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.
 

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Psychology Today: Circumcision Ethics and Economics
Part 4 of a 4-part series addressing male infant circumcision. Part 4 opens with "Infant circumcision is an ethical issue that has lifelong effects on the child and societal costs." From there the author provides quotes from various medical associations that do not recommend male infant circumcision. She continues with other reasons why male infant circumcision is unethical and should stop.

Empowered News: Dutch Doctors Want to Stop Male Circumcision
Dutch doctors speak out against male infant circumcision because they say infant circumcision is a "painful and harmful ritual" and a violation of children's rights.
 

Monday, September 26, 2011

LA Times: Health: Injuries linked to circumcision clamps
8 year old Terrel got a settlement of $4.6 million after having most of the head of his penis amputated by accident during his circumcision when he was a week old. He's had two surgeries so far and will need a minimum of two more surgeries in his teens and twenties just for his penis to function somewhat normally. Additional surgeries will be needed to restore cosmetic appearance.

Dr Momma Peaceful Parenting: 32% of U.S. Baby Boys Circumcised in 2009: A Response to Critics Questioning the CDC Reported Rate
The CDC recently published information regarding the male infant circumcision rate in the United States. Omitted from the CDC report was any reference to a last year's CDC report that the US circumcision rate was 32% in 2009. The omission of the CDC's own data calls into question the accuracy and impartiality of the CDC report.
 

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

San Francisco Weekly: Health: Foreskin Booth at Castro Street Fair: Glen Callender to Perform Penis Tricks
Glen Callender, a Canadian intactivist and comedian, will be performing tricks with his foreskin as he educates about the value of a foreskin and the harm resulting from male circumcision. Callender explains that it is the most pleasurable part of a man's body -- and depriving any male of it is criminal. "I enjoy my foreskin. It's my favorite part of my body," Callender says.

Babies, Boobs, & Blashpemy: Why I Signed My Baby Up For Preemptive Gallbladder Removal Surgery
A parody showing how senseless it is to pre-emptively circumcise a baby boy to prevent "possible" future problems. It is the boy's sex organ. Maybe he would want to have the whole thing!

coffee and kids: Differences: Warning graphic pics (not really)
A reprint of a peaceful parenting post, but without the graphic pictures showing the differences between an intact, whole male and a circumcised male, both infant and adult versions.

ynet health & science: Dutch doctors urge end to circumcision
Dutch doctors want politicians and human rights groups to speak out and discourage the practice of male circumcision in the Netherlands because they say it is a "painful and harmful ritual", and a violation of children's rights. "This is not an innocent procedure, we see complications in about 5% of the cases, as well as some long-term and psychological implications," he said. The Dutch medical association has urged religious leaders to find alternative rites of passage that are not irreversible and which are not painful for the child.

Dig Boston: REEL LOCAL: Circumcision Documentary
A review of the film Cut: Slicing Through the Myths of Circumcision. The reviewer recommends the film to anyone who might have the responsibility of deciding if this medical procedure should be performed on another human being at any point.
 

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Don't Get Stuck With HIV: Circumcision is a Joke to Some Researchers, but Do they Know the Risks Involved?
If circumcised and uncircumcised men use condoms properly and all the time, they will both have the same risk of being infected with HIV. It is also worth remembering that while circumcision may give some protection to men (though the evidence is not strong enough to justify the costs and risks), it can increase HIV transmission to women. It is women who are already infected in far greater numbers than men in most high HIV prevalence areas. As many as 5 women can be infected for every 1 man; mass male circumcision may end up increasing overall HIV transmission.

The Guggie Daily: Jewish Intactivism: Circumcision Resources
A comprehensive collection of intactivist material that is relevant to Jews.

Living peacefully with children: Saving Them the Pain of a Later Circumcision
It is false logic to think that an infant circumcision saves an adult from pain later. Adult circumcisions are accompanied by full pain relief, something that is not available to infants, particularly as the baby is peeing in a diaper with a circumcision wound. Also, very few adults have a need for a circumcision.

Intact News: Petition to ban non-therapeutic routine infant circumcision
A petition to restrict male infant circumcision is posted on the White House page. Everyone is encouraged to go to the site and sign the petition.
 

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Choose Intact: Individual Preferences Need Not Be Cost-Effective
A recent article by banking economists stated that male circumcision was not cost-effective for battling HIV. That was a commendable conclusion, but it was limited only to adult male circumcision. The economists said it was economical to cut the sex organs of baby boys - maybe because they are smaller and cannot complain other than by screaming.

Star Online: Foreskin Restoration
A reprint of Dr. George's blog post about foreskin restoration. He mentions surgical restoration, which few men undertake and even fewer are happy with the results. He then mentions non-surgical foreskin restoration, which is growing increasingly common among circumcised men who are unhappy that they lost part of their penis by being circumcised.

Salem-News: Study Finds Psychological and Sexual Effects of Circumcision
A preliminary study published in the International Journal of Men’s Health investigated the effect of circumcision trauma on the personality trait alexithymia, a difficulty in identifying and expressing feelings. Circumcised men had alexithymia scores 19.9 percent higher that the men who were not circumcised. The circumcised men were also 4.53 times more likely to use an erectile dysfunction drug.

J Weekly: Dutch doctors say no to circumcision
The Royal Dutch Medical Association last week called on politicians and human rights groups to discourage male circumcision. The association called out for religious groups to find an alternative rite of passage other than genital cutting of non-consenting children.

The Forbidden Truth: Graphic Circumcision video
This is a YouTube video of a male infant circumcision showing the doctor informing the parents that infant circumcision is only cosmetic and has no medical benefits. For some reason, the parents still want to cut the sex organ of their baby boy. There there is the surgery in graphic detail. I cannot watch such videos. I cannot bear to hear the screams of a baby boy having the most sensitive part of his body being cut off.

Global Discourse: Call for Papers: Circumcision, Public Health, Genital Autonomy and Cultural Rights
Global Discourse is an interdisciplinary, issue-oriented journal, operating at the intersection of politics, international relations, sociology and social policy. Circumcision is one of the oldest and most common surgical practices, being practised, for a range of perceived medical, social and religious reasons, on up to 30% of males worldwide. At present, circumcision is being promoted by a range of international health bodies, such as the World Health Organisation, as a means of tackling HIV in developing countries. Yet, there is significant concern, both, about sexual, physiological and psychological effects and complications and the prophylactic effectiveness of the practice. In Western countries, in particular, a range of ‘intactivist’ organizations and campaign groups have emerged, drawing qualitative parallels with female genital cutting.

Swaziland Commentary: Circumcision Propaganda Exposed
A 14 year old boy researched circumcision for a school assignment. He learned that circumcision cuts nerve endings and results in a reduction of pleasure. His research points out that the propaganda for the African circumcision campaign does not make full disclosure of the effects of circumcision. As many studies have shown, male circumcision removes erogenous tissue and often results in a noticeable reduction of sexual pleasure.
 

Friday, September 30, 2011

Question Circumcision
A new website providing information on male infant circumcision. The author is a doula who seeks to educate mothers about the harm of routine infant circumision. She provides information that debunks common circumcision myths, along with links to other websites.

Awesations: How I became an intactivist
A woman tells how she became an intactivist fighting against infant circumcision and for the right to bodily integrity. Her husband wanted his son circumcised solely because he was circumcised. That was not a good enough reason to cut her son's sex organ. Her son was left intact based on the advice of his pediatrician who said that there were no medical benefits to infant circumcision.

Male Circumcision and HIV: CANADA: CAN-FAP does Vancouver Pride
A video from the 2011 Vancouver Pride showing the changing attitudes regarding male circumcision.

Jaw was here: Circumcision: A History Of The World’s Most Controversial Surgery
Jay downloaded the book: Circumcision: A History Of The World’s Most Controversial Surgery. The book describes the history of circumcision as it attempts to answer why more than a million infant boys are circumcised only in the United States.
 

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Awesations: If you oppose infant circumcision, please sign this petitition!
The Whitehouse has an on-line petition system. One of the petitions on the Whitehouse site is to restrict infant circumcisions until the person with the penis is old enough to decide for himself.

Stop the Cut: Circumcision decision is only for consenting grown-ups
Genital cutting as a medical procedure rather than as a ritual sacrifice got its start as a Victorian fad treatment for masturbation. After restoring my foreskin I know that I masturbate more frequently and with more pleasure now that I have a foreskin, even if it is a restored foreskin. Many think that circumcision does not impact their masturbation pleasure, but they do not know because they have been circumcised all their life. There is no basis for comparison for these guys. I have been both and know it is better uncircumcised.

Cutting Edge Spiritual Discussion: The whole discussion of Circumcision for Christians
Circumcision is not necessary for the Gentiles. In multiple Scriptures, Paul did a good job of explaining why its not necessary for both Jew and Gentile today. The whole point is that Circumcision is no longer a specific requirement for individuals as Christ is our circumcision as Paul said.