Letter of Thanks from Netherlands

2004

Dear Dr. Reynaldo Joson,

With a lot of interest I've been reading your website about your mission against routine circumcision in the Philippines.

Let me first introduce myself. My name is John (pseudoname) and I'm married to a Filipina, for almost 10 years. We are living in the Netherlands. Jay-Jay is our Filipino nephew, who came to live with us here in my place four years ago. Jay-Jay was 12 at that time and had been living together with his grandmother, my mother-in-law, for almost all of his life. When Jay-Jay has just been arrived here in the Netherlands, my mother-in-law told me that he wasn't jet circumcised and ordered me to do it in my place.

In the Netherlands, as in most European countries, routine circumcision is not a custom.

I knew that Muslim and Jewish men were circumcised for religious reason and my wife explained to me that it was also habit in the Philippines and that all her brothers were circumcised.

I began searching the internet to learn more about the reasons, advantages and disadvantages of circumcision. I also visit our family doctor and explained the situation. She advised me not to do it and that if I insist of Jay-Jay being circumcised it will at least cost me 15.000 pesos.

I told my mother-in-law that I wasn't circumcised myself and that I could find a good reason for letting Jay-Jay circumcised too. She was angry with me and gave me a lot of reason to try changing my mind. She told me that uncircumcised men were less fertile; that circumcision makes the body more beautiful and that is was also a part of the Catholic tradition.

I explained Jay-Jay about the situation. He asked me if my father and brothers were circumcised. I told him that they weren't. His answer was that I was okay for him if he wasn't circumcised. He also told me that he believes that he was too old for it and that his foreskin will grow back like the nail of a finger. I told him that this wasn't true, but he didn't want to believe me.

Jay-Jay is now 16 years old now. I told him about what I've read on the internet, the decision of the Ospital ng Maynila to stop routine circumcision and your advocacy "TULE - HINDI NA KAILANGAN! MASAKIT PA!"

He was happy to know that the idea's about circumcision in the Philippines our changing and that it is not "strange" being uncircumcised!

Thank you for that!

I would like to end my letter with by very best wishes for your good work!


Yours sincerely,


John

Leiderdorp, the Netherlands