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 23, 2012

Barrels of Oranges: Foreskin Phobia
The times are changing. Thanks to the Internet, young people are learning about human anatomy instead of hearing all the old wive's tales about sex and body parts. This shift in learning about human anatomy will ultimately prove the death of male infant circumcision. Those growing up in the internet age will know of the value of the foreskin. They will wonder why some want to cut off a healthy body part. They will rebel.
 

Monday, September 24, 2012

Enlightened Male2000: A Case Against Circumcision
"The foreskin is the most sensitive part of the penis," so says Professor Ryan McAllister. I know that after restoring my foreskin that my penis is, overall, much more sensitive than it was before restoring. I cannot restore all the parts that were amputated, but what I could restore made a big difference. The blog entry has examples of the natural male penis, including the foreskin. NSFW The amputation of the foreskin is not a parental choice. The elective surgery and body modification should be up to the person with the penis being modified. My parents had no right to cut off a valuable part of my penis. I would much prefer to have kept my foreskin instead of being circumcised as a baby.

Intact by Default: AAP Shifts Stance on Male Castration
A satirical post lamenting the recently revised AAP circumcision policy statement. The AAP fails to consider the ethics of elective body modification surgery performed on 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.
 

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Psychology Today: What Happened to Ethics in Pediatric Medicine?
Many child care practices advocated by pediatricians are harmful to babies. Many doctors advocate crying it out as a form of sleep training a baby. The AAP also recently came out in favor of male infant circumcision by ignoring the known harms and risk of the elective genital surgery. The author is a psychology professor and knows better.

Babies who are distressed, such as by being abandoned to cry it out or by having their most sensitive body part cut, suffer harm. Pediatricians often wrongly say that babies do not feel pain. "Everything that happens to a baby in the first years of life is being recorded the body and brain, shaping who they become. Thresholds for all systems are being established in the early days, co-constructed by caregivers. Trauma lasts a lifetime."

Savoir ou se faire avoir: Is Infant Circumcision a Violation of Human Rights?
In the hubbub surrounding the American Academy of Pediatrics’ endorsement of circumcision, a single question remains unanswered: Does infant circumcision violate basic human rights? The AAP did not address ethics in their policy statement. Too much weight is given to cultural issues and not enough to the human rights of the individual who is having a healthy part of his body cut off. Unfortunately, the author never defines ethics and instead recites several disparate facts that server only to confuse the ethics question.

Men Do Complain: Secular Europe march London Sept. 2012
Human rights is an issue for all humans. The secular organization, Men Do Complain, marched in London to end the practice of genital cutting of children. Male circumcision of babies and children violates human rights.
 

Monday, September 17, 2012

The WHOLE Network: Some American Jews Think That Child Circumcision Should Be Against the Law
A growing number of Jews are in favor of banning child circumcision. Many Jews practice Brit Shalom, a naming ceremony that replaces the circumcision rite.

The White Network: Circumcision – An Idea Whose Time Has Passed
A podcast about male infant circumcision. There are many cons to circumcision, but the media only talks about the pros. Why is that? There is a lack of any positive benefits from circumcision beyond vague health claims that don’t withstand scrutiny. The original purpose of circumcision was to reduce sexual pleasure.
  Read more . . .

The big news this week is that the New York City Board of Health now requires parental consent before a mohel can perform metzitzah b'peh, which is a circumcision ritual in which the mohel uses his mouth to suck blood from the circumcision wound. The health board requirement comes after several baby boys were infected with herpes from the mohel. Several of the baby boys died from the disease. Unfortunately, the Jewish community is up in arms about the new requirement, putting religious freedom above informing the parents of the risk. Although, some conservative rabbis back the required consent before circumcision.
 

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 9, 2012

Men Do Complain: How many men do complain about their circumcision?
Men who were circumcised at birth do suffer harm, even if not all of them realize it. There are many men who wish that they had never been circumcised. It is time that male infant circumcision was studied in adult men. Infant circumcision results in physical harm. That much is proven in studies. There are studies that show that circumcised men can experience psychological harm.

SI Live: Is circumcision an expression of religious faith - or mutilation of children?
Ronald Goldman, Ph.D., executive director of the Jewish Circumcision Resource Center, writes about the circumcision controversy. He points out why male infant circumcision is harmful and should be stopped worldwide. He points out that many countries are taking a stronger stand against male infant circumcision for being a violation of the boy's human rights.

Moralogous: Don’t despair, intactivists: we have already won.
Gandhi said, “Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth.”  The blogger says that truth and justice are on the side of intactivists fighting to protect babys from circumcision, and they have already won.  Not only is the intactivist struggle non-violent, they are asking for the violence against baby boys to end.  She tells everyone to keep talking about it and, in time, this year will be viewed as a watershed in turning the tide against circumcision.

Saving Our Sons: Circumcision: A son's forgiveness
Dr Momma - peaceful parenting: Circumcision: A son's forgiveness
A mother had her first son circumcised because she did no research, but only did it because. She knew better when she had her second son, who remains whole and intact. When her sons noticed that they were different, she apologized to the older, circumcised son, who promptly forgave her and he was happy that his younger brother was spared the cut.
 

Monday, September 10, 2012

Intactivist Blog: Men do mind being circumcised
Recently, a man posted a picture of himself holding a sign saying, "I never asked to be circumcised. It was wrong." He is one of a growing number of men who hate being circumcised. Read more . . .

Circumcision Controversy in Germany

The big news this week the continuing saga of the circumcision controversy in Germany. Last month, a German court ruled that circumcision of a child is an illegal assault on that child's body and a human rights violation. This ruling was a result of a botched circumcision that harmed the child. As expected, religious groups attacked the court's decision, some calling it an anti-semitic decision. The German government responded to the backlash by attempting to mollify the religious groups. Recently, the German state of Berlin declared that child circumcisions could only be done by a medical practitioner, not by Jewish mohels. The controversy continues.

Throughout this recent controversy, it helps to know that many Jews do not agree with male infant circumcision. We can only hope that in time more will realize that male infant circumcision has outlived its time. We live in the 21st Century. It is time to put body modification rituals behind us and recognize the sanctity of all human life and everyones right to have a complete and whole body, free of any genital cutting.

Week in Review September 8, 2012

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 2, 2012

The Good Men Project: Our Bodies, Our Choices: Circumcision is Not a Joke
"My body, my choice." That is an often repeated statement by intactivists, particularly men who were circumcised and are not happy about it. This article extensively covers male infant circumcision and the many things that can go wrong from the unnecessary, elective surgery of baby boys.

The Creativity Post: The AAP Report on Circumcision: Bad Science + Bad Ethics = Bad Medicine
Without mincing words: "The new policy regarding infant circumcision from the American Academy of Pediatrics is scientifically unfounded and ethically bankrupt. It should be rescinded without delay." In the risk/benefit calculations of the policy, the AAP leaves out a critical bulk of relevant factors including the range of proven healthcare strategies like condom-use or the administration of vaccines (including an effective HPV vaccine) and antibiotics. Any rational organization would have come to a different answer if they had bothered to consider human rights and bodily integrity issues, the function of the foreskin, and the foreskin's value to the individual and his possible wishes in later life.

The Rational Animal: Motivations Behind Circumcision
People who favor circumcision often make desperate and easily refuted arguments. This post addresses many of the most fevered and emotionally driven defenses of circumcision.

Intactivists of Australasia: Despair, embarrassment, grief and survival: A personal account of the impact of infant circumcision
A man writes about his experience as a man circumcised as a baby. Thanks to the Internet, he discovered the extent of his circumcision harm (it was botched). He also learned about foreskin restoration on the Internet. By restoring his foreskin, he improved himself and his quality of life. He also has become an intactivist, fighting to keep baby boys whole because they cannot speak for themselves. Read more . . .

Sadly, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released their revised circumcision policy statement. The AAP seems to be more concerned with profits than the medical care of patients as they recommend that third parties pay for male infant circumcision. I would think that a medical organization would be more concerned with true medical benefits and risk awareness than how they should be paid for providing medical care.

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 26, 2012

Conscious Life News: Study: Circumcision Removes Most Sensitive Parts Of Male Anatomy, Offers Few Preventative Health Benefits
Few studies have been done to measure the male organ sensitivity. The seminal study is the Sorrells "Fine-touch pressure thresholds in the adult penis" study that found the most sensitive parts of the penis are on the foreskin, which is removed during circumcision.

Digital Journal: New Circumcision Policy "Warmed-Over Myths" - Doctors Opposing Circumcision
A press release from Doctors Opposing Circumcision criticizes the AAP circumcision policy statement for being based on debunked circumcision myths. The AAP circumcision policy seems to be a feeble attempt to bolster profits by increasing the number of unnecessary male infant circumcisions.

The WHOLE Network: AAP 2012 Circumcision Statement: The WHOLE Network Responds
The claims and basis of the AAP circumcision policy statement are ably refuted by The WHOLE Network. Their post includes references to support their reasons why the misguided AAP circumcision policy should be reversed.

ERIC - End Routine Infant Circumcision: Stimulating the Economy at the Expense of Your Son’s Foreskin
The recent push by doctors for more male infant circumcision seems to be driven by profits. The recent AAP circumcision policy admits that there are no overwhelming medical reasons to circumcise. But the policy statement suggests that insurance companies should pay for the unnecessary elective circumcision surgery. Hmm. I guess the economy is hurting doctors, too.
 

Monday, August 27, 2012

The Guardian: Male circumcision: the unkindest cut of all
A father writes of his decision to leave his son whole and intact. He will not have his son circumcised. He points out that the recent AAP circumcision policy statement uses one-sided information to push a pro-circumcision policy.

CNN Health: Why I didn't circumcise my sons
A circumcised man tells why he left his sons whole and intact. He and his wife did not circumcise their sons. He trusted that the natural penis is perfectly fine without being modified by circumcision. He did not think hygiene is an issue in modern life. He also sees no problem if his sons ever ask why his penis looks different from theirs.

Should I circumcise?: Top Five refutations for AAP "evidence" for benefits of circumcision
Five reasons why the AAP circumcision policy statement is flawed. The author points out that there is little medical evidence to support male infant circumcision. But the ethical issue is great that the elective surgery should not be performed on infants. Read more . . .

I was interviewed for an article by the Guardian, a UK website and newspaper. They even quoted me.

If the medical evidence is disputed, why is circumcision so widely accepted in the US? "I find it amazing," says Tally, a pseudonym for a 56-year-old American blogger who was circumcised at birth and is restoring his foreskin through non-surgical methods. He argues that "pecuniary gain" is one factor in its popularity in the US: circumcision typically costs $400 to $800. "I don't see the social conscience that you have in the UK or the Canadians have," says Tally. "We're driven very much by a sense of independence and profit."

Yesterday morning when I was getting ready for work I checked my e-mail messages. I had a request for an interview from Patrick Barkham, a writer for The Guardian, a UK newspaper and website. Patrick was writing an article about male infant circumcision in light of the recent revised policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics. He wanted to talk with me before his afternoon deadline. Unfortunately, afternoon in the UK is morning in the Eastern US.

I had to run some errands, but as soon as I got to my office I replied to Patrick with my thoughts on circumcision and why there is such a push in the United States to circumcise baby boys. I was surprised when I received a telephone call from him about two hours after his deadline. We spoke for about 20 minutes. Read more . . .

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 . . .