Parents, protect your babies. Support intactivism. The following list includes blogs, articles, and websites of interest to Intactivists that were published in the past week. This is a running tally of the ones I found interesting.

This week marks the 40th anniversary of Van Lewis's arrest for intactivism. Van lewis and his brother were jailed in Florida's capital city, on 17 December, 1970, for peacefully protesting against infant circumcision while on the public sidewalk in front of Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. They were charged with disturbing the peace and spent a day in jail. Van continues as an intactivist.

Van became the Legislative Liaison and President of Florida's Chapter of the National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers, a Certified Educator for Doctors Opposing Circumcision, and an active participant/protester in the Stop Infant Circumcision Society.

To mark the 40th anniverary, Van Lewis demonstrated against infant circumcision at the same place where he was arrested 40 years ago.

YouTube Video Interview of Van Lewis
 

Monday, December 13, 2010

The College Voice: Dildos and Dialogue: Students gather in the Women’s Center to learn about hot, safe sex
A college Women's Center sponsored a workshop by Oh Megan!, or Megan Andelloux, a board certified sexologist. One of her props that she used to illustrate the penis was an intact, that is, anuncircumcised, dildo. It is refreshing to read that students are being exposed to anatomically correct information about the penis.
 

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Male Circumcision & HIV: AVAC STUDY: Medical male circumcision effect on women likely universally bad
A bunch of focus groups were set up in East Africa to determine women's attitudes and perceptions (shaped no doubt by experience) to medical male circumcision. All the findings came out negative. From believing that male circumcision is by definition an indicator of a man's HIV status (i.e. negative) to the fear that male circumcision will lead to an increase in female circumcision to the experience of women finding themselves in a reduced negotiating position when it comes to safer sex, male circumcision is UNIVERSALLY BAD for women.
 

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

I'm not impressed …With All the News That’s Fit to Print
Lisa Braver Moss discusses her trepidation at being interviewed about her new book The Measure of His Grief. Her novel is about a Jewish man coming to terms with his circumcision.

Piss, Vinegar and Black Coffee: Male Circumcision: Actually Not a Good Idea
"The truth is: we circumcise boys so that they will masturbate less and so that they will enjoy sex less. Anything else is a pile of horseshit made up by people who are afraid of sex." This fact is hard to believe for most circumcised guys. But, after restoring my foreskin I discovered that wanking is much more fun than when I was circumcised. With my restored foreskin I do not need to use lube and my orgasms are whole body orgasms - much more intense than I ever had as a circumcised man.
 

Thursday, December 16, 2010

David Mixner: What Are The Top Ten Most Sexually Active Countries In The World?
The United States is not on the list. The top ten most sexually active countries in the world are all non-circumcising countries where the men are intact. Most sexually active men in the US are circumcised. Is there a connection?

Dr Momma Peaceful Parenting: Drop-Side Cribs Outlawed: MGM Continues
After 32 infants and toddlers have died over the past 10 years from being left alone in drop-side cribs, without an adult caregiver nearby keeping watch, the cribs will now be outlawed by the U.S. government. BUT, in 2010, more infant boys died as a result of unnecessary circumcision surgery in the U.S. than from choking, from auto accidents, from suffocation, from SIDS, from (the recently recalled) sleep positioners, and from drop-side cribs.

The Stir: A CafeMom Blog: Could Circumcision Save the World?
A critical look at using male circumcision to combat HIV in Africa. It seems that there is a financial conflict regarding using the TaraKLamp, which is thought to be painful and results in complications.

PlosONE: Male Circumcision in the General Population of Kisumu, Kenya: Beliefs about Protection, Risk Behaviors, HIV, and STIs
"Circumcision status was not associated with HIV/HSV-2 infection nor increased high risk sexual behaviors." The study shows that male circumcision has no impact on the HIV rate, even though the authors repeat the claim that male circumcision reduces the risk of HIV by 60%. They try to discount the results: "This study did not detect the expected association between male circumcision and HIV seropositivity, possible due to limitations in sample size and prevalence." There were 1,655 participants in the study.

Natural Parents Network: When the Time Comes: The Circumcision Talk
A mother describes her regret at letting her son be circumcised. She deferred to her husband and gave circumcision no thought. She wishes that she knew then what she knows now, that infant circumcision should never be an option for a baby. She is planning on having a circumcision talk with her son so she can apologize for removing part of his sex organ. "In the end," she says, "it all comes down to one thing – leaving your son intact is a matter of ethical integrity."
 

Friday, December 17, 2010

Dr Momma Peaceful Parenting: Are YOU Paying for Infant Circumcision?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, routine infant circumcision (RIC) surgery alone costs taxpayers close to $70 million annually. Costs are much greater when payments for post-op complications and extended hospital stays are included in the circumcision surgery figures. WHY is Medicaid still paying for elective, non-therapeutic surgery like male infant circumcision?

Inside Bay Area: MediaNotes: Already missing the retired Dr. Edell
A followup article about the retirement of Dr. Dean Edell from his radio program. Dr. Edell is a vocal intactivist who has provided much information regarding the harms of male infant circumcision and the fallicy of relying on male circumcision for HIV prevention.
 

Saturday, December 18, 2010

International Coalition for Genital Integrity: Circumcision death toll continues
The circumcision season continues in Africa with many more deaths from circumcision. Worldwide, far too many boys die from circumcision, including in the United States.

Male Circumcision & HIV: Resurgence of the Constant Gardener
An entire episode of Democracy Now!, a progressive news program. discusses in great and frightening detail the accelerating, unchecked, and virtually unregulated overseas outsourcing of medical research. Clearly, the African circumcision trials are implicated.

Men Do Complain: People do complain
Some enlightened people have been pointing out for a long time that circumcising children is a tragic mistake. The current wave of protest goes back several decades. More and more men are coming forward and protesting at what was done to them as children, when they could not make an informed choice about circumcision.
 

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