Hitchens Got Us Thinking

This quote comes from a public blog after a discussion of the death of Christopher Hitchens, who was a famous atheist, author, fearless debater, genius who also made many condemnations of the ritual of infant circumcision. Hitchens may be gone from this earth, but he sparked many to think, and that is a wonderful gift he leaves us.










I guess the Hitch has his answers now. I wish he could tell me if he met a god or not. Rest in peace Christopher Hitchens and thank you.

Video Interview Collection by Bonobo3D

One of the most outstanding collection of video interviews is being compiled by Bonobo3D and is available free online on YouTube at this link. If you are in the process of doing research on circumcision, this is an *excellent* resource to keep bookmarked.

Please take the time to view some of these videos. I promise they will be an eye-opener.

Comparison Photograph

NSFW























Yet another comparison photo project between the glans of a circumcised man versus an intact one. Feel free to share the link. If I get more information on the models I will add it in this post.

A big thank you to the guys from 4ERIC for this photo!

Circumcision Harm

The Global Survey on Circumcision Harm is a great resource to go to when researching the harm that circumcision does. If you are circumcised, I strongly urge you to take the survey.

On the site are also photos of the harm this "procedure" does. I feel I must share one of those photos now, here, with you. I will say upfront this photograph is NSFW and may not be appropriate to younger viewers. This photo will upset people, as it *should*... because this was preventable and shouldn't ever happen.

Again, allow me to repeat: THIS WAS PREVENTABLE AND UNNECESSARY.













I've been asked to clarify what the text says because it is very small print. Here it is:

‎"My parents wanted me to be cut because they are religious people and thought uncut atheists were bad people. The cutting was not very good and this is what I have now. I suffer because of my cock and I'm virgin.

"Dats all.

"Don't cut babies. Don't forget the risks.

"Let them choose when they are adult. They must have the choice."

(Capitalization and punctuation were corrected by myself for easier reading, but I did not change his wording.)

For further research, please see:

http://www.circumcisionquotes.com/complications.html

A US cure?

Devon Osel shares with us again!

Why We March, Why We Fight

Intactivist Artwork from Devon Osel

*******************************************************************************


The image above as well as the following thought provoking pieces were contributed by Devon Osel, an outspoken intactivist in America. Feel free to share the link. Thank you, Devon.

More from Devon can be found HERE.

Also check out this facebook page.

Secret Penis

Please check out our newest link (on the right hand side of screen you'll find the link list), Secret Penis.

This man has put in a lot of effort to educate about the penis. This site is not porn, but you will find graphic photography of the human male adult penis. I especially like his page on his circumcision status.

AAP Allowed this information at one time

 

Contributed by Devon Osel

Reader asks about intactivist art

A reader asks:
"Do you think that by spreading different levels of intactivist art, it will help increase awareness and maintain a stronger impression the unsure and undecided? If so, how do we get those artist the attention they need to help spread this message?"

Art imitates life imitates art. Yes, I do believe it helps raise awareness.

Comments welcome.

Submit your own reader question by clicking here.

Lack of consent

Contributed by:
Breanna McDonald

Dear I am Muslim man and ...

A reader writes:

"Dear I am Muslim man and victim of genital mutilation so called circumcision, I think it is time to reveal real demonic roots of circumcision, I am from Mesopotamia  were all story started, I have info about that and I think it would help to fight back"

Would love to hear more of your story.

Submit your own reader question by clicking here.

I'll Lose

Graphic by Jeff Hazelwood for intactivist.net. Thank you Jeff.

Thanks ACLU

by Jeff Hazelwood

why are partial circumcisions used instead of a full circ

I've heard that a "partial" (cutting off only the tip of the foreskin rather than the whole thing) is used because some doctors realize it's impossible to determine how large the penis of this child will be when he's an adult and they're leaving more skin now to avoid problems with erections and sexual dysfunction. I'd love to hear from readers what their thoughts are on this.

Ask me anything about circumcision or intactivism!

Celebrating the Penis

A new blog has been unveiled this morning celebrating the beauty of the penis.

Graphic photos here. Please note this link is NSFW (Not Safe For Work) ... or with children behind you.

Photos, drawings, anything celebrating male beauty can be submitted to TheBeautifulP@gmail.com

http://thebeautifulpenis.tumblr.com/

Letter to Nurse Educators from Rosemary Romberg

Dear Nurse Educator,

I am writing to inform you that NOCIRC has produced a 20-minute
educational video about circumcision, narrated by Dean Edell, M.D.,
which you can view at http://www.nocirc.org/ You have NOCIRC’s
permission to download, copy, and distribute this free video for
educational purposes. Please consider uploading it to your own
website, if desired.

In addition, a Circumcision Resource page has been developed for
educators at http://www.icgi.org/birth_care_providers.htm Here you
will find videos, articles, and pamphlets that discuss various aspects
of the circumcision decision, as well as care of the intact child.
Included is “The Prepuce,” a video produced by George Denniston, M.D.,
that discusses in detail the anatomy and functions of the foreskin.
A growing number of men who wish they had been left intact (not
circumcised) are benefitting from non-surgical foreskin restoration.
You can learn more about this at http://www.norm.org/

A “New York Times” article reported that the U.S. circumcision rate has
fallen from 56% in 2006 to 32.5% in 2009, according to the CDC. See
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/17/health/research/17circ.html?_r=2

Men when they turn 18 have the legal right to sue the doctor and
hospital that circumcised them unnecessarily as infants. One man has
already done that and received a financial settlement. See
http://www.cirp.org/news/mndnewswire04-29-03/

Recent news articles have reported on African studies that claim to
show that circumcision prevents HIV. Dr. Dean Edell discusses these
studies, and how they relate to our own experience in the U.S. at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlsUg0sdAtE

The Royal Dutch Medical Association (KNMG) on May 27, 2010 published
its policy statement, which states that the circumcision of underage
boys should be stopped. The society says that circumcising boys
without medical reason infringes upon the right to autonomy and the
right to bodily integrity. The KNMG statement can be downloaded and
read at
http://knmg.artsennet.nl/Diensten/knmgpublicaties/KNMGpublicatie/Nontherapeutic-circumcision-of-male-minors-2010.htm

I hope the materials above will be useful to you in your efforts to
educate future nurses about proper care of the genitally intact child
and circumcision. Please feel free to share this information with your
colleagues. I would be interested in your impressions of these
educational materials, if you wish to share them with me.

Sincerely, Rosemary Romberg
rosemary@gci.net

What made you become an intactivist?

Basically it was a no-brainer for me. I didn't even know what circumcision was until after my daughter was born 9 years ago. I started researching the subject because I knew the next one would be a boy. As soon as I found out there is actually a part of the penis *removed*... amputated... that was it for me, I was dead set against it. I wasn't even aware of doctors not using anesthesia until only a few months ago. That knowledge made me feel even stronger about being against it. I became an intactivist because I do not believe in altering or removing body parts from a non-consenting individual.

Ask me anything about circumcision or intactivism!

Foreskin Restoration Links, A Starting Point

I am cut, am manually restoring at the moment. Basically for manual tugging you pull on the skin in different methods and tug it for a set amount of time(1-60mins+ even) 1+ times a day everyday so you regain skin.

I'm doing this to fit tlc-x the strapless restoration device then it can do the tugging for me, and it'll have the retaining cone to regain glans sensitivity. ~Greg

Here are a few links that explain foreskin restoration:

http://norm.org/whyrestore.html

http://norm.org/faq.html

http://norm.org/lost.html

Here is a video of Aubrey Taylor explaining foreskin restoration. She's really informative; check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moII4GEVPv4

Here's a video of Ron Low and his Wife explaining foreskin restoration and how amazing it has been for them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raDMCRxIUbI

And watch the video above that one first for another explanation^^^^^

For more info:

www.tlctugger.com

www.norm.org

www.restoringforeskin.com

www.restoringtally.com

www.foreskinrestore.com

(There are also permanent links on the side of the blog here. ~Note from Monica.)

Look at this penis to see how foreskin restoration undoes some of the damage: (*NSFW Graphic Education Nudity*) http://www.foreskinrestore.com/restored_foreskin.html

http://www.foreskinrestore.com/results_1-24months.html

http://www.foreskinrestore.com/latest_results.html

How a restored foreskin moves: http://www.foreskinrestore.com/movesvideo.html

The restored skin will be there forever, guys stop restoring based on their preference of how much skin they want. Some want a reallly reaaaaally long foreskin , some want just enough to cover the glans, etc.

Here's a coverage index to show the different stages of foreskin coverage(NSFW Nudity) : http://www.newforeskin.biz/CI/CIchart.htm

And yes it is basically creating new skins cells, so it's not like creating stretch marks like aubrey taylor said, it's tugging =)

And if you just stop restoring completely instead of shrinking, because of sexual activity and masturbation the skin will slightly slight slightly get a bit longer not that much but yeah. So instead of shrinking it's always growing but not substancially if you stop cold turkey lol

To see with your own eyes the damage of genital cutting(NSFW graphic nudity): "-

The keratinization or drying out and building of a layer of keratin of the glans and penile mucosa to protect the penis from air and clothing due to the loss of the prepuce's protection further reduces sensitivity. Here is a picture of a penis with a keratinized glans v a shiny intact penis: http://intactivists.blogspot.com/2011/05/keratinization-and-circumcision-status_315.html

(Thanks for using our example! ~Monica)

And aesthetically(visually) a cut v intact penis picture to visually to show the damage: (*NSFW Graphic Nudity*) http://hphotos-snc6.fbcdn.net

/175106_10150117141913024_502498023_6417515_3672720_o.jpg

http://www.cutedaveyboy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/1240942124311.jpg

http://www.circumstraint.com/gallery_images.html "

However this is the most important thing you will read. An article on "The Vulnerability of Men" to see how to talk to men about genital cutting and restoration a touchy subject: http://www.udonet.com/circumcision/vincent/vulnerability_of_men.html

(Udonet did a FANTASTIC job with that article. ~Monica)

However after learning the truth and what I can do for myself I've been given a better image.

This article on "The Vulnerability of Men" will help you on talking to your husband about circumcision, keeping your kids intact, his feelings etc: www.udonet.com/circumcision/vincent/vulnerability_of_men.html

There are devices that you can use to induce mitosis in the skin to cause growth. These can be worn under the clothes during normal daily activities.Here are some of the products:http://tlctugger.com/products.htm

You can also accomplish the same effect manually depending on how much time you can devote to "tugging".There are some different methods outlined here:http://www.restoringforeskin.org/category/public/manual-tugging

There is a forum for men who are restoring. There are over 200,000 members and all are using different techniques.Here is the welcome page for those just starting out:http://www.foreskin-restoration.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=3

Here is another part of the forum that talks about additional methods such as taping and retaining:http://www.foreskin-restoration.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=7

Here is a great low-cost alternative to buying a retaining device:http://www.restoringtally.com/blog/2009/12/baby-bottle-nipple-retainers

A good reference to have on hand is the Coverage index. It has different coverage numbers depending on how much foreskin a person has or how tightly they were cut. Certain tugging methods work best depending on how much foreskin you have. It's a good reference point to look at the pictures to figure out where you are to start, where you want to stop, and what you can expect along the way.http://www.newforeskin.biz/CI/CIchart.htm

There is an interesting in-depth blog by a man just starting his restoration journey with the TLC tugger device.http://lizarddick.wordpress.com/

For circumcision info, intactivism, and keeping your kids intact, more info on restoration, etc: www.WholeNetwork.org

-By Greg and Bri

Comment

Found this comment this morning while cruising around the internet. Can't say that I don't agree, but maybe Josh put it a little more bluntly than I would have.

(Language NSFW)







Fortunately, Josh, we're not *all* that bad.

In Response to All Fooked Up

Back in December of 2010, Lynn, who writes and publishes a blog called All Fooked Up shared a (what she calls "funny") story with us about a conversation she had with her mother-in-law right after she got married, but before having children. It was about circumcision. It carried the title "In which i shock my mother-in-law".

Lynn says the conversation started about another family member who gave birth to a boy:

MIL: “They (the parent’s) have decided not to circumcise BOY”
Me: “They need to circumcise him”
MIL: “No Lynn, they’ve done a lot of research and they’ve decided not to”
Me: “He definitely needs to be circumcised!”

This goes on for a while until Lynn finally reveals her very important reason for having a baby boy circumcised:

MIL: “I’m not sure that you’re aware of all the new research Lynn”
Me: “The hell with the research. He needs to be circumcised”
MIL: (Starting to get visibly upset…agitated even) “Why? Why do you keep saying that Lynn?” Me: “It’s just really important”

MIL: “WHY? WHY LYNN, WHY?”

Me: “Why MIL? I’ll tell you why!”

Me: “are you sure you want to know?”

Me: “Because...” (wait for it … wait for it!) “… if he doesn’t get circumcised there’s no way that kid is EVER going to get a BLOWJOB!!!”

Let those last words sink in before you go on.


Then, at the very end of this blog post, she writes:

I’ve never had a run in with a guy with a hoodie and I really can’t say whether the kid ever got a blowjob but I was just doing my part, watching out for the welfare of a minor. Do you agree? Or disagree? I really don’t care…I was just asking.

Lynn, care or not, you invited comments.

This all goes back to men being judged and not accepted in this society. Their penises will never be good enough. They are taught to be ashamed of what they have, even before birth. The same attitude that I struggle with every single day, knowing how much damage it does. These messages go in deep.

I'm not a man, but I am a mother. I am a mother of two boys. I have a vested interest in how these attitudes affect men because my boys will one day be men. I have also observed how these attitudes affect relationships, mine included.

We need to get back to basics. Go all the way back to the beginning. Are boys born with "extra" skin because there's no purpose for it? Why are we so arrogant, as a society, that we believe that we need to alter someone else's genitals to fit into our idea of "perfect", despite all the risks that come with surgery, despite that this is not our body to make these decisions, despite causing major emotional and physical trauma to the point of a majority of men in our society regularly display symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome for what was done to them *before conscious memory*?

I say before conscious memory, because they love to remind you that babies won't remember this little "snip". I don't agree. I have been taught that the body, every cell in the body, in fact, holds memory of every trauma that happens. Counseling and therapy teaches this concept. Very important and effective therapeutic techniques have been developed around this whole idea.

If you are physically assaulted before you reach the age of 2, does that mean it won't affect you? If you are drugged and lose consciousness and raped, does that not count?

I propose that the pain and trauma of infant/child circumcision is not only unnecessary, but damaging.

And it enforces the belief that men are not perfect, that their penises are not beautiful, that there's nothing they can do about it, that they will never be good enough.

Also, joking about cutting off pieces of a person's genitals minimizes the trauma the cut individual experiences, sending another message that that person's feelings are unimportant.

Interestingly, Lynn's original post got some attention again recently and attracted some pro-intact comments. Many of the comments were thoughtful and educated. I got the distinct impression, though, that many people did not like the suggestion that circumcision is unnecessary. Lynn followed up with a post dated June 15, 2011 which she titled "In which i respond to the bullshit" (her -lack of- capitalization), implying that having to be forced to have this conversation, or the subject matter, is "bullshit", and therefore is unimportant.

This reflects perfectly the way women are taught to behave in this North American society: shame your men, pick them apart, then when someone speaks up, silence them quickly. Ignore the issue, ignore the shame, ignore the damage that is done to our men, and then tell them not to express any emotion about it! (Example: "Big boys don't cry.")

Lynn also mentions at the very end of the second post that her family is Jewish and her son's circumcision was part of a religious ceremony. I really hate bringing religion into this, so I'll just mention the fact that there are plenty of links here on the blog for anyone to start their own research into the religious aspect. I am certainly not the proper person to present reasons and examples for not doing this for religion. I will, however, say that all children should be allowed the same religious freedom adults enjoy in this country, and be allowed to grow up and make up their own minds about what God they will or will not believe in, and not have to endure permanent marks on their bodies that are a symbol of their parents' beliefs. There are many cases of children growing up to follow a completely different spiritual path than the one in which they were raised:

More than a third of the population practices a religion other than what they were raised in.
(quote: "More than one-quarter of American adults, 28%, have left the faith in which they were raised in favor of another religion, or no religion at all. If change in affiliation from one type of Protestantism to another is included, 44% of adults have either switched religious affiliation, moved from being unaffiliated with any religion to being affiliated with a particular faith, or dropped any connection to a specific religious tradition altogether.")

And yes, Lynn, I have a sense of humor. That's not the point in objecting to your blog post (or "funny story" as you call it) as you suggested with other reader comments. I just don't find anything funny at all about nonconsensual, unnecessary cosmetic surgery on a person too young to understand what is being forced upon them.

And like you are so fond of saying yourself, if you don't like what I have to say, move on. Or, to quote you exactly: "This blog is not for the light-hearted or easily offended. If either one of those descriptions applies to you, I suggest you start drinking before you read this blog. A sense of humor is suggested. If you don't have one that sucks for you... find one and get a life!" I am a person that is extremely hard to offend and if you can't handle this blog's truth about child circumcision, then I suggest to you that you should not be so self-righteous and flippant about cutting up their genitals and assuming what their sexual preferences will be when they grow up.

Disclaimer: I did not write this to try to change Lynn's mind. Her son is grown now and I probably wouldn't have changed her mind anyway. I wrote this in an attempt to dispel some myths and present the fact that this surgery is unnecessary. I am not trying to start an internet war. I want readers to understand why I believe Lynn's story is not "funny", but in fact damaging. You know what is funny? This:

What do a Rubik's Cube and a penis have in common?

The more you play with them, the harder they get.

On that note, I wish you all a fantastic day.



More research:

Psychological Impact of Circumcision

British Journal of Medical Society report

Medical Studies on Circumcision

Brain Waves (MRI) During and After Circumcision

Trauma held in body tissues

Trauma, memory, and cybernetic structure of the mind

Cellular Memory and IET

Jews Against Circumcision

Beyond the Bris

Here's the original entry:

Russell Crowe, Outspoken Intactivist!

Another celebrity has chosen to speak out about the unnecessary horrors of child circumcision.



Russell Crowe recently tweeted:

Russell joins the likes of Howard Stern, Mario Lopez, Colin Farrell, Christopher Hitchens, and many other celebrities speaking out against circumcision.

Visit the facebook page "Celebrities Against Circumcision" or Circumstition's page "Circumcised and hated it" to see more famous people standing up for babies' rights to a whole body.

Updates:

Russell apologizes.

Eli Roth defends his friend.

The Visual Aspects of the Penis

A friend sent me this article. No doubt most of you have already heard of the Weiner scandal, but this article I found particularly interesting because of the attitudes towards men it explores.

I had many personal emotional reactions to what was written in this article, and if you're patient with my explanation, you'll see why it relates to the circumcision issue.

I am a woman. I happen to love the penis. And yes, I happen to love the way they look. I think they're wonderful and quirky and fun. I am obviously a minority in this emotionally damaged society. Why would nature set us up to not enjoy the way our partner looked naked? That would be counter-productive.

Instead, I propose to you that the attitudes presented in this article of women who do not like penises, or do not like looking at penises, is a direct result of our brainwashing to hold men down (figuratively and literally) and mutilate their penises. Men are being taught from birth to not love their own bodies. I am in a unique position, having this blog, because I have heard from many men as a result of publishing this work. The letters that especially touch me are the ones from young men who report having been ashamed of their bodies, of their penises, because either they were circumcised, or they weren't! They can't win in this American society, because no matter what is or is not done to your penis, you get the message no one is going to like it anyway. I am thrilled when I get a letter from a man who simply says to me, "Thank you for saying the penis is attractive. You've made me feel so much better about myself."

Does anyone else see the insanity here? It is being drilled into men's heads their *entire* lives that no matter what they do, their bodies are unattractive, their penises are ugly, they will never be beautiful, and there's nothing they can do about it! How damaging is this message!

To tie all this together, this is a huge reason of why I am an intactivist. We need to give men their power back, the power to love themselves. We have to stop cutting them up in childhood and making them feel that they are not beautiful. We have to learn to rethink this whole issue and realize the penis IS BEAUTIFUL. Look at all this phallic symbol represents: fertility and masculinity and strength. It is not something to be cut forcibly and violently in childhood. We need to stop damaging our men, both physically and emotionally. We need to teach them, and teach ourselves as a society as a whole, that they are beautiful and accept them for how they are and love them.

There are attacks on female sexuality constantly as well, especially in the modeling industry and what comes out of Hollywood, but at least there are many who want to defend female sexuality and help women feel healthy and positive about their bodies. There were campaigns started to help raise awareness of what these attitudes are doing to women. Where are the campaigns to build up men? I propose that intactivism is the largest campaign to help men learn to love themselves.

I believe this is such a basic concept that has far reaching consequences. I believe we need to adjust our thinking and learn acceptance of ourselves in our natural states. Our uptight Victorian attitudes are outdated. It is time to stop allowing the psychological damage these attitudes create. We need to love ourselves and each other.

Progressive Parenting Radio

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New Team Member Marshall

New Team Member Marshall

Please join me in welcoming the newest member of our intactivist blog team, who joins us as a writer.

Marshall is a new intactivist, beginning in mid-April 2011. He is a health-sciences researcher, meaning that he designs biomedical research projects, analyzes the data, and publishes the findings. He has edited a medical journal and published dozens of data-based and review articles in respected journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine and www.intactivists.blogspot.com.

Blog News May 2011

Just a few announcements / updates for all the readers of intactivist.net:

After getting a suggestion from a reader who asked me to look into adding some widgets, the blog now has two new tools available.

A translate option (powered by Google) so that people from around the world can read our message...

as well as a box you can type questions regarding circumcision, intactivism, and restoring. If I don't know the answer, I will do my very best to get it for you!

Please don't hesitate to take advantage of the two new tools available for readers and hopefully these changes will encourage more readers to come here.

We also have a new contributing author who has just joined us. Please look out in the next few days for his bio to be posted.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to say I'm grateful for all the readers and all the links posted all over the internet. I've met some really fantastic people on this journey and look forward to working with more intactivists! Thank you for supporting our efforts!

Blog Glitch

Apologies to the email subscribers for the multiple posts this morning. We've worked out the issue. We apologize for the glitch. :-)

Keratinization and Circumcision Status

Keratinization and Circumcision Status

(NSFW)

Please realize this post is recognized as "Not Safe For Work", or if you have minor children standing behind you. Only scroll down if you are able to view graphic photographs of the male anatomy. This is NOT porn.

Illustration 1, above. The intact penis of a 71 year old Caucausian male pictured above shows preservation of child-like thin, smooth, and shiny purple glans surface tissue substantially unlike shaft skin on the same penis.

Illustration 2, above. The circumcised penis of a 40 year old Caucasian male pictured above shows keratinization in the change of glans surface tissue to rougher, pink, normal body skin similar to shaft skin on the same penis.

The bullet (Illustration 1) and helmet (Illustration 2) shaped glans of the models are two normal variations in glans shape unrelated to circumcision status. It was intended to show the models in substantively the same state of tumescence for fair comparison.

Keratinization: Etiology and Relationship to Age

Etiology — The glans (head) of the penis is a genital structure that is normally protected from external contact by the foreskin of the natural penis. When the penis is modified by amputation of the foreskin, then this natural protection is lost and a process called keratinization proceeds to protect the delicate glans surface tissue from drying and the abrasion of the external environment. In other words, the normally delicate and smooth glans external membrane becomes calloused, or keratinized.

Relationship to Age — Although keratinization is an expected age-related change in the circumcised penis, it is not a manifestation of normal aging in the intact penis, as shown in the illustrations above. We document this fact using men of substantially different ages and opposite circumcision status as models. There is no evidence of keratinization in the 71 year old intact penis, and obvious keratinization in the 40 year old circumcised penis.

Effects of Keratinization

Delayed Clinical Presentation — Although the adaptation of glans surface tissue to exposure to the external environment necessarily begins soon after the trauma of circumcision, the process of keratinization progresses for decades and is rarely, if ever, seen as a source of presenting complaints by the OB-GYN or pediatrician who performs the circumcision surgery.

Loss of Glans Sensitivity — However, there are clinical problems due to keratinization that present long after childhood. This is because in protecting the unnaturally exposed glans, keratinization decreases its sensitivity. Research has documented that many different areas of the intact penis are more sensitive than the most sensitive area of the circumcised penis – which is the circumcision scar itself (see Sorrells, M, et al, ‘Fine touch pressure thresholds in the adult penis.’ The full text of this scientific publicatio­n is available: http://www­.nocirc.or­g/touch-te­st/touchte­st.php ). Thus, there is no question that the glans of the circumcised penis is a less sensitive structure than that of the intact penis.

Sex Partner Complaints — Not only has decreased glans sensitivity been associated with complaints of decreased sexual pleasure in men, their partners also suffer consequences of circumcisions. Anecdotal evidence includes complaints of pounding sex, dry unpleasant sex, and vaginal abrasion or lesions that are commonly heard from older women sex partners of circumcised men. The etiology of these complaints involves loss of penis sheath mobility and loss of glans sensitivity in the circumcised penis.

Erectile Dysfunction — Decreased glans sensitivity has also been associated with erectile dysfunction (ED). Men have complained that sexual stimulation during intercourse has been insufficient for them to maintain an erection firm enough for coitus, and have sought relief through the use of prescription medications for treatment of ED.

Foreskin Restoration

The National Organization of Restoring Men (NORM) lists more than 16 physical attributes of the foreskin and adjacent structures, including the frenulum, that are commonly destroyed by circumcision (The “Lost List”: http://www.norm.org/lost.html ). Among those that NORM considers restorable are glans color and texture, which is a restoration result that reverses keratinization. Thus, NORM cites foreskin restoration results that “… closely mirror natural glans coloration and smooth glossy appearance of the glans seen in intact men.’ In conjunction with this reversal of keratinization, the gliding action of the skin sheath of the penis, which is lost in the circumcised penis and is consequently a common source of sex partner complaints, can be regained as one of the primary benefits of foreskin restoration, providing “… greater levels of comfort and pleasure during intercourse.” For ongoing discussion of foreskin restoration please see http://www.uncutting.tumblr.com and http://www.restoringtally.tumblr.com .

Religiously Compelling

This blog's purpose is not to debate religion, but I realize that many are still circumcising because they believe their religion demands it. I would be remiss if I didn't at least offer the information for you to do your own research. Please keep in mind I am not an expert on religion so therefore will not be able to answer questions that are sent in on this subject. Therefore I am providing the following links to direct you to people who know way more than I do on the subject.

Christians are forbidden to circumcise.

Catholics have no religious requirement to circumcise.

The case against Jews circumcising. Also for Jewish, watch the film Cut.

Does the Qur'an approve circumcision?

Islam forbids disfiguring of the body.

Mormons are not required to circumcise.

Pagans / Wiccans believe in "First, do no harm."

Buddhism has long been known for peacefulness towards all living creatures.

Gnostic Society: Gospel of Thomas (read #53)

More reading material here:

Guggie's Condensed Version of Religion and Circumcision

Breaking News: Santa Monica

A proposal for a ban on circumcision is now filed in Santa Monica.

Quote from a Cut Male

Came across this quote today from a male in the United States who was cut at an age that he remembers his circumcision:

"A BABY SCREAMING (SAYING NO) UNCONSENTING TO THEIR PENIS BEING FONDELED AND MUTILATED QUALIFIES AS SEXUAL ASSAULT. CIRCUMCISION - GENITAL MUTILATION IS SEXUAL ASSAULT."

One Baby's Experience

One Baby's Experience

The following pictures were taken from a slide series depicting a routine circumcision of a newborn infant within a typical hospital nursery setting. These pictures were originally published in the December 1981 issue of The Saturday Evening Post and were provided by The Curtis Publishing Company (subsidiary of The Saturday Evening Post). The accompanying text was written by Rosemary Romberg.


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1.These first two pictures are most important because we must remember that this baby, and every baby, does have a mother (and, of course, a father too). New parents are usually nave and trusting of the medical establishment when they go to the hospital to give birth. They may be overwhelmed by unfamiliar and frightening procedures and equipment. Amidst the emotional upheaval and physical challenge of labor and impending birth, parents often face a bombardment of admittance procedures upon entering the hospital. In this state of excitement and confusion, parents frequently sign circumcision consent forms with scarcely any thought. (In the past many babies were routinely circumcised without any parental consent.) Some medical professionals urge reluctant parents to agree to this operation. Others blindly accept this as one more "cog" in the hospital machinery, and give advice that is vague and neutral at best.

Parents may have heard the long disproven associations of circumcision with disease prevention or cleanliness. A circumcised father may have the idea that his sons penis should "match" his own.

2. It is important to remember that new parents do love their babies and sincerely want to do what is best for them. But usually they know very little about hospital procedures and are shielded from what goes on behind the scenes. Certainly if more parents were shown exactly what will happen to their infants if they undergo circumcision, more parents would think twice about choosing this painful and unnecessary operation.
Some viewers may object that pictures of infant circumcision are "too horrible for parents to see." Again, as I have repeatedly emphasized elsewhere, if infant circumcision is too horrible for adults to see, then it should also be too horrible for babies to experience! Who is it most important that we protect?

3. In this picture the baby is sleeping peacefully in his crib in the hospital nursery, blissfully unaware of the trauma that he will soon experience.

4. This picture also shows him sleeping peacefully, in a row of cribs alongside several other babies.

Each infant, so special to his or her own parents and family, is merely "one in the crowd" in most hospitals.

Hospital personnel in maternity wards see hundreds of new babies every year and can easily forget about the specialness and individuality of each one.

5. Newborns commonly drift peacefully between sleep and blissful semi-awakeness. The newborn infant is innocent and trusting of this world and expects that adults will take care of his needs and protect him from har

6. This picture shows the infant strapped in place to the Circumstraint © board, a specially designed plastic board that is molded with depressions that fit the shape of an infant's body. Velcro straps hold his arms and legs securely in place so that he cannot move. Much of the rest of his body will be covered with sterile drapes to help prevent contamination of the circumcision wound. The baby's genitals have been covered with a brownish antiseptic solution - probably Betadine.

Obviously he does not like his strapped down, vulnerable predicament. Even before the painful operation begins, being restrained in this contraption is frightening and traumatic for an infant who only wants to feel warmth, comfort and security. In the background there are several sterile instruments and a small bowl ready for the doctor's use in performing the surgery.

7. In this picture the doctor appears to be loosening the baby's foreskin from the glans ("head") of his penis. Normally, for almost all newborn infant boys, the foreskin is tightly sealed to the glans and the opening is a tiny "pinhole". If he is to undergo circumcision, the opening must first be enlarged by cutting it and the foreskin must be separated from the glans. This involves forcibly tearing one layer of skin away from another and is extremely painful for the baby.

** Important Note** For parents who are planning or considering leaving their babies intact - some medical practitioners will forcibly retract the foreskins of intact baby boys because they do not understand the normal development of the infant's foreskin. This may happen in the hospital nursery or during one of the baby's office visits. Forcibly retracting a baby's foreskin is painful and is usually what causes the so-called "problems" such as infection or phimosis that are often attributed to non-circumcision. It is NORMAL for an intact baby's foreskin to be tight. If left alone it will loosen gradually of its own accord by the time he is anywhere from a few months to a few years old, or possibly not until his teenaged years. If you leave your baby intact, leave his foreskin alone and be sure to instruct your baby's health care provider to leave it alone as well.

8. Now the sterile drape has been placed over the baby as the little patient cannot anticipate what next awaits him.

9. The sterile drape that is designed for use when a baby is circumcised completely covers the baby's body, leaving only a small hole where his penis sticks out.

Of course all he can do is cry. He cries out of fright, discomfort at being restrained in the Circumstraint , and of course from the pain as the most sensitive part of his body is clamped and cut.

10. The first part of the circumcision operation is called the dorsal slit. Since the opening of the baby's foreskin is very tiny, it must be made larger before the “bell” part of the circumcision instrument can be inserted and the clamp applied.

First a hemostat, a scissors-like clamp, is applied to the end of the foreskin. This smashes and flattens a small length of the skin so that there will be little or no bleeding when the cut is made.

Tweezers are also used to lift the foreskin away from the glans and hold it out as the hemostat is applied.

11. This picture continues to show the dorsal slit procedure and the baby's obvious distress. When skin is pinched, clamped, cut and torn, this causes pain.

The idea that newborn infants feel no pain is absolutely false! In years past mothers were often heavily anesthetized during labor and baby boys were commonly circumcised shortly after birth, so those babies would have had some anesthetic in their systems.

Today most mothers give birth either naturally or with regional anesthetics that have less direct effect on the baby. Also, today, most medical professionals prefer to wait at least a day or two after birth before performing a circumcision.

12. This is another close up shot as the dorsal slit procedure continues.

13. The operation continues as the baby continues to cry. Most babies are not anesthetized for circumcision (although anesthesia is usually administered for more serious, necessary operations performed on infants.)

Some practitioners do give the baby a local anesthetic for circumcision, although its use is tricky and its effectiveness questionable. Most babies scream and cry when they are circumcised. However, a few babies go into a semi-coma state of shock for which the trauma is too intense to cry out.

Adults have sometimes mis-interpreted the lack of crying in these instances as indication that circumcision is not painful for a baby.

14. In this picture the "bell" of the circumcision clamp is applied. This is a small bell shaped piece of metal that fits over the glans ("head") of the penis and under the foreskin before it is cut off.

15. This picture shows the outer clamp applied. There are many different devices used for circumcision. What is shown here is the Gomco © clamp. When this clamp is applied, there is a small hole in it where the baby's penis, the "bell" and the foreskin all fit into place. Once the baby's penis is placed in the hole in the clamp, the clamp is screwed down so that the foreskin is smashed between the metal bell and the outer clamp.

This device is usually left in place for about 5 minutes so that the blood vessels are completely sealed off. After that the outer foreskin is trimmed away with a scalpel and the clamp is then removed. Normally stitches are not required when a baby is circumcised.

16. This shows the baby during the five minute wait while the Gomco © clamp seals off the foreskin.

17. The newly circumcised penis. Normally the freshly exposed glans is bright red like this and will not look like the rest of his skin until after it heals up after several days. When a baby is left intact his glans is normally well hidden under his foreskin and not readily visible. If his foreskin is retracted (again, we urge that this not be done!), his glans will also appear red like this. The glans of an intact older child or adult also looks somewhat pinkish or reddish, distinctly different from that of the circumcised male. The glans of an intact male remains much more sensitive and the intact penis is a much different type of organ. The surface of the foreskin protected glans is similar to the skin in the inside of the mouth or the inside of the vagina. The absence of the foreskin makes what is intended to be an inside organ into an outside organ. The glans of the circumcised individual becomes much thicker, less sensitive, and more like outside skin as it is in constant contact with air or clothing.

The skin of the newly circumcised glans of a newborn baby has just had its outer protective layer torn away and will be raw and sore like the very sensitive new skin beneath a blister. The circumcised baby's penis will be sore for several days and it will sting whenever he urinates. It is advised that he be diapered loosely and have his diaper changed as frequently as possible.

18. In this picture a bandage is being applied to the baby's penis. It is applied in a way that the baby can urinate through the end, and obviously must be changed whenever the baby wets or soils his diaper. Today it is less common for caretakers to bandage a baby's penis following circumcision. Often only a tiny gauze strip saturated with petroleum jelly is applied around the wound. Parents or care providers are usually instructed to apply petroleum jelly or a similar ointment to the wound as it heals. This helps to protect it from urine and makes it somewhat less sore.

19. Now the sterile drape has been removed but the bandage is still in place and the baby is still strapped down to the Circumstraint © board. Another Circumstraint © board awaits in the background for the next baby. Infant circumcision normally takes around 10-15 minutes.

Sometimes medical professionals will circumcise several babies over lunch hour or early in the morning while making their rounds. Hospital nurseries usually have several Circumstraint © boards, various clamps and other equipment used for circumcision on hand.

20. The baby is now lifted up out of the Circumstraint board and is ready to be re-diapered and placed back in his crib, or hopefully be brought back to his mother for comforting. There is a look of betrayal in the baby's expression, especially in his eyes. He now knows that this world is not as safe or harmless as he once supposed. Babies learn from their experiences. Even experiences not consciously remembered later in life contribute to a negative or positive effect on each individual.

We can only speculate what the long term effect of this assault on a baby's body may be, but many have suggested that the tendency for insensitivity, callousness and violence on the part of many males in our society may have its roots in this traumatic operation during infancy. In any event, it is obvious that the infant who is spared the trauma of painful, unnecessary medical procedures will certainly be a much more peaceful, trusting individual.

This alone should be the basis for parents' consideration in leaving their infants whole, peaceful, natural and intact.



For permission to reproduce any or all of these pictures or text please contact:

The Saturday Evening Post
c/o The Curtis Publishing Co.
1100 Waterway Blvd.
Indianapolis, IN. 46202
(317) 633-8841
http://satevepost.org/
info@curtispublishing.com

Rosemary Romberg
13020 Sues Way
Anchorage, AK. 99516
(907) 345-4813
Rosemary@GCI.net

Monica Lunn and intactivist.net received permission from Rosemary Romberg to publish this here.