The Circumcision Decision:
by Lauren Feder, M.D.

My husband and I are at odds. I'm against circumcision and he would like to have our newborn son circumcised so he would grow up to "look like dad."Any suggestions?


The idea of fathers wanting their son to look similar to them is a common concern from parents. My response to dad is, "By the time your son will look like you, he will be a teenager. He won¹t want to compare!" Sometimes an older brother is circumcised and parents decide to not continue with younger siblings. Both of my sons are not circumcised. When my son was in second grade he commented that his penis looked different than some of the other boys. I explained to him that the other boys were circumcised. My brief description of the procedure satisfied his curiosity as he never asked about it again.