Dating Tip: Ask About Foreskin

Tip for your next date: ask him or her, "What is a normal penis?" Okay, I realize this may not be your ideal pick-up line, but the reality is that once couples have committed and copulated, they must decide for their infant baby boys what their genitals will look like for the rest of their manhood. And when that moment comes, it takes the consent of two parents to decide. Between Britney's virginal claims boosting record sales, to the public consolation of an overdosed ex-playmate, the standards of sexuality in this country are often confusing. With all of these mixed messages, it is no wonder we're uncomfortable approaching the subject of sexuality, or the associated anatomical paraphernalia. This may also very well be why we think it's weird to ask our dates what they think of foreskin (or lack thereof). But even if you've no idea what your spouse thinks, or, for that matter, what you think, the question, which will blare at you from the delivery table, stands: to cut or not to cut. How do you decide which fate is best for your child?

First, the facts: circumcision removes fifteen square inches of skin containing tens of thousands of nerve endings from a natural, fully functional, penis shortly after birth. This translates into a total loss of about 50% of the natural penile skin¹. And although only about 16% of the world implements this procedure on newborn males², its prevalence in the United States - at least until very recently - heavily dominated this world percentage. But the trend is shifting. , Whereas the average US rate in 1975 was 85%, in 2003, only 56% of newborn males lost some special skin¹.

Wait. You thought circumcision was the norm, right? Although most of the world rejects the practice, public sentiment in this country is slowly shifting in that direction, and as more and more American mothers and fathers opt-out of this surgery on their infants, we have to wonder: why do we circumcise?