The Cutting Edge

The latest co-ed opinions on snipping.

By Olivia W. McCoy, University of Georgia

Inspired by Kristina Hrubo

The debate over circumcision has been a relevant topic for as long as the practice has existed.

Every few years or so, each side develops a new argument, scientific fact or moral ideology to justify their position, and this year, it seems to be the anti-circumcision attitude that has taken the lead with their protests at hospitals and radical transportation.

But everyone knows the pros and cons of getting snipped, so what’s new in this debate and how does it affect the average college student? Well, college is the place to learn and this article is as good of a way to do so as any. Except, I’m a girl, so what could I possibly have to say about an organ that I have never had the opportunity to possess? Well, I have an unbiased attitude for one.

Here are the good and the bad of circumcision in health, sex and pleasure as it relates to the female college student.

Health

Pro:

According to WebMD, circumcision leads to a decreased risk of urinary tract infections, STDs, penile cancer, balanitis, balanoposthitis and phimosis, along with a couple other very unappetizing sounding nouns and adjectives. All of this can be summed up to mean one thing: Circumcised penises are cleaner.

That’s not to say that uncircumcised dicks aren’t clean, it depends on the owner of the schlong, but, it’s college. When you live in a dorm and you have to share the grime-covered, hair infested, gonorrhea transferring community bathroom, and you spent all day in class, and then passed out at your desk after pulling a major procrastination episode, how often are you really showering?

Being honest, I didn’t shower for the first week and a half of college because I couldn’t tell if the white globs on the walls and floors were conditioner from a hair perfectionist, or something of a more venereal nature.

Shit happens—especially in college—and there isn’t always a will or a way to get clean, so you can’t really even blame the guys that don’t. But whereas with a circumcised penis you can just wipe it off with a paper towel, the folds and crevices of a foreskin act as a labyrinth breeding ground for unpalatable bacteria.

That’s one way to ruin the mood.

Con:

Believe it or not, most civilized people prefer to be clean and there’s no reason to expect that an uncircumcised male wouldn’t be—at least not any more than their circumcised counterparts.

And unless you’re dating the most incompetent self-hygienist of the collegiate world, the foreskin cleaning procedures include an easy under and out wipe, no more or less that what it takes to care for a vagina. Myth busted.

Sex

The arguments on each side are so mixed that it becomes difficult to separate the ideals. Some women (and men) say that uncircumcised is easier because the natural secretion (smegma) acts as a lubricant that takes some of the pressure off of the female partner, while others will disagree, asserting that the build-up only adds to the friction that naturally comes with sexual intercourse.

Both sides argue that their experiences have been more pleasurable because of the “ribbed” sensation of the foreskin/exposed head.

What do you do with that?!

The jury is still out as far as the women’s pleasure goes. When asked, the population is typically split close to 60/40, changing slightly ever once in a while as to who is in the lead. Currently, according to debate.org, uncircumcised dongs take the lead.

I would like to note though, that upon further inspection, several of the comments against the procedure are from the point of view of a man claiming that his girlfriend says that his penis is better than the others she’s had the distinct pleasure of knowing.

What, is she supposed to hand you a pair of scissors, smile and tell you she prefers it the other way around?

So, we resort to asking the opposite sex how they feel, as girls have no opinion—it’s like deciding on dinner all over again if you ask me—and guess what? All those altercations about how uncircumcised penises feel better during sex for the man are discredited because science shows no difference in sensitivity and pleasure at the glans or the shaft.

But then again, how could anyone really know? No one is volunteering to get a late-in-life circumcision to compare, now are they? Even if women wanted to be considerate to the male opinion in this debate, there really aren’t any clear lines of argument to follow.

Basically, it depends on the individual woman, just as it does for the individual man. Sex is sex, which is basically a synonym to great and overall orgasmic. There is no consensus to argue either way.

So where does the debate land? Each case is tactfully shut down every so often, and then they switch sides as to what they prefer—which explains why this debate has persisted as long as it has.

So the debate continues, and you can be sure to look forward to the next installment in the media of 2017.