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Dedicated To Boy And Girl Infants, And Children.

Many people sign consent forms in the West, ("consenting") to having someone else's body maimed. In some third world countries baby girls are mutilated without so much as a second thought. In the West, there are laws prohibiting female genital mutilation. That is not the case with male genital mutilation. The Canadian and the American constitutions have bodily integrity and security provisions which (supposedly) protect against cruel and unusual punishment.

Did you know some Jews perform ritual genital mutilation on baby boys at 8 days old? The mohel after mutilating the organ sucks blood from the wound. Some babies have contracted herpes.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/0 ... 50672.html

Amputation of a healthy body part is dangerous. Excessive bleeding and hemorrhaging can be fatal. A baby only needs to lose 1 ounce of blood to hemorrhage, and just 2.3 ounces to die as a result of this blood loss. It can, and does, occur at a frighteningly quick pace. In infant genital mutilation of boys (done without anesthesia), there is decreased oxygen in the blood, blood pressure increases, heart rate also increases to the dangerous level of 1.3 times the normal rate for babies. The stress hormone cortisol in the blood is 3 to 4 times the healthy amount and stays that way up to a year later. According to the US National Library of Medicine and Health cortisol levels of this rate in infants will affect learning and memory [Study: The Effect of Infant Circumcision On Serum Cortisol and Behaviour]. A study done on the Effect of Neonatal Circumcision on Pain Response During Subsequent Routine Vaccination [by Anna Taddio, Joel Katz, A Lane Ilersich, Gideon Koren published in the medical journal THE LANCET, Volume 349, Number 9052: Pages 599-603, March 1, 1997] found that there were long-lasting changes in infant behavior as a result of the pain experienced during neonatal circumcision. On the fourth or sixth month vaccinations, male infants who had been circumcised exhibited a greater pain response (crying duration for example) than those who had not been circumcised.

According to Greene Broillet Law Firm, 14,400 babies every year are injured in botched circumcisions in the US. Botched circumcisions where the glans (head of penis) is severed sometimes result in the baby getting a sex change operation. The child is given hormone therapy and forced to live as a female for the rest of his life.

In 1997, doctors in Canada did a study to see what type of anesthesia was most effective in relieving the pain of circumcision. A control group received no anesthesia. Those babies that did not receive anesthesia were in so much pain that the doctors felt it would be unethical to continue with the study. Even the best commonly available method of pain relief studied, the dorsal penile nerve block, did not block all the babies' pain. Some of the babies in the study were in such pain that they began choking and one even had a seizure.

Up to 96 percent of the babies in the United States and Canada receive no anesthesia when they are circumcised, according to a report from the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Some of the reasons why some doctors don't use anesthesia include: they don't believe that babies feel pain, or feel only a little, they think the babies will not remember, they think the procedure will take longer (at least 30 minutes) when anesthesia is used, and also general anesthesia and pain relief drugs could harm a small baby. An adult or older child could not handle the sort of pain infants routinely go through without anesthesia.

In their statement on the increased dangers of neonatal circumcision, Doctors Opposing Circumcision (D.O.C.) physicians and surgeons reported:

The prepuce is highly vascularized, so it is likely to hemorrhage when cut, and severing the frenular artery is very common. Infants have a miniscule amount of blood in their tiny bodies and can tolerate only about a 20 percent blood loss before hypovolemia, hypovolemic shock, and death. A 4000 gram male newborn has only 11.5oz (340 ml) of total blood volume at birth, 85 ml per kilogram of weight. Blood loss of only 2.3oz, (68 ml), 20% of total blood volume at birth is sufficient to cause hypovolemia. Many newborns, and especially premature infants, weigh much less and a smaller amount of blood loss would be sufficient to trigger hypovolemic shock in those infants. Circumcision of infants, therefore, carries the inherent danger of hypovolemic shock and death.



"Fear, pain, crippling, disfigurement and humiliation are the classic ways to break the human spirit.
Circumcision includes them all.” Doctors Opposing Circumcision (D.O.C.)

In Africa wherever girls have access to education about their bodies (biology, human anatomy and sex education) there has been resistance to harmful traditional practices. Girls are running away from their homes out of fear. As a result, the age of the mutilation keeps going down. There have been places where infant female genital mutilation occurs routinely. Due to girls rebelling and government pressure, parents are mutilating their girls during infancy and childhood in areas where the mutilation would have occured in the teen years.

Some men in Kenya and elsewhere will not marry mutilated women from their communities and look to non-mutilating communities for their wives.

Note how the mutilation is mostly done to the young and ignorant. For a doctor could not get away with restraining an adult male and cutting his prepuce, amid the howling, without anesthesia. A newborn will choke, and howl, but he is small and weak. The bloodcurdling cries are ignored. Parents sometimes do not want to watch ("I don't have the heart to watch," they say). Yet, they would have their newborn experience something they cannot bear to watch. Even baby boys who get some anesthesia like local anesthesia experience pain. As mentioned before, those who get the dorsal penile nerve block also experienced pain from the needle being jabbed into their penis. Also the anesthesia does not block all the baby's pain.

Information on the internet is enlightening people. There are videos and pictures of what is done to baby boys and girls. People are asking questions.


The Highest Maternal And Infant Mortality Rates Are In FGM Practicing Regions.

[Hosken, F. (1993). The Hosken Report: Genital and Sexual Mutilation of Females, fourth edition. Lexington, MA: Women's International Network; p. 37].

It is my opinion that the most important aspect of parental love is protecting one's child(ren). Some mothers today in the West and elsewhere are protecting their daughters. They do not want their daughters to go through the difficulties that they have encountered and realize that this mutilation has nothing to do with the Quran.

Genital mutilation of both males and females drastically reduces sexual pleasure. No doubt it is used to control the sexuality of the person who was unlucky to be subjected to this ritual. For you cannot change the form of an organ without changing how it was designed to function by The Most High. The decisions of the parents can affect the future sex lives of their children. Not to mention the psychological, physical, emotional and spiritual damage and possibly fertility damage as well.

What can be worse than evil? Ignorance!

Peace, Love and Light.

Genital Mutilation of Baby Boys

Before The Surgery

The baby boy is taken from his mother to where the procedure will be performed. It is not a sterile operating room. Often, other boys are circumcised at the same time. He is strapped spread-eagle to a hard restraining board. Experts say being restrained with his legs and arms away from his body is emotionally traumatic- essentially the opposite of swaddling.The penis is swabbed with Betadine antiseptic, usually causing him to have an erection [Sometimes doctors use their fingers to cause an erection]. Psychologist Jeannine Parvati Baker wrote, “Circumcision is where sex and violence meet for the first time.” Up to 96 percent of the babies in the United States and Canada receive no anesthesia when they are circumcised, according to a report from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, while adults always receive anesthesia. Anesthesia might reduce his pain somewhat [if he is lucky enough to receive anesthesia], but no anesthesia is effective at eliminating all of his pain. As the procedure is traumatic stress hormones are released into the blood and remain at elevated levels even when anesthesia is used. The stress hormone cortisol is a marker for pain.

During the Surgery

His foreskin is gripped with two hemostats (needle-nosed pliers) and a blunt object is forced between his foreskin and glans, tearing the connective tissue. This is very painful and is comparable to having a blunt object shoved under a fingernail. Once separated, a hemostat is used to crush his foreskin lengthwise in order to reduce bleeding. Next, the foreskin is sliced lengthwise through the crushed tissue to allow space to insert the circumcision device. Both of these steps are painful. His foreskin is clamped by the circumcision device. This is very painful and is comparable to having your thumb clamped in a vise. His foreskin is sliced off. This is somewhat less painful than the preceding two steps. His reactions to the pain and trauma vary, but include screaming, thrashing, vomiting, hyperventilating, urinating, and defecating. He might pass out. Some witnesses have observed that a baby might become quiet while being circumcised. This is evidence that his mind has dissociated (shut down) to escape the pain. Sometimes when nurses return babies to their parents they tell them, "he slept through the procedure". They make it seem that it is not painful. If the baby goes to sleep while his genitals are being crushed, ripped and sliced it is due to the unimaginable pain that his nervous system and brain couldn't handle. It is a survival process. Some people have speculated that the soul of the baby temporarily leaves the body similar to a Near Death Experience.

After the Surgery

PARENTS SHOULD FREQUENTLY CHECK FOR EXCESSIVE BLEEDING. Do not use super-absorbent disposable diapers; they can easily absorb and hide enough blood to cause your son to need a transfusion or bleed to death. Use cloth diapers until the wound heals. Follow the wound-care instructions your physician gives you. Check for soreness and redness, which might be an infection.

Babies often go through a nursing strike by sleeping for hours afterward as a way of recovering from the surgery. During this time it is difficult for the baby to establish a nursing relation with the mother. Short-term complications vary, but include excessive bleeding and infections including the “Super-Bug,” MRSA, to which circumcised boys are known to be susceptible. Postoperative pain continues for a week or two until his wound heals. Pain is most severe during urination and defecation, bandage and diaper changes, and while breastfeeding, if he is pressed against the mother. Long-term consequences include a slight increased likelihood of substance abuse, elaborate sexual practices [sexual deviancy], alexithymia (difficulty identifying and describing feelings), and acting out impulsively, a precursor to acting violently. Circumcised men are 4 to 5 times as likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED). Death is a possible outcome. Every year more than 100 American babies die as a result of their circumcision.

Note: Words that are in italics are my own. Love and Light.

Source: http://circumcisiondecisionmaker.com/

Fight Against Female Genital Mutilation Continues

Thousands of babies and young girls worldwide undergo genital mutilation every day. Its devastating effects can include infection, incontinence and trauma. Even in Europe, 180,000 children are at risk.

Her mother warned her, said Zahra Naleie. Again and again. "If you do this work, they will see you as an enemy," her mother had told her. But Naleie didn't listen as she started battling against female genital mutilation in Europe in the early 1990s - and with it went against "tradition, religion and custom." At least that's how Nalerie said her mother put it back home in Somalia where she had hoped her daughter should use her recently gained master's degree from the Netherlands for something more practical.

But Naleie believed that it made sense to fight against female genital mutilation, also known as FGM. "I told her, this comes from my heart and that's why I will continue," Naleie said.

Damaging Procedure

In female genital mutilation, the external portion of the clitoris and often parts of the labia are removed. The wound is often sewn up so tightly that only a tiny hole is left, out of which urine and menstrual blood flows.

Consequences include infection, incontinence, chronic pain and trauma. Many babies and girls bleed to death as a result of the procedure, which continues to be widespread in many African countries and in the Middle East.

Thanks largely to educational campaigns, areas that once practiced near-universal FGM have seen a turnaround.

But FGM is [sic] also continues among certain migrant communities in Europe. Including in the Netherlands, where Naleie chose to stay after completing her studies, as war broke out in her home country of Somalia.
Proponents of FGM cite health and hygiene benefits - but mostly the practice goes back to religious beliefs and tradition. It's perceived as a ritual that increases the likelihood of finding a husband and status for a girl within her community.

"Helping" Their Children

Naleie's work was difficult from the beginning: She experienced threats and hostility from people among [sic] who view FGM was [sic] an integral part of their culture. Also from women who themselves had undergone the trauma of "female circumcision," but were still prepared to subject their daughters to the debilitating process - out of fear that without it, they would not be able to find husbands.

"They weren't intending to abuse their children, rather ensure a future for them," Naleie said, adding that some people consider uncut women "unclean."

Naleie is currently in Berlin, participating in an exchange with other FGM activists from Sweden, Great Britain and Germany. They all agreed that progress has been made: while a few years ago, it would have been unimaginable to get women and men to even come to the table and discuss the topic, today some groups - from Eritrea and Ethiopia, specifically - have all but given up the practice.

Many African Countries Have Also Banned FGM

Naleie traced the success back to an integrated approach that sees activists working together with religious leaders, teachers and doctors. FGM, which the United Nations defines as a severe human rights violation, has also been made illegal in many countries. In Germany, it carries a prison sentence of 15 years.

Mostly Done In Africa

Yet FGM continues. In Europe, 180,000 girls are at risk of becoming victims, according to a 2009 European Parliament study that still reflects the reality of FGM in Europe. It's estimated that about half a million women living in Europe have undergone FGM.

Cornelia Strunz of the center for victims of FGM at Berlin's Waldfriede Hospital told of a mother who came to the clinic with her five-year-old girl a few months ago. The center carries out surgery to reconstruct the clitoris.
The mother had feared that her daughter, who had spent the summer vacation with her father in Somalia, had been circumcised while she was there. "Luckily, we were able to rule that out," the senior physician said.
Strunz treats three to four patients every month. They have almost exclusively been cut in African countries. "But I also know that people have been flown to Germany, in order to carry out the procedure here," she added.

Strunz opens the door to a room where a petite woman sits in a white hospital bed. There are flowers on the table. The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, had recently received a reconstructive operation.
She's doing well. She still remembers the day her parents took her to the hospital to be cut. She was just a baby "when that was done." She doesn't say the word mutilation. It's still a taboo topic in her family.

Perhaps this is because her family is in a bit of a crisis on the subject. "So many girls die that way, you'd have to really justify that," the woman said. But there is no justification, she believes, because the mutilation is carried out to make sex pleasureless for women and "to make them decent."

But her family has started to rethink the topic, "Most say they would not do it with their daughters."

Naleie proudly said that in the end, even her mother changed her mind, despite having been so vehement against her daughter's work. Someday, Naleie is sure, female genital mutilation will be conquered. "We will win."

http://www.dw.de/fight-against-female-g ... a-17804472

Gudniinku waa Jirdil! Forced Genital Mutilation of Males and Females is Torture!

Forced Genital Mutilation is Rape of the Body, Mind, and Soul.

One Definition of Rape is: An act of plunder, violent seizure, or abuse; despoliation; violation.

Genital Mutilation of babies is a vile act of pedophilia!

Forced Genital Mutilation is:

• A Crime Against The Creator
  A War Crime
  Sexual Torture
  An Act of Terrorism (Especially When Babies Are Mutilated Without Anesthesia and Pain Relief)
  An Egregious Attack That Affects the Individual Physically, Sexually, Emotionally, Psychologically and Spiritually (The Child Will Never Be the Same Again if He or She Survives)
  A Crime Against Humanity
  A Violation of the Implicit Trust Children Have in Their Parents
  Failure of Parents to Protect Their Children
  A Violation of Medical Ethics
  A Human Rights Violation
  A Crime Against the Natural Bonding and Love Between Mother and Baby
  The Worst Form of Child Abuse
  A Ruthless Attack on a Human Being's Dignity
  A Life Threatening Procedure
  A Cruel Attack Against Some of the Most Sensitive Body Parts
  An Act That Could Cause A Person to Develop Sexual Dysfunction(s) or Even Become Infertile.

It is my strong belief that a lot of the problems faced by many Somali people (wherever they may happen to be) can be attributed to two related things:

• 1. Torture of their children (and the trauma that the parents themselves were subjected to when they were children) and
  2. Violence against children and women.

Somali people in the West lament the plight of the Somali youth (especially Male Somalis). People compare male and female Somali youth. It is said that Somali girls in general are doing much better in academics and careers as well as being good citizens. Why is this? Many Somali parents have protected (or are afraid of law enforcement) their daughters from the savage ritual that they themselves most probably were subjected to. Most Somali boys did not receive this protection. One cannot compare an intact girl to a sexually tortured, brain damaged, psychologically and subconsciously scarred male. Males have been severely weakened.

Why would anyone subject their child(ren) to torture and the risk of death? Most of the parents themselves have been traumatized. For centuries Female Genital Mutilation was forced on females based on the lie that it is written in the Holy Quran.

Joseph Goebbels- Minister of Propaganda for the Nazi German Government of the Third Reich: "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it..."

I would kindly advise people to have an open mind and to research Genital Mutilation further. Who knows? You might help save a life. Your children might one day thank you.

Please tell your family members and friends. I know it is hard to talk about this subject, but the lives and health of children is at risk.

Thank You.

Peace.

Torture Devices Used in the Genital Mutilation of Baby Boys

Circumstraint Board

According to promotional materials from the manufacturer:

•"Always a fast, easy means of immobilizing newborns for circumcision..."
•"In less than 30 seconds a nurse can immobilize a struggling infant..."
•"He's held safely and securely without danger of escape."
•"Circumstraint's comfortable contoured shape positions the infant, hips elevated, perfectly presenting the genitalia."

Manufacturer: Olympic Medical Company Seattle, WA.

Emphasis are my own.

Images of some of the torture devices used in the Genital Mutilation of baby boys can be found at (Note: This website contains graphic images of mutilated baby boys):

http://www.noharmm.org/instruments.htm

You Want to do What to my Penis?!

Genital Mutilation from the Perspective of a Newborn Baby Boy

What do babies think and feel when they are mutilated without anesthesia and pain relief? What would mutilated baby boys say to their parents if they could be understood?

The newborn boy was very unlucky. He was born a male, to parents who wanted to mutilate him in a hospital, in a "Civilized" country where mutilation of baby boys was routine. The newborn baby had already one traumatic experience today. He was unceremoniously ejected from his warm and loving home that is his mother's womb. He emerged into a cold and harsh world.

Shortly thereafter, it was decided for him that his pee-pee should be mutilated. It is possible that the doctor (who no doubt wanted to line his pockets) convinced the parents that it would be "easier to clean." It was agreed that it was a wise choice to perform surgery on him the same day that he was born. If someone were to ask these parents,

"Would You Mutilate Your Newborn Baby Girl?", they would have replied: "No."


So, the baby boy was taken from his mother. The baby boy has no idea what is about to happen. He should have been held lovingly at his mother's breast.

The doctor who will perform the surgery will probably do it without anesthesia. What does this say about this doctor? He might have been traumatized as a baby as well.

The baby is strapped to a cold board. He cannot move his limbs. The baby boy starts to cry and is terrified. The Doctor uses his digits to stimulate the baby's penis. An erection results.This surgery is Aggravated Pedophilia. The doctor begins to perform the Ghastly Crime known as Male Infant Genital Mutilation...

If a person does not listen to their own heart and intuition great harm could come to their children. It really must be a nefarious force that can force a mother who's primary instinct is to protect her baby, not listen to her misgivings, and allow the most gruesome atrocity that her child(ren) might ever face in their lifetime. It is the combined weight of countless reasons that are given to mutilate children, that keeps the mother from protecting her child. The Creator gave us a brain to think with. Asking questions is prudent. Children do it all the time. Convincing people that something harmful is sanctioned by religion or an authority figure like a doctor will placate them (even if their minds and hearts are telling them something else). The person, then, will just go along ("if a doctor says it's beneficial, it must be true").

Genital Mutilation is perpetuated mostly by people who know nothing about Human Anatomy or Sexual Health, and very little about Religion.

Genital Mutilation is Slavery. It is Slavery of the Body and Mind. The unfortunate individual no longer owns their body and is Branded. Genital Mutilation of Baby Boys is an Aggravated Assault on the Baby.

The heartwrenching and bloodcurdling screams of baby boys being tortured is the only Information I need to convince me that Genital Mutilation is Wrong!

With the advent of the Internet, important information has become readily available. Now people could research for themselves and make up their own minds rather than blindly follow harmful traditional practices.

Babies are a Miraculous Gift from God. The pain they feel is very Real.

Please Help Spread The Word.

Please Protect Your Babies.

"What's done to children, they will do to society." - Karl Menninger, Psychiatrist

"Parents do not know what they are choosing, and physicians do not feel what they are doing." - Ronald Goldman, Ph.D., Author

"In response to circumcision, the baby cries a helpless, panicky, breathless, high-pitched cry!...[or] lapses into a semi-coma. Both of these states...are abnormal states in the newborn." - Justin Call, M.D., Pediatrician

"Doctors who circumcise are the most resistant to change. They will not admit that they made a critical mistake by amputating an important part of the penis." - Paul Fleiss, M.D., Pediatrician

"In this case, the old dictum 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' seems to make good sense." - Eugene Robin, M.D., Professor

"A whole life can be shaped by an old trauma, remembered or not." - Lenore Terr, M.D., Child Psychiatrist

"If we are to have real peace, we must begin with the children." - Mahatma Gandhi

"We are interconnected. When a baby boy's sexuality is not safe, no one's sexuality is safe." - Ronald Goldman, Ph.D., Author


http://www.circumcision.org/

Nepal Child Dies After Ritual Circumcision

Feb. 11, 2005 at 6:33 AM

KATMANDU, Nepal, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- A 5-year-old boy has died in Nepal, and his 7-year-old brother is in serious condition, after both were circumcised as part of a religious tradition.
Muyoddin Khan died from loss of blood Thursday after undergoing a ritual circumcision in the town of Indrapur, the Nepali Web site Kantipur Online reported Friday.

His brother Santalat was hospitalized due to excess bleeding after the operation was performed. Doctors said he was in serious condition.

"We carried out circumcision on the boys as part of our religion, but the bleeding did not stop," said Rahamadtulla, the boys' father. His eldest son died under similar circumstances five years ago, and the father said his 7-month-old son will also have to undergo the procedure.

"I can't go against our religion, although I've lost two of my sons," the report quoted Rahamadtulla as saying.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2005/02/11/ ... 108121635/

Myths About Circumcision You Likely Believe

Circumcision Does Great Harm To Babies

Published on September 11, 2011 by Darcia Narvaez, Ph.D. in Moral Landscapes

NOTE: Primary author is Lillian Dell'Aquila Cannon (see her blog)

When I was pregnant with my first child, I just thought that circumcision was what you did, no big deal, and that every man was circumcised. Then one day I saw a picture of a baby being circumcised, and everything changed. Just one tiny, grainy photo was enough to make me want to know more, and the more I knew, the worse it got. It turns out, circumcision really is a big deal.

Part 1 - Circumcision Surgery Myths

Myth 1: They Just Cut Off A Flap Of Skin.

Reality Check: Not true. The foreskin is half of the penis's skin, not just a flap. In an adult man, the foreskin is 15 square inches of skin. In babies and children, the foreskin is adhered to the head of the penis with the same type of tissue that adheres fingernails to their nail beds. Removing it requires shoving a blunt probe between the foreskin and the head of the penis and then cutting down and around the whole penis.

Myth 2: It Doesn't Hurt The Baby.

Reality Check: Wrong. In 1997, doctors in Canada did a study to see what type of anesthesia was most effective in relieving the pain of circumcision. As with any study, they needed a control group that received no anesthesia. The doctors quickly realized that the babies who were not anesthetized were in so much pain that it would be unethical to continue with the study. Even the best commonly available method of pain relief studied, the dorsal penile nerve block, did not block all the babies' pain. Some of the babies in the study were in such pain that they began choking and one even had a seizure (Lander 1997).

Myth 3: My Doctor Uses Anesthesia.

Reality Check: Not necessarily. Most newborns do not receive adequate anesthesia. Only 45% of doctors who do circumcisions use any anesthesia at all. Obstetricians perform 70% of circumcisions and are least likely to use anesthesia - only 25% do. The most common reasons why they don't? They didn't think the procedure warranted it, and it takes too long (Stang 1998). A circumcision with adequate anesthesia takes a half-hour - if they brought your baby back sooner, he was in severe pain during the surgery.

Myth 4: Even If It Is Painful, The Baby Won't Remember It.

Reality Check: The body is a historical repository and remembers everything. The pain of circumcision causes a rewiring of the baby's brain so that he is more sensitive to pain later (Taddio 1997, Anand 2000). Circumcision also can cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anger, low self-esteem and problems with intimacy (Boyle 2002, Hammond 1999, Goldman 1999). Even with a lack of explicit memory and the inability to protest - does that make it right to inflict pain? Ethical guidelines for animal research whenever possible* - do babies deserve any less?

Myth 5: My Baby Slept Right Through It.

Reality Check: Not possible without total anesthesia, which is not available. Even the dorsal penile nerve block leaves the underside of the penis receptive to pain. Babies go into shock, which though it looks like a quiet state, is actually the body's reaction to profound pain and distress. Nurses often tell the parents "He slept right through it" so as not to upset them. Who would want to hear that his or her baby was screaming in agony?

Myth 6: It Doesn't Cause The Baby Long-Term Harm.

Reality Check: Incorrect. Removal of healthy tissue from a non-consenting patient is, in itself, harm (more on this point later). Circumcision has an array of risks and side effects. There is a 1-3% complication rate during the newborn period alone (Schwartz 1990). Here is a short list potential complications.

Meatal Stenosis: Many circumcised boys and men suffer from meatal stenosis. This is a narrowing of the urethra which can interfere with urination and require surgery to fix.

Adhesions. Circumcised babies can suffer from adhesions, where the foreskin remnants try to heal to the head of the penis in an area they are not supposed to grow on. Doctors treat these by ripping them open with no anesthesia.

Buried Penis. Circumcision can lead to trapped or buried penis - too much skin is removed, and so the penis is forced inside the body. This can lead to problems in adulthood when the man does not have enough skin to have a comfortable erection. Some men even have their skin split open when they have an erection. There are even more sexual consequences, which we will address in a future post.

Infection. The circumcision wound can become infected. This is especially dangerous now with the prevalence of hospital-acquired multi-drug resistant bacteria.

Death. Babies can even die of circumcision. Over 100 newborns die each year in the USA, mostly from loss of blood and infection (Van Howe 1997 & 2004, Bollinger 2010).

Isn't it time to think more carefully about whether we should be circumcising our boys?

But, you say, aren't there important health benefits? See the next post.

* Ethical guidelines for animal research are listed in the Animal Welfare Act and the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, published by the National Academy of Sciences. Every research facility is required to consult with the institution's veterinarian and its Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The IACUC ensures that alternatives to using animals was considered and that pain relief is given unless it interferes with the purpose of the study.

Warning: There are graphic photos of mutilated baby penises, and a comparison between adult male penises (circumcised, and intact for educational purposes) in one external link on this website:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mor ... ly-believe

Boys shouldn't be circumcised altogether? Infant or not?

I remember one morning driving to work listening to my favorite radio station, a fella called and talked about booking himself to get circumcised in his mid 20's. Mentioned something about having health problems due to not being circumcised.

Wished his parents had done it while he was a toddler and genuinely believed the pain he was going through would have been less or not remembering by now (myth 4)

He concluded saying parents should circumcise their boys while they are young rather than them going through the agony at a later stage.

Bella18 wrote:Boys shouldn't be circumcised altogether? Infant or not?

I remember one morning driving to work listening to my favorite radio station, a fella called and talked about booking himself to get circumcised in his mid 20's. Mentioned something about having health problems due to not being circumcised.

Wished his parents had done it while he was a toddler and genuinely believed the pain he was going through would have been less or not remembering by now (myth 4)

He concluded saying parents should circumcise their boys while they are young rather than them going through the agony at a later stage.

Greetings,

Genital Mutilation is a Dangerous and Unnecessary procedure. I am against Female and Male Genital Mutilation (except in rare emergency cases where therapy and medication have failed, and there is no alternative therapy).

The Prepuce is an Important Part of the penis. Not only is it the most sensitive (80% of the erogenous nerves in the penis are located in the prepuce) part of the penis, it also provides protection from friction and dryness, and has an immunological function, as well as many other functions; one of which is to keep the Glans moist [the glans (head of the penis) is covered with mucosa not skin)]. A mutilated penis has been severely disabled.

Regarding the man who wanted to mutilate himself; that was his choice. Many males are not given a choice. Most males in the world are not mutilated, and lead healthy lives. The man will receive anesthesia before the surgery, and pain medication afterwards. Most babies are not given anesthesia before the surgery, or pain medication afterward. This means that the Baby Boy was Tortured and endured Excruciating Pain and Terror, and suffered severe pain after the procedure.

Many parents erroneously believe that a penis that is not mutilated is dirty/harder to clean, and susceptible to disease. That is not true. The prepuce protects the sensitive glans and urinary opening. As free individuals, people (it shouldn't matter what gender they are) should be able to make their own decisions regarding their bodies. And to make informed decisions, males need to learn about their body parts and functions, and about sexual health. If a person cannot own their own body, then what else is worth owning in life?

Who could better handle agony, a baby/young child, or an adult? Older boys and adults in the West receive anesthesia and pain medication. There are horror stories of babies choking, going into a coma, and suffering other severe complications, as well as bleeding to death as a result of their mutilation.

I don't think parents should make a life-threatening, and life-changing decision for their boys.

Gartay

More Circumcision Myths You May Believe: Hygiene And STDs

Is Circumcision Cleaner And Healthier?

Published on September 13, 2011 by Darcia Narvaez, Ph.D. in Moral Landscapes

There's a lot of hype about how circumcision is better for a man's health. But is it really?

Here Is Part 2 Of Our Series On Myths About Circumcision.

NOTE: Primary author is Lillian Dell'Aquila Cannon (see her blog)

Myth: You Have To Get The Baby Circumcised Because It Is Really Hard To Keep A Baby's Penis Clean.

Reality Check: In babies, the foreskin is completely fused to the head of the penis. You cannot and should not retract it to clean it, as this would cause the child pain, and is akin to trying to clean the inside of a baby girl's vagina. The infant foreskin is perfectly designed to protect the head of the penis and keep feces out. All you have to do is wipe the outside of the penis like a finger. It is harder to keep circumcised baby's penis clean because you have to carefully clean around the wound, make sure no feces got into the wound, and apply ointment.

Myth: Little Boys Won't Clean Under Their Foreskins And Will Get Infections.

Reality Check: The foreskin separates and retracts on its own sometime between age 3 and puberty. Before it retracts on its own, you wipe the outside off like a finger. After it retracts on its own, it will get clean during the boy's shower or bath. Once a boy discovers this cool, new feature of his penis, he will often retract the foreskin himself during his bath or shower, and you can encourage him to rinse it off. But he should not use soap as this upsets the natural balance and is very irritating. There is nothing special that the parents need to do. Most little boys have absolutely no problem playing with their penises in the shower or anywhere else! It was harder to teach my boys to wash their hair than it was to care for their penises. (Camille 2002)

Myth: Uncircumcised Penises Get Smelly Smegma.

Reality Check: Actually, smegma is produced by the genitals of both women and men during the reproductive years. Smegma is made of sebum and skin cells and lubricates the foreskin and glans in men, and the clitoral hood and inner labia in women. It is rinsed off during normal bathing and does not cause cancer or any other health problems.

Myth: "My Uncle Wasn't Circumcised And He Kept Getting Infections And Had To Be Circumcised As An Adult."

Reality Check: Medical advice may have promoted infection in uncircumcised males. A shocking number of doctors are uneducated about the normal development of the foreskin, and they (incorrectly) tell parents that they have to retract the baby's foreskin and wash inside it at every diaper change. Doing this tears the foreskin and the tissue (called synechia) that connects it to the head of the penis, leading to scarring and infection.

Misinformation was especially prevalent during the 1950s and 60s, when most babies were circumcised and we didn't know as much about the care of the intact penis, which is why the story is always about someone's uncle. Doing this to a baby boy would be like trying to clean the inside of a baby girl's vagina with Q-tips at every diaper change. Rather than preventing problems, such practices would cause problems by introducing harmful bacteria. Remember that humans evolved from animals, so no body part that required special care would survive evolutionary pressures. The human genitals are wonderfully self-cleaning and require no special care.

Myth: My Son Was Diagnosed With Phimosis And So Had To Be Circumcised.

Reality Check: Phimosis means that the foreskin will not retract. Since children's foreskins are naturally not retractable, it is impossible to diagnose phimosis in a child. Any such diagnoses in infants are based on misinformation, and are often made in order to secure insurance coverage of circumcision in states in which routine infant circumcision is no longer covered.

Even some adult men have foreskins that do not retract, but as long as it doesn't interfere with sexual intercourse, it is no problem at all, as urination itself cleans the inside of the foreskin (note that urine is sterile when leaving the body.)

Phimosis can also be treated conservatively with a steroid cream and gentle stretching done by the man himself, should he so desire it, or, at worst, a slit on the foreskin, rather than total circumcision. (Ashfield 2003) These treatment decisions can and should be made by the adult man.

Myth: Uncircumcised Boys Get More Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs.)

Reality Check: This claim is based on one study that looked at charts of babies born in one hospital (Wiswell 1985). The study had many problems, including that it didn't accurately count whether or not the babies were circumcised, whether they were premature and thus more susceptible to infection in general, whether they were breastfed (breastfeeding protects against UTI), and if their foreskins had been forcibly retracted (which can introduce harmful bacteria and cause UTI) (Pisacane 1990). There have been many studies since which show either no decrease in UTI with circumcision, or else an increase in UTI from circumcision. Thus circumcision is not recommended to prevent UTI (Thompson 1990). Girls have higher rates of UTI than boys, and yet when a girl gets a UTI, she is simply prescribed antibiotics. The same treatment works for boys.

Myth: Circumcision Prevents HIV/AIDS.

Reality Check: Three studies in Africa several years ago that claimed that circumcision prevented AIDS and that circumcision was as effective as a 60% effective vaccine (Auvert 2005, 2006). These studies had many flaws, including that they were stopped before all the results came in. There have also been several studies that show that circumcision does not prevent HIV (Connolly 2008). There are many issues at play in the spread of STDs which make it very hard to generalize results from one population to another.

In Africa, where the recent studies have been done, most HIV transmission is through male-female sex, but in the USA, it is mainly transmitted through blood exposure (like needle sharing) and male-male sex. Male circumcision does not protect women from acquiring HIV, nor does it protect men who have sex with men (Wawer 2009, Jameson 2009).

What's worse, because of the publicity surrounding the African studies, men in Africa are now starting to believe that if they are circumcised, they do not need to wear condoms, which will increase the spread of HIV (Westercamp 2010). Even in the study with the most favorable effects of circumcision, the protective effect was only 60% - men would still have to wear condoms to protect themselves and their partners from HIV.

In the USA, during the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and 90s, about 85% of adult men were circumcised (much higher rates of circumcision than in Africa), and yet HIV still spread.

It is important to understand, too, that the men in the African studies were adults and they volunteered for circumcision. Babies undergoing circumcision were not given the choice to decide for themselves.

Myth: Circumcision Is Worth It Because It Can Save Lives.

Reality Check: Consider breast cancer: There is a 12% chance that a woman will get breast cancer in her lifetime. Removal of the breast buds at birth would prevent this, and yet no one would advocate doing this to a baby. It is still considered somewhat shocking when an adult woman chooses to have a prophylactic mastectomy because she has the breast cancer gene, yet this was a personal choice done based upon a higher risk of cancer. The lifetime risk of acquiring HIV is less than 2% for men, and can be lowered to near 0% through condom-wearing (Hall 2008). How, then, can we advocate prophylactic circumcision for baby boys?

Science and data do not support the practice of infant circumcision. Circumcision does not preclude the use of the condom. The adult male should have the right to make the decision for himself and not have his body permanently damaged as a baby.

What's the damage, you ask? See the next post.


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