The Circumcision Decision

The episode starts with Fatherly producer Evan Kaufman and Will Nunziata, Evan’s friend (and a comedian), discussing how they recently fell into a discussion about circumcision. Evan had decided to circumcise his son, and Will had decided not to. Evan was shocked by this decision. Will was shocked that Evan hadn’t given his son the choice. So, in this episode of “Dude Turned Dad,” they talk about the pros and cons of circumcising a child.

Through the course of Evan and Will’s conversation, Evan learns about the heated debate around circumcision, the actual health benefits, and what it means to be circumcised in the Western world as opposed to around the globe.

Will lays out a bunch of arguments against circumcising your kid. These arguments include: You let them make the choice themselves; the surgery is largely cosmetic; and the medical benefits are negligible. There are also a lot of research about problems with what happens to your child’s foreskin after the surgery has taken place.

Evan argues his side. He has Jewish heritage, and this was a way to connect Rory to his past. Evan also believes that the health risk is insignificant. Sure, there aren’t a ton of side effects to not being circumcised, but why risk it. Evan also argues that we make nothing but choices for our kids, from what they eat to where they live. Being a parent means making hard choices. This was one of them, and one that Evan’s son will most likely be totally all right with.

Evan concludes that circumcision is a personal choice for a family to make. While it is losing steam in the United States, it’s still a viable and important elective surgery with health benefits and a long cultural tradition. With that said, the arguments against it are compelling, and Evan comes away from the discussion with Will a little bit more informed and interested in the issue of circumcision.