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 . . .

I recently posted about losing weight and its impact on my foreskin restoration.

For those that wonder what I have been doing to lose weight, I owe a lot to the Primal Blueprint at Mark's Daily Apple. Mark Sisson offers a free program on his website and he has a book (shown on the right). I just read his blog and downloaded his free materials. Either way, he offers a lot for those looking to learn a better way to eat and live.

After reading a lot of his material, the first thing I did was start doing his "lift heavy things" exercises. These exercises are simple, but effective. They use bodyweight for a whole body workout. The exercises are pushups, pull-ups, squats, overhead press, and the plank. I do them in my office after workhours. Two sets of the five exercises takes me about 30 minutes.

I thought I was in halfway decent shape. I was wrong. A person in shape should be able to do 50 pushups. I could not even do 20 without stopping. I knew I would have trouble with pull-ups. I never could do them well.

Squats I thought would be easy. I love doing squats in the weight room. But these squats were different. An in-shape person should do 50 squats without a bar, just body weight. Deep squats. After 30 squats my legs were burning. After 40 squats my legs were on fire and I was panting. After doing 50 body weight squats I was breathing like a freight train going up a mountain.

When I started, I was pathetic at the 5 exercises. But I do them faithfully and I am progressing. 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 . . .

Everyone knows that losing weight is healthy and good for you. Right?

Seven years ago I started my own business. I was a little overweight at that time, and the stress of running my own business and the lack of time to exercise and play ensured that I stayed overweight. I even gained a couple pounds a year over the last five years. I was not satisfied with my sedentary lifestyle and my slowly increasing body girth.

This spring I found Mark's Daily Apple, a website that promotes primal living. I always liked eating low carb and high fat food. I felt full and satisfied eating that way, not at all like when I ate a low fat diet and was always hungry. I first started eating low carb, high fat about 13 years ago when I was on the Atkins Diet. I followed it for a couple years, but I grew lax about following the program. The pounds returned as my eating habits leaned more toward high carb and processed foods.

Reading Mark's Daily Apple inspired me to watch what I ate and to start exercising in earnest. I became better at strictly keeping my carbs low. Controlling my eating habits helped me lose weight and the exercise has made me feel more alive. I have been losing about 1 to 2 pounds a week for several months. 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 . . .

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, July 29, 2012

Intactivists of Australasia: Want better, longer lasting sex? Advanced Medical Institute (AMI) vs foreskin restoration
Billboards in Australia are advertising an oral strip as an aid to help with both premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction. The billboards would be better if they advertised foreskin restoration, as shown above. Foreskin restoration will help men with many of their sexual problems by allowing them to regain their lost sensitivity and to obtain the gliding action lost from their circumcision.
 

Monday July 30, 2012

SOTT: Circumcision - Conditioning the Adult by Torturing the Child
A scathing look at the barbarous practice of male infant circumcision. The author notes that "it's long been understood by the sane men and women of planet Earth that the only way to guarantee a clean, mature, or holy child is to rip the skin off of their most tender of places when they are too young to be able to put up a good fight."

Intact America Blog: Is This What “Religious Freedom” Looks Like?
The authors ask, "Is this what religious freedom looks like?" as they present pictures of children suffering from genital cutting (circumcision). Religions that believe in genital cutting of children are up in arms about the German court ruling against male child circumcision because the court, rightly so, determined that cutting the sex organs of a child violates the human rights of that child.

The Inquisitr: Circumcision Ban In Germany Heralded By Intactivists: An Interview With ERIC [Op Ed]
An interview with members of End Routine Infant Circumcision (ERIC), an intactivist organization. The subject is the recent German court ruling against circumcision of children for being a human rights violation.
  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, July 22, 2012

The Telegraph: How could I inflict the pain of circumcision on my son?
A Jewish father describes how he came to his decision to leave his son whole and intact, breaking away from the Jewish tradition of circumcision. He says, "A respect for Isaac’s right to choose, combined with our other hesitations, led to our decision not to have him circumcised." He is proud that he has not caused his son any unnecessary pain, and allowed him the freedom to decide what to do with his own body. This father says that when his son grows up, he will be able to look him in the eye knowing that he did the right thing.
 

Monday, July 23, 2012

Attack the System: Opposing Circumcision: A Shoah Thing?
A collection of snippets from across the web with respect to the recent German court ruling that child circumcision is a violation of the right of the child to an intact body. Protecting the body of a child from genital cutting protects the liberty of the child.

Circumcision Diaries: The ethical issues of non-therapeutic circumcision of infants
The ethics of performing elective, non-medically indicated surgery on infants is presented in view of male infant circumcision. Male infant circumcision is a non-therapeutic procedure that is not meant to treat a disease. For those that believe in the dubious health benefits, then it is a prophylactic or preventive procedure for things that may or may not happen many years from now. In any case, male infant circumcision is an elective surgery that can wait until the baby becomes an adult and can give consent for surgery to his own body.

Circumcision Diaries: Waiting for male circumcision to be acknowledged as damaging as female circumcision
Things change. Female circumcision used to be done in the United States. Female genital cutting only became illegal in 1996 in the US. It is about time that genital cutting of boys became illegal, also. For those that claim it is not such a big deal, they why are so many advocating for genital cutting?
  Read more . . .

This has been another busy two weeks for me. So, please accept another biweekly review.

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, July 8, 2012

Beyond the Bris: Questioning Jewish Circumcision: Attachment Parenting, Avoiding Circumcision: My Jewish Family Traditions
A Jewish woman tells of how she was raised to always question. Her grandmother also questioned. Her grandmother questioned the circumcision rite and chose to leave the author's father whole and intact. The author describes the choice of a Brit Shalom instead of a bris. Baby boys need not be circumcised for religious reasons.
 

Monday, July 9, 2012

HIV, AIDS & Circumcision: How the circumcision solution in Africa will increase HIV infections
A reprint of a study that considers the effect of male circumcision and the rate of HIV infections. The researchers identify deficiencies in the three clinical trials relied upon to support the male circumcision campaign in Africa. The researches also identify other reasons why male circumcision fails to prevent HIV.
  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, July 1, 2012

Intactivists of Australasia: Understanding ‘phimosis’: truth, lies and appropriate responses
If a baby boy survives being an infant, he may still be at risk of being circumcised. Often boys and men are diagnoses with phimosis. Instead of treating the condition conservatively, doctors often recommend circumcision to cure phimosis. Just as much as cutting off your finger will cure a hangnail, so will circumcision cure phimosis. But, just like a hangnail, there are much easier ways to treat phimosis than amputation of the sensitive foreskin. Sometimes, treating phimosis is as easy as stopping the use of soap when washing under the foreskin.

The Standard - Zimbabwe: Powerful lobbyists behind the circumcision crazy
The author questions the current male circumcision campaign in Africa. He notes that the circumcision campaign appears to be driven by outside forces. Also, less invasive measures are available than the drastic amputation of part of the man's sex organ through circumcision.

The Standard - Zimbabwe: Is circumcision not a costly sideshow?
An African man questions the male circumcision campaign being waged in Africa. He notes that current information shows that there are more cases of HIV among circumcised men than intact men for Zimbabwe. This evidence contradicts the circumcision studies used by advocates.
  Read more . . .

The big news is the German lower court ruling that circumcising a child is a criminal assault.The court case revolved around a four-year-old Muslim boy who was circumcised at the request of his parents but was later admitted to hospital with severe bleeding. The doctor was charged and tried for grievous bodily harm but was acquitted on the grounds he had parental consent. But the court ultimately ruled to clarify the law by stating that circumcision violated a child's "fundamental right to bodily integrity" and that this right outweighed the rights of the parents.

The Local: Germany's News in English:  Religious circumcisions are crimes says court
Expatica: Berlin hospital suspends circumcisions after court ruling
Andrew Sullivan: The Dish: Cologne's Court Bans Infant Male Genital Mutilation
Intact America: German Court: A Child’s Right to Bodily Integrity Trumps Freedom of Religion and Parents’ Rights
Choose Intact: Coercion Negates Self-Determination
Choose Intact: Outrageous Outrage

Islam versus Europe: German Law Professor Threatened Over Circumcision Court Case
Holm Putzke, the German legal professor whose work formed the basis of the Cologne court's decision to ban circumcision as unlawful violence against the person, has been receiving threats since the judgment was rendered.

Sadly, I have been way too busy the past two weeks. This post is a biweekly review.

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

Sunday, June 17, 2012

The WHOLE Network: How Do I Talk To My Husband About Circumcision?
You are having a baby and you want to have the circumcision discussion with your husband. This post provides help for wives that want to be well-armed with information before approaching their husband.

Intact Houston: Circumcision symposium
The University of Texas Medical Branch held a symposium on circumcision as part of its annual Pediatric Review & Update. Unfortunately, the panel discussion was lopsided by presenting primarily the pro-circumcision viewpoint. They even included a mohel on the panel for the group of doctors. Sadly, the medical symposium did not even cover the ethics of non-therapeutic surgery on children who could not consent.
  Read more . . .