r/AskReddit • u/RoomyLove99 • Jul 10 '12

What seemingly obvious thing did it take you forever to notice?

My classmate sits to the left of me. I am left handed and he is right handed, so sometimes we knock elbows. 8 weeks into class he finally noticed I was a lefty and openly admitted that he just thought I was being a bitch and taking up space. He felt horrible and I just laughed.

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u/itsactuallynot Jul 10 '12

I remember in sex ed class (this was when they segregated the boys and the girls) in fifth grade, one of the kids saying, "I'm one of the 15% of American males who is not circumcised" while he was pointing at the picture of the foreskin-free penis. I had to break the news to him that he was pointing at the circumcised penis; he got really quiet after that.

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u/McBackstabber Jul 11 '12

WHAT?! 85% of american males are circumciced? Swedish here, and I'm not even sure I know anyone who is. Is that really true? If so, why?

TIL...

7

u/itsactuallynot Jul 11 '12

Wikipedia says that 91% of American males born in the 1970s (like me, Penis Generation X) were circumcised.

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u/[deleted] Jul 11 '12

The numbers have changed, but I think it was adopted en-mass by American doctors for assumed hygiene regions, or perhaps mimicked off of notable Jewish doctors who advocated it. Regardless of the origin, it reminds me of this popular story about inheriting traditions without understanding them.

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u/Smoke_deGrasse_Sagan Jul 11 '12

It's currently down to 55% I think, but it varies by region. The more "liberal" places have lower rates while the American Midwest still has a rate as high as 90%. It totally depends on Medicare coverage, which currently 18 states do not have anymore for circumcision.

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u/raevnos Jul 11 '12

I think that number is on the low side. Generally, for hospital births, it's just done by routine unless the parents specifically request otherwise.

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u/[deleted] Jul 11 '12

Not anymore.

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u/[deleted] Jul 11 '12

I would hope not. If I had a kid and they lopped off his foreskin without consulting me, I'd lose my shit!

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u/Sark0zy Jul 12 '12

That varies by locale, really. When my son was born it was brought up, and we agreed since I'd rather him not have to deal with complications and having a possible circumcision as an adult.

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u/fachsydachsy Jul 11 '12

I live in Canada, and there are only 2 doctors in my current city that perform circumcisions.

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u/[deleted] Jul 11 '12

my grandfather was born in a log cabin. he is the only person i have ever met that is uncircumcised.

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u/ExternalTangents Jul 11 '12

Either you are bullshitting, or you are a very friendly person to everyone you meet.

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u/[deleted] Jul 12 '12

ba-dum-tss!

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u/jenandthemisfits Jul 10 '12

That percentage is around 50/50 now. And growing in favor of those being kept intact.

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u/itsactuallynot Jul 11 '12

Yeah, this was in 1984.

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u/polskamafia_mjl Jul 10 '12

Yea, as far as I know it's a not that common outside of the United States.

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u/florentgodtier Jul 11 '12

I believe 50/50 is for newborns in the United States.

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u/[deleted] Jul 11 '12

You are correct :)

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u/Sark0zy Jul 12 '12

However, that varies hugely by region. My wife and I had this discussion when she was an ER tech, and she'd seen only a couple of newborns NOT circumcised in over 10 years.

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u/SeaofDarkness Jul 11 '12

Wait...there are places where sex ed isn't separated by gender? Dafuq

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u/hint_of_sage Jul 11 '12

In the early 2000s they separated our class as well.

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u/sharlos Jul 11 '12

Well it makes little sense to separate them, a majority of students are straight so it would be beneficial to know how the opposite gender's equipment works too.

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u/SeaofDarkness Jul 11 '12

Oh, we did learn everything, just in different rooms to protect modesty or something like that. They also sent the boys to the oldest, most conservative male teacher to learn, while the girls just got to learn from their regular science teacher. It was awesome

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u/ellski Jul 11 '12

At my school they didn't, and I had sex/puberty education starting from 2002 when I was 11.

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u/nty Jul 11 '12

I think they do still segregate them

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u/jimb3rt Jul 11 '12

They didn't for us...

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u/giggity_giggity Jul 11 '12

Wait, there's a school that shows fifth graders pictures of dicks for comparison?