February 2012

Intactivism: Week in Review February 25, 2012

Speak the truth, even if your voice shakes.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, February 19, 2012

Choose Intact: Quoting Dr. Doug Diekema Against the AAP’s Position
A pro-circumcision doctor was recently quoted in an article about male infant circumcision and the movement seeking to allow baby boys to remain whole and grow up with all their body parts. Tony addresses many of the points made by the doctor to show why male infant circumcision should remain as a disfavored procedure. He points out that the doctor avoids the ethical question of infant circumcision by relying upon the parent's choice. But the penis does not belong to the parents. It is the boy's choice to decide what happens to his penis.

no circumcision: Swedish docs in circumcision protest - The Local
A report of the Swedish Paediatric Society (Svenska barnläkarföreningen, BLF), which is advocating that religious and non-medical male circumcision ought to be banned in Sweden. It is their position that circumcision is mutilation and an assault if done without consent of the person being cut.

Everyone's Gran: Circumcision - I Wouldn't Do It To My Child If You Paid Me - Part Three
The third in a series about male infant circumcision. Outside the United States, doctors and medical groups do not advocate non-therapeutic male circumcision. Male circumcision is not easier for babies than adults. Older boys and adults have pain medication available to ease any issues that they may have.
 

Monday, February 20, 2012

Broward-Palm Beach Times: Circumcision and AIDS: Harvard Doctors Respond to Criticism
In a follow-up to an article about male infant circumcision, a reporter seeks answers from the organizations promoting the circumcision campaign in Africa. She fails to get adequate responses. The Harvard School of Public Health's AIDS Initiative was unable to answer four questions posed by the reporter. Read more . . .

Intactivism: Week in Review February 18, 2012

I am completely pissed off that I am circumcised. ~ Howard SternParents, 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, February 12, 2012

an unschooling adventure: Circumcision: How Much Do You Know About It?
An attachment parent blog post seeking to educate about male infant circumcision. The blogger covers the gamut from religion to supposed health benefits. She then describes how a circumcision is performed. It is a shocking and barbaric procedure. It is a shame so many still inflict this painful, unnecessary surgery on their infant boys.

Saving Our Sons: Medicaid Response Letter to Circumcision Coverage
Dr Momma peaceful parenting: Medicaid Response Letter to Circumcision Coverage
The US Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is proposing a new rule: Medicare, Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Programs; Transparency Reports and Reporting of Physician Ownership or Investment Interests; Proposed Rule. Saving our Sons presents a comment to the proposed rule. The comment discusses the need for increased transparency and public awareness. Male infant circumcision is more prevalent in those states and hospitals that receive Medicaid funding for the elective surgery of infant circumcision.
 

Monday, February 13, 2012

Guggie Daly: Confessions of a Mom who Circumcised and Wants Answers
A mother deeply regrets her decision to have her healthy baby boy circumcised. She now realizes that she allowed part of her son's penis to be removed. She now questions why she let them do surgery on her son without doing any research on the issue.
  Read more . . .

Intactivism: Week in Review February 11, 2012

Put down the knife, step away from the baby, and do no harm. Penn Jillette of Penn & TellerParents, 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, February 5, 2012

ButterflyBirth: 10 Reasons NOT to Circumcise
Why is there a "decision" about circumcision? Do parents decide if a newborn baby has to have a tattoo? Why should there be a decision about amputating part of a newborn baby boy's sex organ? The author attempts to provide reasons why parents should just leave the sex organs of their baby boys alone.

Wholesome Mama Pioneer Spirit: Paradigm Shift: My Journey From Pro-Circumcision to Intactivist
A mother describes her journey from being a teenager who wanted nothing to do with an intact penis to a mother who gave birth to a boy that she would not have circumcised. It was after her baby's birth that she researched male infant circumcision. She was horrified. She could not believe people could do this to babies, particularly in the first week of their life.
  Read more . . .

42 month progress report for my foreskin restoration

42 month foreskin restoration progress reportI started restoring my foreskin 42 months ago. That is three and one-half years. I have not tugged continuously that whole time, though.

I spent the first 52 years of my life never thinking about my circumcision. Like most others of my generation, I was circumcised shortly after birth. Growing up, I was just like everyone else - circumcised. It was my "normal." It was only when I was researching for my scheduled prostate surgery that I learned about circumcision and the problems that it could cause.

I also learned about foreskin restoration. I started manual tugging with method 2 as soon as I read about it on the web. I was driven. When I started tugging, I tugged a lot. And my progress was rapid. Read more . . .

Intactivism: Week in Review February 4, 2012

You want to cut of WHAT?!? No circumcision for me - I want to keep my penis wholeParents, 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.

The big news this week is that some in Colorado are seeking to restore Medicaid funding of male infant circumcision. Last year, Colorado stopped using Medicaid funds to pay for male infant circumcision. Last year Colorado recognized that male infant circumcision is not medically required and is elective surgery that the government should not pay for. But some want the government to start paying for elective surgery for baby boys, but not adults.

Solutions: Colorado Senate committee votes to restore Medicaid funds for circumcision
On Thursday, the Colorado Senate Health and Human Services Committee voted 6 to 3 to restore Medicaid funding for male infant circumcision. In spite of seven who testified against the measure, the committee voted to have the government pay for elective surgery.

What is this fascination that some people have with cutting off parts of a baby boy's penis?
 

Sunday, January 29, 2012

The WHOLE Network: Medical Research Studies on Circumcision
A list of studies on male circumcision. This post lists numerous studies with topics ranging from how male circumcision affects sex and sexual satisfaction of men and women to how male infant circumcision affects the ability of men to express feelings (I can relate to the results of that study).

Optimal Health Journey: TLC-X Tugger: Strapless foreskin restoration device
A video showing how to use a TLC-X, a bi-directional foreskin restoration device. Restoring devices are often preferred by those wishing to restore their foreskin.

Choose Intact: The New York Times Links to a Fetish Site
A critique of the recent article in the NYT about circumcision devices available for use in the Africa male circumcision campaign. The critique very ably points out that the NYT article is poorly researched and has few facts supporting its statements. Basically, the NYT article reflects the poor journalism that is rampant in the United States today.

Stop the Cut: Why The Caribbean Must Reject Circumcision As A Method For HIV Prevention
An article detailing why the male circumcision campaign that is being waged in Africa should not be adopted in the Caribbean. The studies promoting circumcision were performed in Africa, which has a unique culture that may account for the results. There is no justification to extrapolate the results for Africa to the Caribbean. Further, the studies are not supported by real world observations.
  Read more . . .

The ManHood - Underwear for circumcised men

The vast majority of men who are restoring their foreskin cite "lack of sensation" as their main reason for restoring. I'd like to share some of my own story to regain the sensitivity that was lost due to being circumcised as an infant.

If you have ever been having intercourse or receiving oral sex from your partner and it did not feel quite the way you thought it should, it may be due to a loss of sensation on your glans (the "head" of your penis). Many circumcised men suffer from this and don't even realize what's causing it. In fact, men's health forums are usually filled with posts about this problem.

They ask, "Why don't I feel anything during sex?" or "Why can't I tell if I'm inside my partner?"

I knew I had a problem with lack of penile sensitivity as young as 16 years old. By my mid-20s, I would estimate that I'd lost up to 80% of the feeling on my glans. (Although there's no way to accurately measure, that is my best guess.) That is a pretty drastic reduction, but many guys have the same kind of damage from circumcision. Read more . . .