Some mothers have swore to never yield their male babies for a medical procedure that may otherwise save those beloved sons from certain health risks
Male circumcision is a common practice in many parts of the world with some proven health benefits, including less risk of urinary tract infections and reduced risk of some sexually transmitted diseases.
According to a 2015 study published online by the National Institutes of Health finds that “the risk of premature ejaculation is higher in children circumcised after age seven.”
For some cultural and religious reasons, some parents delay the circumcision of their children until they get to a certain age in Nigeria and some other countries in Africa, even as medical experts say deferring or delaying male circumcision has no medical advantage.
Findings by PUNCH HealthWise, however, showed that some parents, out of concerns for the size of their children’s penis, have refused to have them circumcised.
A mother of three, Mrs. Renuno Agemu, is one of such parents. She told our correspondent that she and her husband had decided not to submit their nine-month-old son for circumcision because of the small size of his penis.
The 27-year-old businesswoman says they are worried that the procedure, if performed on him, might further reduce his penis size and length.
Agemu said, “I have two girls and a boy. When I gave birth to him in September 2020, after two weeks of his delivery, people started asking me why we have not had him circumcised. Some asked me if my culture or religion forbids male circumcision.
“But my husband and I are not in any way constrained by any culture or religion to have our son circumcised. Our decision not to have him circumcised is based on the size of his penis.
“We are worried that since he was born with small penis size, the procedure is not necessary in order not to affect the size and length.”
Continuing, Agemu said, “I told some family members who have been bothering us that his penis is too small and that I cannot take the risk of circumcising him before they chop off everything.
“Some say it does not matter and that I should go and have him circumcised. But I am worried about what becomes of the size after the procedure.”
Another Lagos resident, Mrs. Tobi Govo, shares similar sentiments as Agemu, as she is also not ready to circumcise her seven-month-old son for fear that the procedure might also tamper with the size and length of his manhood.
‘Male circumcision not for children with small penises’
Twenty-year-old Mrs. Govo said, “For me, I cannot take the risk of circumcising him. His penis is too small. What if something goes wrong? Now, considering the small size, there is no way that it will not become smaller if he undergoes circumcision. So, for me, circumcision should not be done for children with small penises in order not to affect the little that they have.”
The story is the same with Mrs. Fatimo Dodunu, 25, mother of 11-month-old baby boy. For her, it is risky and completely unnecessary to circumcise children with small penises.
“It is risky because I have heard of cases of children whose penises became smaller after circumcision. For that reason, I am not going to have him circumcised. I don’t want him to be a victim. They may go and remove a large size of his skin and this may affect his sexual life when he becomes a man.”
Waxing oratorial, Govo says, “One really needs to be very careful before the size is tampered with. I don’t want to take chances. To be frank with you, he will not be circumcised. I know some parents that have also refused to have their sons circumcised because of the same reason.
“So, I am not the only one that is afraid that the procedure might affect the size and length. However, people have been disturbing me and my husband to ignore the fear and get him circumcised. But I am afraid they might reduce the size in the process.”
Fear of complications
The story is different for Mrs. Agnes Boniface, a 30-year-old fashion designer and mother of three. Her fear of not having her three-year-old son circumcised has nothing to do with the size of his penis nor culture, but she is afraid that the procedure might lead to complications.
“I have a three-year-old son that has not been circumcised, not because of culture, religion or size. I don’t want to lose him.
“I remember the case of a woman in my village whose son died after he was circumcised a few days after his delivery. The child bled to death. With that woman’s experience, I don’t think I can submit my male children for circumcision. I am happy that my husband supported me,” she narrated.