NotFred~ you seem to be the only informed one here! I am so ashamed at how COMPLETELY FVCKING IGNORANT all the rest of you all about your own damn penises! It is really a shame!
Okay, let me school yo' asses-- First off, NotFred is correct in all respects. Circumcision was popular among Jews starting in like 5000BC due to cleanliness reasons, however, things have changed and it is not necessary any more for hygine reasons. Then in the late 19th century a bunch of religious doctors figured that sin masturbation was a sin it would be smart to start cutting off people's foreskins so that it would not be pleasureable any more. This is plain and simple genital mutilation, much the same as the removal of the clitoris in some African cultures.
As for the argument about cervical cancer, we need to read that article a bit closer. They say, "Women whose high-risk partners were not circumcised were five times more likely to get cancer than those whose partners were circumcised." They clearly say "high-risk partners." Hello? All this is saying is that for men who are likely to get herpes (genital warts), due to their promiscuity and "high-risk" behaviors, the virus can live longer under the foreskin than if there is no foreskin there. If you're a woman, don't sleep with men who are "high-risk." If you're a man, don't be stupid and get herpes.
The doctor in the article added: "Cutting off a normal healthy functioning body part (the foreskin) to prevent an unlikely disease or infection would be like pulling healthy teeth to prevent tooth decay." He is NOT recommending circumcision at all!
The majority of stimulation that the penis is capable of is located in the foreskin and frenulum (the band of skin that connects the foreskin to the head). Both of these tissues are removed during circumcision, causing a loss of part of the normal function of the penis. Furthermore, once the foreskin is removed the moist head is exposed to your underwear and allows to dry out and become calused, resulting in a significant loss of sensitivity.
There is some really great books and resources that can be found on the internet that talk about this issue. In particular you should read the forums over at FatherMag.com...
THIS FORUM in particular talks all about circumcision and the issues surrounding it.
I'd just like to say that I am glad to be intact and not mutilated. FYI: intact = uncircumcised. The word uncircumcised denotes that I am somehow missing something, due to the prefix "un." Instead, it makes more sense to call those who have not been cut "intact" and those who have been cut "unintact." That way the guys who are missing something get the "un" prefix.
And to those who say that a circumcised penis looks better, or more normal, are misguided. You only think that becasue that is what is dominant in our society. If it were not so popular those who are un-intact would be looked at like freaks. How messed up is it that we make a practice of cutting off an integral part of a baby's most sensitive organ without their permission. Its like, "Hello baby, welcome to the world, first off let's mutilate your genitals and then send you on your way."
If you are a soon-to-be-parent I urge you to NOT mutilate your baby.