The news is filled with speculation and a leaked copy of the new American Academy of Pediatrics(AAP) policy regarding male infant circumcision. Once again, the AAP seeks to protect their financial interests by not addressing the risks and harms of male infant circumcision. Instead, they now suggest that insurance pay for the unnecessary, elective surgery of baby boys. After all, doctors need to make a living, even if it involves putting baby boys at risk.

Click the pic to the right for a bigger view: -->

The image to the right is a comparison of the AAP policy versus the Dutch Medical Association with respect to male infant circumcision. The Dutch are much more enlightened than the AAP in the US.

Another tidbit in the news was a recent Johns Hopkins report that the reduction of male infant circumcision rates will possibly lead to increased future costs. The report sounds like a blatant attempt to promote male infant circumcision for immediate profits because the increased costs are based on the flawed Africa trials used to promote the male circumcision campaign in Africa. The report contradicts the real-world costs experienced by European and other non-circumcising countries that do not have any problems with intact men as claimed in the report for US men. As noted in one blog below, What is the deal with circumcision? Why do so many advocate for cutting the genitals of baby boys?

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.
 

Monday, August 20, 2012

BBC News: Circumcision, the ultimate parenting dilemma
Europeans increasingly question genital cutting of children, while doctors in the United States push for more genital cutting. The BBC takes a look at the unnecessary practice of male infant circumcision, which is much more common in the US than the UK. Fortunately, parents are leading the way to reducing the rate of infant circumcision in the US, in spite of doctors.

Should I circumcise?: Moms who regret circumcising
A post about mothers who circumcised their sons, only to learn about the harms of circumcision and regret that they allowed their sons to be cut. Mothers who learn from their mistakes make powerful advocates for leaving baby boys whole and uncut.

The WHOLE Network: New Study: Circumcision Increases Likelihood of STI & HIV Infections
The Journal of Sexual Medicine recently published a study that found that circumcised men suffered more sexually transmitted infections (STI) than intact men. Contrary to the trials conducted in Africa, this study of Caribbean men found that circumcised men are at greater risk for various STI's, including HIV.

Circumcision Diaries: The players in the circumcision debate
A who's who of pro-circumcision advocates are identified. A video news report features one of the most vocal advocates of child genital cutting, Brian Morris, and soundly refutes all his unsupported reasons for male infant circumcision.

Salem-News: Baby Boys Have the End of Their Penis Cut Off for the Worst Possible Reasons
Instead of saying "male infant circumcision," why not say, "baby boys have the end of their penis cut off for the worst possible reasons and it is unnatural and unimaginably painful; a surprising number of babies die each year from the procedure." Instead of the benign word circumcision, why not describe what happens to the baby when a healthy, sensitive part of his body is cut off.

Cosmetics Design: First personal care product for circumcised men claims to increase sensation
A report of a cream that helps restore the sensitivity a man loses when he is circumcised. As a circumcised man ages, parts of his penis are exposed by the loss of the foreskin. Over time, the exposed parts become tougher and lose sensitivity. The new cream restores the lost sensitivity. For best effect, a foreskin retainer should be worn to prevent future abrasion from reducing the sensitivity again. For more permanent results, the circumcised man should restore his foreskin.

Circumcision Diaries:  What is the deal with circumcision?
A blogger asks why so many are so concerned about circumcising baby boys? The intactivist point of view makes sense. Many intactivists are men who are unhappy with their circumcision. Others are mothers who either have first hand experience of circumcision harm or have researched the issue enough to understand the risks and and harms of male infant circumcision. But what drives people to want to circumcise baby boys?
  Read more . . .

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.
 

Monday, August 13, 2012

Saving our Sons: CIRCUMserum: Renewal Ointment for the Circumcised Man
News Medical: New personal care product for circumcised men
A doctor has formulated a cream to help dekeratinize the circumcised penis. Over time, a circumcised penis will develop a callous layer of keratin on the exposed mucous membrane of the glans and inner foreskin remnant. The exposed bits get calloused to protect the sensitive bits from abrasion. The cream helps to remove the callous layer. The article fails to address one important issue: the foreskin protects the mucosal tissue. If the mucosal tissue is restored to full sensitivity by removing the keratin layer and there is no foreskin for protection, what protects the sensitive mucosal tissue when the dekeratinized sensitive bits rub against clothing and bed sheets? When restoring my foreskin, I wore a foreskin retainer 24/7 to pull my growing skin over my glans to protect my newly sensitive skin.

The Washington Post: Circumcision, long in decline in the US, may get a boost from a doctors’ group
Sott.net: Sick Propaganda! Circumcision, Declining in U.S.May Get Boost from Pediatric Association
A report on non-therapeutic male infant circumcision in the US. The trend is for more parents to leave their sons' sex organ whole and intact. But many still advocate genital cutting, perhaps doctors like the money they make for the elective surgery? I sure wish my parents were one of those that left their sons intact. I would prefer to have my whole penis, not just what the doctor left me.

MedzPro: Circumcision on Babies? NO!
There are no valid reasons for circumcising baby boys. Hygiene is just as easy for intact men as circumcised men. Also, many women prefer intact men over circumcised men. Not to mention that many circumcised men end up with erectile dysfunction ED symptoms as they get older.
  Read more . . .

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, August 5, 2012

The Star: Friends of the foreskin march against circumcision
A news report on Glen Callendar of CAN-FAP, who organized a Foreskin Pride March outside the Vancouver offices of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. The March called on the federal government to ban circumcisions on minors.
 

Monday, August 6, 2012

The WHOLE Network: My Doctor Says My Son Needs to be Circumcised...
The author of the book What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Circumcision writes about medical advice given to parents. As a doctor and a pediatrician, Dr. Fleiss is well aware of the risks and complications of male infant circumcision. Unlike many doctors, though, he is willing to discuss the circumcision risks and complications with parents. This post answers many questions parents may have about their son's penis. He describes the care of an intact penis and how to handle any foreskin issues that may occur as the boy grows up.

The South Africa Times Live: A father's dilemma
A Jewish father describes the circumcision decision for his son. He was circumcised at 8 and remembers the pain, both of the operation and while healing. He decided to not have his son circumcised, in spite of this Jewish identity.

The Telegraph: Circumcision and the ancestor factor
Jake Wallis Simons: Circumcision and the ancestor factor
A Jewish father writes about his decision to not circumcise his son. After writing about his decision, he received a very public, and sometimes personal, backlash. He notes that the prevailing sentiment, though, is that there is no reason for parents to fret about the circumcision decision. After all, it is his body, it should be his choice and decision.
  Read more . . .