MANILA, Philippines (AP) – Hundreds of boys in a city turned out today for a daylong "circumcision party" to provide a safe, free procedure for a rite of passage that most local males undergo as preteens. Some boys cried in their mothers' arms while others bit their shirts to stifle sobs as doctors carried out the surgery on dozens of makeshift operating tables inside a sports stadium in Marikina city east of Manila. Outside, other boys lined up to await their turn. "I'm a big boy now," one boy who had just finished the surgery bragged. Officials said the event — touted in a press statement as a "circumcision party" — aims to promote safe circumcision and to offer to poor residents free surgery that would otherwise cost at least $40 in private hospitals. As of mid-afternoon, nearly 1,500 boys aged 9 years and up had been circumcised while many were still waiting in line, city health officer Dr. Alberto Herrera said. In the Philippines, preadolescent and adolescent boys traditionally are circumcised during summer school break from March to May. In rural areas, the surgery is sometimes performed by non-doctors using crude methods. The city also hopes to establish a world record for the number of people attending a mass circumcision. "We applied for the Guinness Book of World Records and we are recording everything so we can send all the data to them and hopefully it will be recognized," Vice Mayor Jose Fabian Cadiz said. Marikina, the country's shoemaking capital, was recognized by Guinness in 2002 for creating what was then the world's biggest pair of shoes. Source:- http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=683683&publicationSubCategoryId=200
If it is medically needed then it's a good idea, if not then no kid should be forced to undergo the procedure whether they are poor or not It is of course much better for kids that do need it to have it done in a clean professional environment.
Yup, never would I have my son going through that unless is was needed for medical reasons. If he wants to do it in later life, then up to him... edit:future potential son, not got kids y'all
My old flatmate had it done when he was 13. Was in pain whilst "developing", but after the op he got on with life and is now a Royal Marine It is a minor surgery to people that need it doing... He will (I am sure) forget all about it being an issue and just grow up never missing it..
