Does Your Son Have To Go Through Circumcision?

It's every parent's dilemma that once their son reached a certain age, it just feels necessary or people around them would put this pressure to have their son circumcised. I even began to question myself if my decision not to have my son circumcised as a baby was a wrong decision, but I had my reasons back then so it was pointless to dwell on it. There were reports that babies get herpes after they get circumcised among other risks, which is why I decided not to have him circumcised back then.

My husband starts to question if our son really needs it or if is it necessary for all young boys to go through it. But after much discussion about the pros and cons of being circumcised, we (dad, me, and our son) decided to get it done since my son has passed 13 years of age. 

When I was asking for circumcision prices, the nurse will ask how old is the patient. Rates are more expensive if the patient is older than 17 in some clinics. It even surprised me that grown men as old as 30+ can still undergo the surgery if he wants to.  

The Procedure

We decided to have the laser procedure which was bloodless and painless for the patient. It costs Php 6,000 and the clinic was in Olivarez Hospital in Paranaque. Once we had the schedule confirmed, they sent us the following instructions prior to circumcision:

• Have a light meal 2 hours prior to the procedure.
• Please shave the genital area if applicable.
• Full body bath before your appointment. (Patient is not advisable to take a bath overnight after the procedure)

Surgery was done in around 30 minutes. It was pretty fast and it was indeed painless according to our son. It was hours after the procedure when he started to feel the pain. The good news is that the pain was bearable. I even noticed my son playing his favorite online game on the first day. Total recovery took approximately 2 weeks. 

A peak inside Olivarez Hospital

Is Your Child Ready for Circumcision? 

The child has to be mentally and physically prepared for what he's about to undergo.  If the child is not ready, then you don't have to go through it right away. You can probably wait until the next year or two which is totally fine. It has to be his own decision to undergo the surgery with the support of his parents. 

Questions/comments? Please leave them in the comments section below so we can discuss them.