role of religion, although cultural and health reasons have also been significant factors.
Ulwaluko, traditional circumcision and initiation into manhood, is an ancient initiation rite practised by the Xhosa, and is commonly practised throughout South Africa and among Xhosa communities in Zimbabwe. The ritual is traditionally intended as a teaching institution, to prepare young males for the responsibilities of manhood
On the flip side, circumcision is a religious or cultural ritual for many Jewish and Islamic families.
When circumcision is performed for religious reasons, it usually symbolises faith in God. The book of Genesis mentions that God issues a command to Abraham that every male child shall be circumcised. The practice is known as brit milah (Covenant of Circumcision) and is performed on the eighth day after the birth of a baby boy, as instructed in the book of Leviticus. It is regarded as a sign of the covenant with God.
Islamic scholars differ over whether circumcision is compulsory for Muslim males; some regard it as obligatory, whereas others view it as an act to be recommended. It is carried out to maintain hygiene and Muslim boys are usually circumcised before they reach puberty.
Turning to Christianity, the Old Testament refers to circumcision as a sign of a covenant with God, it is not laid down as a requirement in the New Testament. Whatever the motivation, we can agree that having your son circumcised presents benefits, which he alternatively should be allowed to explore himself once he is older.
These include easier hygiene and decreased risk of urinary tract infections. Circumcision makes it simpler to wash the penis. However, boys with uncircumcised penises can be taught to wash regularly beneath the foreskin.
Health experts say the risk of urinary tract infections in males is low, but these infections are more common in uncircumcised males adding that severe infections early in life can lead to kidney problems later.
Circumcised men might have a lower risk of contracting certain sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Still, safe sexual practices remain essential.
In their recommendations advocating for circumcision, health professionals say it prevents penile problems. Occasionally, the foreskin on an uncircumcised penis can be difficult or impossible to retract. This can lead to inflammation of the foreskin or head of the penis.
Additionally, they say although cancer of the penis is rare, it is less common in circumcised men. In addition, cervical cancer is less common in the female sexual partners of circumcised men.
The risks of not being circumcised, however, are not only rare, but avoidable with proper care of the penis. After all has been said and done, the decision of whether or not to have your son circumcised essentially depends on where you come from and what you believe in.
Whatever the decision, your child deserves an explanation and understanding of your rationale in reaching the decision to have them circumcised or allowing them to decide for themselves.
If you decide to have your son circumcised and it is motivated by religious, traditional or health reasons, this must be made clear so that your child can own the decision with you once they are old enough, as opposed to being shy about it like the teenager at Mzingwane High School. — @Yolisswa
Online Reporter