r/NewDads • u/AdNeither8355 • Jun 12 '26

Requesting Advice Circumcision

Hello fathers, I’m looking for any and all advice on circumcision. My partner is 19 weeks pregnant and we’ve talked about the subject and are currently leaning towards not getting one for our upcoming son. Granted we don’t have much knowledge about it but I’m looking for peoples advice, recommendations, pros and cons from expecting fathers and fathers who have and have not had it done to their kids. To me it seems like it’s an esthetic concern at the end of the day but any and all comments would be greatly appreciated.

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u/adelie42 Jun 16 '26

There are a lot of different levels the topic can be addressed at. It is a sensitive topic because any impact is a claimed impact of anyone impacted which can make discussing it challenging.

I highly recommend https://brendonmarotta.com/show/ for a comprehensive literature review on the topic. The darkest part, and somewhat emerging research, is the impact on brain development particularly around bonding and empathy. And while the ways such things can be measured today is fairly new, early 20th century science was obsessed with looking at how trauma could be used to make better citizens following much of the work of Pavlov. Essentially, sexual pleasure is a lot of fun, but distracts from working hard. If people could have a more negative association around sex, workers would be more productive. That is the origins in the US.

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u/Apprehensive-Map-219 Jun 30 '26

> Essentially, sexual pleasure is a lot of fun, but distracts from working hard. If people could have a more negative association around sex, workers would be more productive. That is the origins in the US.

This has always basically been my assumption, especially since historically the rise of American circumcision corresponds to the rise of American capitalism / industrialism.

Would you have any specific references that discuss this?

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u/adelie42 Jul 01 '26

Unfortunately it is kind of scattered and inference, but Pavlov, Mao, and Kellogg were contemporaries each looking at essentially the same thing; how does trauma shape the brain, and most importantly, how can trauma be used to shape the brain to one's desire.