# Are there doctors who refuse to circumcise?



## bravofrenchie (Oct 15, 2004)

This just popped into my head today. Are there any doctors who absolutely refuse to circumcise babies? Do you know of any?


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## J-Max (Sep 25, 2003)

YUP!

Our old GP (who moved last year







). Was very crunchy, she bf, cd, was very supportive of alt methods, and refused to circ - although her male office partner does them. Between she and I, we talked my best friend out of circing her little boy!


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## morning glory (Dec 8, 2005)

My sister's Ob/Gyn in Calgary, Alberta told her that she did not perform circs and had no idea where she could get one done in the city. My guess is she *has* to know of some Dr's who do it but won't aid and abet.

My sister still drove an hour out of the city to have it done in a smaller town though...

Casey


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## Pandora114 (Apr 21, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *morning glory*
My sister's Ob/Gyn in Calgary, Alberta told her that she did not perform circs and had no idea where she could get one done in the city. My guess is she *has* to know of some Dr's who do it but won't aid and abet.

My sister still drove an hour out of the city to have it done in a smaller town though...

Casey

I should change my answer then. LOL No OB's around here, nor most of Canada (except Manitoba) Will circ. It's now an outpatient in office procedure in most places that's paid for out of pocket, usually done by FP's...


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## wendy1221 (Feb 9, 2004)

yes, most of the peds in the practice I used where ds1 was born refused to circ. I doubt there are any around here who refuse.


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## nollidttam (Oct 1, 2005)

Our old ped refused to do it. How I miss her! She said when she started practicing, she did do circ, but that she would cry the whole time, and then suddenly it popped into her head that she didn't HAVE to do this. And that was that. No more for her.


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## kxsiven (Nov 2, 2004)

Pretty much all the doctors 'up here'.


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## morning glory (Dec 8, 2005)

Quote:

Our old ped refused to do it. How I miss her! She said when she started practicing, she did do circ, but that she would cry the whole time, and then suddenly it popped into her head that she didn't HAVE to do this. And that was that. No more for her.
Thats the problem...Dr's are brainwashed to think that they *must* circ babies and parents are brainwashed to think that they *must* trust their Dr. Its a vicious cycle.

Casey


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## monkeys4mama (Apr 25, 2006)

Yes, we used to go to a clinic where there were just two drs out of the group of four who did circs. The others didn't. The funny thing was that one of the other drs told me that those guys would fight over who got to do them b/c they pay really good for what amounts ot a 20 minute surgery. So both circ guys wanted to get all the babies to circ themselves. Ha!


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## dynamicdoula (Jun 11, 2004)

I am hoping I can get through med school without ever having to do one - I'm trying to find out if I can flat refuse to do the procedure and still make it through. As an OB, I can't see how it would ever be a procedure I would need to know how to do. If there was a medically necessary circumcision, I would refer the baby to a urologist, wouldn't I?

Anyway - in about 15 year (







) there will be one more physician who does not do circs!


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## Lula's Mom (Oct 29, 2003)

monkeys4mama, I guess that's not my kind of 'funny'. It doesn't make me laugh.









My kids' ped, to whom we have been a grand total of once because we don't do WBV, is Indian. She is pretty crunchy- EC, EBF, ok with not vaxing, etc. and she didn't touch my son's penis during the visit. A boatload of MDC mamas see her for their kids too. I wanted to ask if she does it... but I am afraid there is a chance she will say yes. And then I will not be able to go to her anymore.


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## twin monkeys (Mar 8, 2006)

My OB who deleived my twins refused to do them she even talked about all the reasons not to have it done. The peds who worked in the nursery at the hospital only one out of the six would preform them. And the peds at the office I took my boys too also refused to do them they had 5 docs at that pratice. I think the tides are turning it may be slowly but they are changing. The reason I knew that the docs at the pratice I took the boys too refused is while interviewing docs he told me that since I was having boys if I wanted it done it would have to be done in the hospital since their office refused to do them. The only reason I don't go to that office is due to a move out of state.


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## calngavinsmom (Feb 19, 2003)

I know of a few peoples peds around here who won't do it. Some because of lack of medical necessity, others because they don't agree with how it is done.

Take care,
Tara


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## trmpetplaya (May 30, 2005)

the hospital here won't









love and peace.


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## dynamohumm6 (Feb 22, 2005)

During a "meet the midwives" informational meeting at the hospital I delivered at, someone asked about circumcision...the midwives talked extensively about why it shouldn't be done, and then said that there was only one OB at that hospital that would do it, otherwise you had to see a urologist or one of the pediatritians. It bugged me a bit that the OBs were the ones that refused, but all the pediatricians would perform it. But, still, I think the fact that most of the OB's wouldn't do it really made the parents in the room think (there was an audible wave of "huhs" and "wows" through the room).


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## Lara vanAEsir (May 24, 2006)




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## LadyMarmalade (May 22, 2005)

They're not done at the hospital here, and no obgyns do it either. I think there are about 50 doctors in my area and I found out recently that one doctor (GP) will do it, but it's very hard to get him to consider it (I previously thought that no doctors in my town do the procedure - the closest is a mohel 3 hours away and he's happy to cut anyone who makes an appointment whether there's a religious reason or not, then there's another doctor a further 4 hours away). The GP who circs here apparently won't do it unless there are other boys in the family who are done. He tells the mother that it's unnecessary, cruel, mutilation etc and tries to convince her not to do it, but if she's really determined he'll do it.


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## baybee (Jan 24, 2005)

I'm going to take this opportunity to put in a plug for the film for medical students called "The Prepuce".

If you haven't watched it, please take the time to click on the links and see it.
It is a wonderful anatomy lesson about the importance and function of the male foreskin (prepuce).
Baybee

(WMP, streaming) http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcisi...C/prepuce.html

(WMP, download) http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcisi...TSC_256k_D.wmv


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## sadkitty (Jun 24, 2004)

We are in between docs at this time.

I actually stopped going to my ND because, although she doesn't do them, I heard the screams of a 1 week old baby from the waiting room as the only male ND at the clinic sliced up his penis







. I had the misfortune of seeing this baby being led to the slaughter and made the mistake of conversing briefly with his father and finding out why he was there.

I just can't go back there. I might have to witness that primal betrayal again and might possibly kick that doctor in the crotch real hard over and over again while screaming "baby butcher!!!!"

.................At least this is how it goes in my recurring nightmares.


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## baybee (Jan 24, 2005)

Emily, would you Pleeeeaaasssseeee sit down and write a letter with the above sentiments and take it in or mail it to the ND clinic. I own a clinic and when I get straight feedback like that on something that bothers people, I assume there are another 20 who feel the same way and I correct it so that I don't lose customers.

This forum is a great place to vent, get ideas and info but then, the real miracles occur when we take what we get here out into the real world. Let us know back what happens.
Baybee


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## Paper-Bag-Princess (Aug 26, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *calngavinsmom*
I know of a few peoples peds around here who won't do it. Some because of lack of medical necessity, others because they don't agree with how it is done.

Take care,
Tara


Tara (and Pandora)....gotta love how it works in most of Ontario, huh?







The hospital that I had my children at will not perform circumcisions any longer. Our family physician will not perform them either, but, he will refer patients to doctors that will. The ped. that was assigned to my ds in the hospital does not perform them either. Circumcision is a dying cause and luckily, we have a doctor who knows and believes that circumcision (when not medically necessary) is on its way out.


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## MommytoB (Jan 18, 2006)

I imagine half of the doctors are pretty neutral here but once a problem comes up they become pro-circ.


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## ~Nikki~ (Aug 4, 2004)

I know of doctors who won't perform a circ (I'm in Ontario). I remember having a conversation with a nurse about it, when filling out the hospital info for baby #1. She was openly pleased about our decision not to circ, and told us that there are hospitals out there that are starting to refuse to circumsize (she mentioned one in Montreal, Quebec, though I forget the name of it now.)

Here's a kind of off topic question, and I hope I don't get flamed.







Do you consider a doctor refusing to circ, the same as a pharmacist refusing to give out birth control or the morning after pill? Why or why not? This is something that popped into my mind last night.


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

Yes! The entire practice at my old pediatricians in Federal Way, Washington refused to circ and would refer you elsewhere if you asked for it. I miss them so much! They were so supportive of non-vaxing and breastfeeding. Sigh.


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

Nikki, to answer your question, I fully support any health care provider to refuse to perform a service if it goes against their moral beliefs. However, I think they should always have someone else to refer you to because they don't have the right to tell you that you can't make a choice yourself.


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## Lula's Mom (Oct 29, 2003)

Hmmm. I guess I don't see it as telling you you can't make a choice- I see it more like saying "I will not take any responsibility for helping you make that choice". It doesn't take away choice just because they don't give you someone else's name (I can see how they feel like they'd be aiding you in doing something harmful.) It may make it more difficult for you, and cause you to work harder to follow through on your decision, but it doesn't keep you from finding someone on your own.

I guess yes, I see it the same way, as refusing to do something that's against your convictions. Circ is more clear-cut to me in that it _definitely_, measurably, obviously does harm. The morning-after pill and birth control, I guess, is a little more subjective... it's a matter of personal beliefs rather than clear-cut evidence.


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## Ilaria (Jan 14, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sadkitty*
primal betrayal .

Wow. What a great description. PRIMAL BETRAYAL. Love it. (but not really, kwim)


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## Rhiannon Feimorgan (Aug 26, 2005)

I just found out about a doctor who refused to circ lastnight. I was chatting with a new friend of mine. Her ds is the same age as my dd (18months) and they play together often. I had already seen him without a diaper and knew he was intact and I wasn't very surprised as she and her dh are from Newfoundland which has a very low circ rate (I think there were no rics there in the last reported year) Although their ds wasn't born in that province.

So I was telling her all about MDC and all the wonderful info there bfing, babywearing, cding and anticirc. She told me that her dh had wanted their ds circed because several men in his family had *had* to be circed later in life and she had figure he's the one with the penis... But their doctor refused to do it and talked them out of it!

I wish I lived near that doctor so I could recomend him to every pregnant lady I see!


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## pigpokey (Feb 23, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DreamsInDigital*
Nikki, to answer your question, I fully support any health care provider to refuse to perform a service if it goes against their moral beliefs. However, I think they should always have someone else to refer you to because they don't have the right to tell you that you can't make a choice yourself.

So if someone comes in to a ped's office wanting FGM, they should get a referral?

I totally disagree with your position as applied to circ. This is my own judgment about the severity of the consequences of circ, when you consider both the emotional/psychological attack on the infant's attachment and security, and the disfigurement and dysfunction.


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## Ilaria (Jan 14, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pigpokey*
So if someone comes in to a ped's office wanting FGM, they should get a referral?

I totally disagree with your position as applied to circ. This is my own judgment about the severity of the consequences of circ, when you consider both the emotional/psychological attack on the infant's attachment and security, and the disfigurement and dysfunction.


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## Mavournin (Jul 9, 2002)

My old pedi didn't do them. The first time I brought in homebirthed Ds he got a little nervous and asked "You didn't want to get him circ'd did you? Because I haven't done that for 21 years". Though I have a feeling that it is more related to the hospital doing it than him having personal objections to it.

I haven't asked our new pedi. We don't generally do well checks, and we've only had the occasion to see this new guy once.


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## calngavinsmom (Feb 19, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Paper-Bag-Princess*
Tara (and Pandora)....gotta love how it works in most of Ontario, huh?







The hospital that I had my children at will not perform circumcisions any longer. Our family physician will not perform them either, but, he will refer patients to doctors that will. The ped. that was assigned to my ds in the hospital does not perform them either. Circumcision is a dying cause and luckily, we have a doctor who knows and believes that circumcision (when not medically necessary) is on its way out.









Sue It is nice that it is getting there, but not "there" yet as far as I'm concerned. The hospital I birthed at for both boys offered up circ like they were offering up afternoon tea. Each time I refused, the person asking said "Good!" but even that leaves me to wonder, if it is so "Good!" that I declined, why are you offering it to me in the first place?







: And I wonder too what the reaction would have been had I said yes?









Take care,
Tara


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## Revamp (May 12, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *calngavinsmom*







Sue It is nice that it is getting there, but not "there" yet as far as I'm concerned. The hospital I birthed at for both boys offered up circ like they were offering up afternoon tea. Each time I refused, the person asking said "Good!" but even that leaves me to wonder, if it is so "Good!" that I declined, why are you offering it to me in the first place?







: And I wonder too what the reaction would have been had I said yes?









If doctors were truly neutral it would not be offered at all. I reckon you are right there, their reaction might have been identical regardless of your response...


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