"When you Know Better, you can Do Better"

So every few days or so, at least once or twice a week- I get into my intactivist mood. What in the world is an "intactivist"? Intactivists are not anti-circumcision. Intactivists are solely concerned with forced circumcisions of minors and take no position agaisnt the personal choices of consenting adults with regards to their own bodies. It is very important to me as a mother to inform other mothers of the outrageuos procedure America is so socially accustom to doing. Let's all just ask ourselves, WHY? Before we even get to the actual health "benefits" associated with routine infant circumcision. Let's ask, who started this and how did it even come about? I bet you're thinking it started way way back in biblical times. I'm sorry my friend, but that is not true. How did it begin and when? For decades, American doctors have advocated circumcision as a way to reduce risk of inflammations and diseases. In the 1800s and early 1900s, circumcision was promoted, with little evidence, as a cure to such medical problems as bed wetting, blindness, clubfoot, curvature of the spine, crossed eyes, deafness, dumbness, epilepsy, falling down caused by weak muscles, incontinence, nervousness, spinal paralysis and tuberculosis. But perhaps the affliction for which circumcision most famously promised a cure was masturbation. Now, how ridiculous does that sound? Very. How would having a prepuce (foreskin) cause these problems? How would it have anything at all, to do with a penis? It just doesn't make any sense. To me, at least. Some people see doctors as 'Gods", they know "everything" and only do what's best. I've learned from my own lessons trusting doctors, that's just not the case. Doctors are people just like you and me. Sure they have degrees and know all the correct terms for all the body parts but that doesn't mean they know everything. They learn everything from tests, experiments, studies , trial and error.

I know what you're probably thinking... She's just judgemental and likes to defy authority. That's not how i would say it. I would say, I think with both my senses. Common and horse. My high school science teacher explained that saying to me and I have never forgotten. Now, just so we don't get off the topic here... Let's look back at we've come to know so far. One- Circumcision was suggested by doctors just a couple hundred years ago to cure maturbation, most famously. And I can tell you right now, that does NOT work. So then why do parents keep signing for it to be done? Let's explore the tiny itty bitty "benefits" of circumcision dcctors will tell mothers. There's the chance it may prevent STD's. Well, I don't know about your sons, but my infant won't be having any sex. So that's not a concern as a mother for me. Now, when he's an adult and decides to make that decision to become sexually active, he will also have the choice to wear a condom! Cutting his functioning prepuce from his body, that has many reasons for being there is just extreme when a condom can have the same effect, without all the screaming and caring for a wound after being brought into the world. So two- condoms work to prevent std's, no body altering needed. That's a relief!

I am not against circumcision for medically necessary reasons. But doing this to a newborn baby, needs to be justified with exceptional and undoubtful reasons. The baby is strapped down, which is a strange and uncomfortable position after being scrunched up tightly inside the womb for all that time. Here's how the procedure is done... http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xjkd30_infant-circumcision-injection-and-procedure_news This procedure was done with "pain relief". Watching this video when I was pregnant with our son, made me cry hysterically, because I thought that I didn't really have a choice. My fiance was circumcised as an infant and thought it was like a "right of passage" for boys. We argued for months about the topic. I changed my mind immediately after watching how it was done. It isn't just a "snip" from the tip of the penis. It's a ripping, tearing, crushing, clamping and then cutting. After the giant needle is injected to cause an erection. *yuck* After the video, I researched what the foreskin was for and why it was there since everyone called it a "birth defect". Because when I was growing up, my mother told me that my little brother was circumcised and it is cleaner. If this is the case, then why is the foreskin there? I found out so much from actually digging into the facts and so called benefits.
Like this: The foreskin is more than just skin; it is a complex, highly mobile, and beautifully engineered organ composed of an intricate web of blood vessels, muscle, and nerves. In fact, the foreskin contains about 240 feet of nerve fibers and tens of thousands of specialized erotogenic nerve endings of various types, which can feel the slightest pressure, the lightest touch, the smallest motion, the subtlest changes in temperature, and the finest gradations in texture.

Nature has designed the delicate glans (commonly called the head of the penis) to be an internal organ. In the normal, intact penis, the glans is a glistening, rich red or purple color. The foreskin protects the glans and keeps it in excellent condition.

In many ways, the foreskin is just like the eyelid. It covers, cleans, and protects the glans just as the eyelid covers, cleans, and protects the eye. Also, just as the eyelid can open and close to uncover the eye, so the foreskin can open to reveal the delicate glans. The foreskin's inside fold is lined with a smooth red tissue called mucous membrane. This type of tissue is also found lining the lips, the inside of the mouth, and the inner fold of the eyelid. The foreskin's soothing inner fold gently keeps the surface of the glans healthy, clean, shiny, warm, soft, moist, and sensitive.

So there ya have it. It's not "just skin". It is NOT a birth defect. Every mammal in the world has a prepuce or foreskin. Including females. Yes, we have one too! It's our "clitoral hood". It protects our most sensitive sexual organ as well. Now think about this, WHAT IF we lived in a world where little girls were held down and their clitoris was removed, or their clitoris was burned with acid? That would be insane, right? Well, we do actually. Lots of countries practice female genital mutilation in order to prohibit the female of pleasuring herself and feeling sexual pleasure period. To avoid sex before marriage or masturbation. That's crazy right?! Hmmm.... it sounds a bit familiar. It was legal in the United States for girls to be mutilated per the "parents choice". Back in 1997, it became illegal. Somehow BOYS genital rights and integrity were ignored and they are Still being circumcised fresh out of the womb every single day. And every single year at LEAST 117 baby boys DIE for this cosmetic election signed by mother. Am I the only mother who is thinking in her mind, how is this possible? Why are boys seen as imperfect for being natural and whole?

Take this for an example: Your daughter is born, she's beautiful, perfect, and you would never think of harming her. But a doctor tells you its benefical to have her clitoral hood removed after birth to reduce the chances of a uti, yeast infections, bad smells during her menstrual cycle, it will take less time to wash, and of course it will "look better"...? Would you do it? I don't think so. Girls have sooo many more hygiene issues to worry about growing up, than any intact boy would in a lifetime. So why protect her and not him? Doesn't make much sense does it?
The chances of your son dying from complications of circumcision are higher than the chance he will ever need a circumcision for a medical reason. Sounds like keeping him intact is safer. After all, it is his penis. Shall he decide he wants it done as an adult, he can choose to do it himself. And as an adult he will have full anesthesia, he will be choosing, he will be less likely to have an infection during the healing process, and his foreskin won't be ripped from his penis because it will already be retractable around puberty. "Pulling back" the skin or "forefully retracting" it is NOT needed to care for the intact penis. I'm really not even sure who started this myth but I would guess it's because it retracts in adulthood without pain or irritation so it must be done as a baby as well. If only mothers were more educated about how the penis actually grows and works. So why not WAIT for him to decide how it looks and works? I'm not against medically necessary circumcision at all. I just hate the idea that perfectly healthy baby boys are forced to look like their fathers, give a blood sacrifice in the name of a God they don't know even exists, or because some women have never seen a normal intact penis and request a mutilated one instead.

The foreskin is self cleaning just like the vagina. It is literally there to protect any bacteria (the bad kind) from causing infections and uti. If he does get one (like many women and circumcised men do as well)then all he would need is an antibiotic. So that's not a good enough reason to do it.
Some doctors say it can lower the chance of getting penile cancer. But that's a very very rare cancer anyways. A girl has a much much higher chance of getting breast cancer and dying than any man does of getting penile cancer. Whether he's circumcised or not. Breast cancer IS the number one killing cancer of women. I have never seen a mother say she's choosing to have her daughter's breasts removed after birth, so she doesn't have to worry about her getting breast cancer. And that would actually make more sense than RIC. But that would be "crazy". Have I made any sense with this?

The American Academy of Pediatrics says "the benefits of circumcision are not significant enough to recommend circumcision as a routine procedure, and therefore is not medically necessary." Deciding to have your son circumcised is a "personal choice". Quite often it is a cultural, religious and "personal preference" that makes you choose to have it done. Let's think about what all of this means exactly. Well, cultural means that you are doing it because that's what everyone else does or because it's the "cool thing" to do. No thanks! Religious- You choosing your child's religion for him and carving it into his genitals? Sounds good, Not! Sounds a bit crazy, so No thanks! And don't get me started on "it's a personal decision". Think about what that really means. It usually means the person undergoing the procedure or the person being affected by the decision is actually making the decision. Is mommy going through the pain? Is mommy or daddy going to be strapped down and have their parts changed? No. Well, then that answers whether it's a mother or a father's personal choice.

So, now we know some new things about the foreskin and routine infant circumcision. It changes the penis physically, causing it to become an external organ, destroying all the natural functions of the foreskin. Leaving the penis open to dry out and rub against his clothes causing keratinization. It leaves a scar on both his genitals and his mind. Because after all, that was WHY it started in the first place: to scar him enough that he won't touch himself without remembering it. It doesn't reduce stds, condoms do. It isn't "cleaner", either. And you don't "pull it back" to clean underneath. I hear moms say that a lot. You actually do the complete opposite and never retract his foreskin. No, not even just a little. He should be left to do that on his own when he is ready. The AAP states it is not needed for cleansing. Routine Infant Circumcision is cosmetic and steals young boys of their human rights. The first experience they have in their new life is cruel, cold, full of confusion, fear, pain, and shock. You wouldn't have it done to your daughter and daddy doesn't need to match. How many mothers make sure their daughters genitals match theirs? I don't know any. And I mean really, have you ever looked down there with a hand mirror? You may not realize it until you've seen one close up and personal, but the vagina isn't the prettiest thing in the world either.

Now you know how I feel about R.I.C and why I want every mother to take her whole baby home. We must stop this barbaric and cruel tradition in our country. If you're a number person: It is estimated that around 20% of the world's men are circumcised. Not as many as you thought, huh? The majority of these men are Muslims. But this number also includes other areas of the world for medical reasons or cultural reasons in the United States. It also depends on location and age group. For example, in the US, about 85% of males born between 1950 and 1980 are circumcised. (That's a lot!) While only about 45% of males born between 1995 and 2005 are circumcised. It's decreased over the last few decades. Parents are becoming more educated about the male foreskin and mothers are becoming educated about how easy it is to leave your son intact. That was my goal with my fiance. After months of showing and sharing research with him, HE was the one who said "No" when the doctors asked if we were choosing to circumcise our beautiful son. My doctor was relieved, he smiled at us along with the nurses, who thanked us for making the right decision. They said they hated doing it and it was great that we actually researched about it before just going along with what we thought was "normal". That felt SO good! I had imagined I would be arguing with my doctor about it and feel insulted for not choosing to have it done. So it just made my son's birth that much better. We were all happy and healthy. No altering needed in this little family. It took a lot of courage and strength for my fiance to decide to leave our son intact. It's hard to break this family cycle of mutilation. So he's our sons hero, I say. It makes me smile. And that's how it should be. Your first week with your new baby should be happy, calm, relaxed and natural. Not tainted with cleaning an open wound and checking for infection on your sons genitals after every diaper change. That just doesn't sound appealing to me.

So I ask every new mom and every mother who is having another son, to do her research and listen to her heart. Watch the video, read about the foreskin, protect him, don't cut him.

Please take your Whole baby home! He is Perfect the way he was made. "When You Know Better, You Can Do Better."

*If you'd like more info, click the links above: Dr Momma and The Whole Network*