OFFTOPIC: Circumcision

[andyh]

koina57 wrote:
Dear Irene,
Your discomfort about circumcision is healthy! This procedure has many effects, some told, most untold. Circumcision- a big topic, and one of great (and mostly unrecognized) importance, one shrouded in mystery and shame, and, like vaccination and its evils, largely uninvestigated. This might sum it up for you: FOR WOMEN WHO ARE FACING THIS QUESTION FOR THEIR UNBORN SONS BECAUSE THE MEDICAL ESTABLISHMENT PUSHES THIS ON EVERYONE:

HOW WOULD YOU FEEL NOW IF THE HOOD OF YOUR CLITORIS HAD BEEN SURGICALLY REMOVED, WITHOUT ANESTHESIA, WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT, ON YOUR FIRST DAY BREATHING AIR ON EARTH? *

Your answer to this may help you decide, along with the below information.
*(note that there is also a female "circumcision" in parts of Africa which involves worse than this)

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Here is a very brief assessment from one viewpoint. More info below and only a few web links
====POSITIVES REGARDING CIRCUMCISION

-it appears that uncircumcised men are less likely to contract HIV
-foreskin problems in childhood (phimosis, paraphimosis (problems from tight foreskin, which rarely cause serious difficulties) are forestalled
====NEGATIVES REGARDING CIRCUMCISION

*a human being is sexually mutilated forcibly and without consent, within several days of entering the world, and often without anesthesia (formerly always without anesthesia--but anesthesia matters little, it turns out, since anesthesia does not really work anyway in this situation (see below article by Howe).

*This is an unnatural procedure which permanently removes 1/2-2/3 of the skin of the penis and 40 feet of sexually sensitive nerves. The glans dries out, becomes "keratinized" (response by body to protect the dried-out mucous surface) and becomes vulnerable to effects of impact of clothing, which deadens its sensitive nerves, reducing sexual sensitivity increasingly with age.

*Studies or commentary on the following are rare:

-------the effects of this trauma on the sexual life of the male in countries where circumcision is prevalent

-------the effects on the sexual life of the female (the foreskin brushes the clitoris during sex, as nature intended it, enhancing sexual pleasure for the female.) As well, the glans penis is naturally a mucous surface just like the clitoris, and as sensitive; after circumcision it loses its "jacket" and dries out. Without the protection of the foreskin, the senstive nerves of the glans become increasingly deadened with age (primarily via contact with clothing). The male must thrust hard and fast to achieve the same level of pleasure. This is not often necessary
for female sexual pleasure, and is often uncomfortable for the female. So, the result of circumcision is non-optimal sexual pleasure for both sexes.

--------the effects on level of "comfort in the world", defensiveness, and aggression in the circumcised man who has suffered such early trauma stored in nonverbal memory;

--------the effects on intelligence in the circumcised male (there is one article on this in the links at end of this post);

--------the warlike tendencies of countries where circumcision is prevalent. Countries where circumcision is relatively rare (example scandanavian countries) are the most peaceful, intelligent countries in the world... the connection is probably more than just plausible. Circumcision and the aggression of men on the planet are probably intimately related.
=======CONCLUSION:

Circumcision :
*Medical indications for circumcision are rare. Circumcision as an AIDS preventative is available to consenting adults.

*is genital mutilation without consent, permanently handicapping the person sexually and causing physical problems such as lack of sexual sensation, "tight" and painful erections; (as well as) complications at the time of the operation itself.

*is psychologically scarring--traumatizes the infant, leading to future untold problems including psychological sexual dysfunction, aggression, conformism (see cultural study below), lowered intelligence and sense of self, and is possibly one of the root causes of war

*reduces sexual pleasure for men and women

*Thus, circumcision is a primitive, barbaric procedure which degrades the quality of life of individuals and likely affects the health and peace of societies and the world as a whole. That this procedure continues is a statement on the intelligence level of the species, and the tendency of humans to "do what they are told" instead of what is common sense.

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random notes:
--95% of men over 40 were circumcised in US--the current newborn rate is apparently about 50% in US

--because of the general non-discussion or study of (male) circumcision in our culture, most circumcised adult american men were never told anything about what their parents consented to; have NO IDEA what happened to them, what they lost (sexually), how the (still unconsciously buried) trauma has affected their experience of life.

-American medical circumcision removes the entire foreskin--it is a radical removal, commonly resulting in insufficient skin on the penis to later have a comfortable erection as an adult

-Jewish ritual circumcision is apparently not as radical

--Adults having undergone circumcision report significant loss of sexual sensation

--American medical circumcision became "institutionalized" (in this case partly doctors and hospitals got used to the revenue) in the late 1800's ( a sexually prudish time). The original idea was to prevent young sons from habitually masturbating, (something Victorian mothers and fathers may have had a big problem with). Having a prepuce (most American adult men have no idea what this is like) allows a "tube" for masturbation, which many infant boys quickly discover is pleasurable.

--One Victorian-era physician is quoted (paraphrase) as saying: if we don't anesthetize, the pain memory will keep them from masturbating, and remind them that sex should not be a pleasurable thing>

--the typical hospital line to questioning parents is: do you want your son to be "different" than his father, and from most other boys showering in the locker room? (Question: why wouild a professional care to ask such a leading question on an irreversible medical ethics issue not consented to by the infant? Answer: professionals don't think for themselves but repeat what they learn; and doctors and hospitals are PAID for this procedure (which is volume business that, if people remain ignorant about circumcision, is unending repeat business)

--The American Academy of Pediatrics no longer supports medical circumcision at birth (a decision they came to only a few years ago)

--Foreskins from US hospitals are one of the primary sources of collagen used for dermatological cosmetic procedures

-there is a procedure known as foreskin regeneration, which takes about 3 years. It involves using a special set of clips and elastics to place tension on remnant preputial tissue and cause it to slowly grow, resulting (in 3 years) in a "foreskin" (without the original sexual nerves) which serves to cover the glans (which then starts once again becoming moist and more sensitive, although its level of keratinization is probably permanent). This is a laborious procedure (contact NOCIRC for information) but for those whose glans penis no longer has any sensation, is an option for
regaining some sensation)

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file:///Macintosh%20HD/Desktop%20Folder/Is%20Circumcision%20Healthy%3F%20%D1%20No

Is Circumcision Healthy? --No

by Dr. Robert S. Van Howe

Within 48 hours of birth the average
American boy is taken from the warmth and
security of his mother and strapped to a board.
His foreskinÑthe skin that covers the head of the
penis (the glans), serves to protect the penis
from irritation and infection, and has the highest
density of specialized sensory nerves of that
organÑis torn from the glans. Then a bell-shaped
device is lowered onto the fresh wound and a
thumbscrewlike apparatus is applied. This is
tightened until the foreskin is amputated. The
discarded nerves would have enabled sensations of
fine touch, temperature, and pleasure. All that
remains is an open, throbbing wound with nerves
that eventually will enable only sensations of
deep pressure and pain.
During the operation, the infant's blood oxygen
drops. His heart rate and cortisol level (a
measure of stress) shoot up. His crying becomes
high-pitched, such that one would observe only
when a baby is in intense pain. Then he may
completely dissociate (a response similar to
severe posttraumatic stress disorder) and become
quietÑgiving up because no one has rescued him.
Immediate complications of the operation can
nclude hemorrhage (sometimes fatal or requiring a
blood transfusion); minor infections; deadly
infections such as meningitis, gangrene, and
septicemia (blood poisoning); partial or complete

amputation of the penis; urinary retention leading
to renal failure; and rupture of the bladder or
stomach. (continued on page 27)

The vast majority of neonatal circumcisions are
performed without anesthesia. Using local
anesthesia during the operation has been
disappointing. Research has shown that local
anesthesia does not prevent, but merely moderates,
the cortisol elevation. Furthermore, local
anesthesia does not affect postoperative pain,
such as that due to the newborn's urinating and
defecating into the open penile wound. In any
case, the external application or injection of any
local anesthetic involves risk to the patient.

After the operation the baby, exhausted and
apprehensive, is returned to his mother. He has
difficulty quieting down after disturbances. The
time he spends in dreamless (non-REM) sleep is
increased. He is less available for interaction
with his mother. This hinders the establishment of
breast-feeding and maternal bonding and thus leads
to weight loss and jaundice. Once he has been
brought home, the baby's risk of certain local
skin problemsÑpenile infections, inflammation of
the penile meatus (passage), and narrowing of the
meatus, for exampleÑis higher than that of
noncircumcised infants. Half the time, his glans
will not be fully exposed and this will prompt
further surgery.

The operation's psychological impact on newborns
is largely unknown, but performing circumcision
without an anesthetic has enabled studying the
parameters of extreme pain in experiments that
researchers would have been prohibited from
performing on lab animals. Researchers who have
studied such parameters in infants have concluded
that newborns are more susceptible to painful
stimuli than are older infants.

Recent research suggests that the operation may
have long-lasting effects on the patient's
perception of and sensitivity to painful stimuli.
The main structures for memory are functional in
newborns, and remembrance of pain may figure in
pain perception later. For days after the surgery,
the circumcised boy will experience a greater
change in heart rate when his blood is drawn than
will a noncircumcised boy. And regardless of
whether an anesthetic was used during
circumcision, he will cry louder and longer during
inoculations months later.

Boys circumcised when they were five years old
showed a decrease in IQ, feelings of insecurity
and inferiority, sexual identification
disturbances, regressiveness, an increase in
self-aggression, and other psychological problems
after the operation. The children perceived the
operation as castration and perceived females as
responsible for the act.

The adverse effects of circumcision on self-esteem
and body image appear to increase with age, as
circumcised men entering their forties and fifties
are increasingly expressing dissatisfaction.
Circumcised men report suffering from premature
ejaculation, impotence, bleeding at the scar site
during erections, desensitization of the glans,
pubic hair on the shaft of the penis, painful
intercourse, and decreased lubrication. While such
evidence is largely anecdotal, the need for
further research is clear.

In a recent University of Chicago study,
researchers discovered that circumcised men
engaged in masturbation and oral and anal sex more
often than did noncircumcised men. This suggests
that they may be in search of greater direct
stimulation than that afforded by coitus. The
Committee on Bioethics of the American Academy of
Pediatrics and the American Medical Association
Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs consider
it unethical to perform nonemergency surgery on
individuals who (continued on page 29) are unable
to consent. Isn't it prudent to let the person
with the foreskin decide whether to have it
removed?

Circumcision was introduced as a routine medical
practice a century ago to eradicate masturbation
and all the illnesses then associated with
masturbation, including epilepsy, hydrocephalus,
idiocy, and paralysis. Circumcision is still
promoted as a "health" measureÑand continues to
fall short of its billing.

Advocates of circumcision claim that the operation
prevents balanitis (inflammation of the head of
the penis) and ensures genital hygiene. But not a
single study reported in the medical literature
supports these claims. On the contrary, studies
indicate that balanitis affects circumcised and
noncircumcised males equally And it may not be
coincidental that the United States, where 80 to
90 percent of the males are circumcised, has one
of the highest rates of sexually transmitted
diseases and HIV infection in the world: New
findings suggest that circumcised men may be more
at risk of contracting syphilis, gonorrhea,
nongonococcal urethritis, chlamydia, genital
warts, and genital herpes. Moreover, the results
of combining the data from the 28 published
studies comparing HIV status to circumcision
indicate that circumcision puts a man at a
significantly higher risk of HIV infection.

Penile cancer is more common in the United States
than in Denmark, Japan, and NorwayÑcountries in
which fewer than 2 percent of the men are
circumcised. Research has repeatedly demonstrated
that penile and cervical cancer result from viral
(human papillomavirus) infection and smoking.
Indeed, in 1996 officials of the American Cancer
Society stated: "Perpetuating the mistaken belief
that circumcision prevents cancer is
inappropriate."

Whether urinary tract infections (UTIs)Ñuncommon
in boys overallÑare more common in noncircumcised
boys is undetermined. The studies published to
date that have suggested a higher incidence of UTI
among the noncircumcised had methodological flaws:
Confounding factorsÑfor example, hygiene habits,
outpatient treatment, modes of urine collection,
socioeconomic status, race, prematurity, and
perinatal healthÑwere not taken into account. Any
one of the confounding factors could explain the
UTI-incidence differenceÑa difference of less than
1 percentÑbetween circumcised and noncircumcised
boys.

Four studies have shown an increase in UTI risk in
circumcised boys during the first week after the
operation. No studies have linked the foreskin to
serious kidney disease. On the contrary, the data
suggest that kidney problems are more likely in
circumcised boys with UTIs than in noncircumcised
boys with UTIs.

According to published cost-utility analyses,
routine neonatal circumcision (a) is not
cost-effective and (b) adversely affects general
health. Neonatal circumcision and its aftereffects
cost the United States $500 million to $800
million annually.

An objective examination of the published findings
on circumcision in the scientific literature leads
one to conclude that circumcision does more harm
than good. The scientific community needs to study
properly the psychosexual, human-rights, and
long-term medical impact of circumcision. Until
the full range of harm is known, prudence demands
a moratorium on the surgery.

Robert S. Van Howe, M.D., practices general
pediatrics in northern Wisconsin with the
Marshfield Clinic. He is a clinical instructor at
the Medical College of Wisconsin and a consultant
to the American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force
on Circumcision.
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http://www.nocirc.org/publish/ (illustrations missing from the below text file)

What is circumcision?

Circumcision is the cutting off of the fold of skin that normally covers
the glans of the penis. This double layer of skin, the prepuce, is
commonly known as the foreskin.

Infant Penis

1 Foreskin's outside fold
2 Foreskin opening
Adult Penis
1 Foreskin's outside fold
2 Meatus
3 Glans
4 Frenulum
5 Foreskin's inner fold
6 Ridged band and mucocutaneous junction

Why is the foreskin there?

The foreskin comprises as much as half or more of the penile skin
system and has three known functions: protective, sensory and sexual.

During infancy, the foreskin is attached to the glans and protects it
from urine, feces, and abrasion from diapers. Throughout life, the
foreskin keeps the glans soft and moist and protects it from trauma
and injury. Without this protection, the glans becomes dry, calloused
and desensitized from exposure and chafing.

Specialized nerve endings in the foreskin enhance sexual pleasure.

The foreskin may have functions not yet recognized or understood.
"The foreskin protects the glans throughout life." - American
Academy of Pediatrics
When and why did doctors in the U.S. start circumcising babies?

Doctors in the English-speaking countries started circumcising babies
in the mid-1800s "to prevent masturbation," which was blamed for
causing many diseases, including epilepsy, tuberculosis and insanity.

Other reasons have been given since then, but all of them, including
the claim that circumcision prevents cancer of the penis, cancer of the
cervix and venereal diseases, have been disproven. We now know that
the foreskin is a normal, sensitive, functional part of the body.

If my son isn't circumcised, won't he be teased?

Raising an intact boy should include empowering him to
compassionately respond to anyone who might ever tease him about
being normal and whole.

Is circumcision painful?

Yes. Circumcision is extremely painful -- and traumatic -- for a baby.
Just being strapped down is frightening for a baby. The often repeated
statement that babies can't feel pain is not true. Babies are as sensitive
to pain as anyone else. Most babies scream frantically when their
foreskins are cut off. Some defecate. Some lapse into a coma. The
reason some babies don't cry when they are circumcised is that they
can't cry because they are in a state of shock. Most babies are
circumcised without an anesthesic. Anesthetics injected into the penis
don't always work. Being stuck with a needle in the penis is itself
painful for a baby, just as it would be for anyone else. Babies are
rarely given pain medication right after they are circumcised or
during the week to ten days it takes the wound to heal. Pain
medication is not always effective and is never 100% effective.

Does circumcision have risks?

Yes. Like any other surgery, circumcision has risks. They include:

Excessive bleeding

Infection

Complications from anesthetics

Surgical mistakes, including loss of glans and loss of entire penis

Death

Many circumcised males suffer from:

Extensive scarring

Skin tags and skin bridges

Tearing and bleeding at the scar

Curvature of the penis

Tight, painful erections

Difficulty ejaculating

Impotence

Feelings of having been violated

Feelings of having been mutilated

All circumcised males lose some or most of the sensitivity in their
glans and all of the sensitivity in their foreskins.

Circumcision may have risks and complications not yet recognized or
understood.

"Nature is a possessive mistress, and whatever mistakes she
makes about the structure of the less essential organs such as
the brain and stomach, in which she is not much interested, you
can be sure that she knows best of the genital organs. - Sir
James Spence
"Routine circumcision is not a medical issue or a social issue.
It is a sexual issue and a human rights issue." - Frederick
Hodges
How is circumcision done?

Most parents don't know what is actually done to a baby when he is
circumcised. The baby is placed spread-eagle on his back on a board
and his arms and legs are strapped down so that he can't move. His
genitals are scrubbed and covered with antiseptic. His foreskin is torn
from his glans and slit lengthwise so that the circumcision instrument
can be inserted. Then his foreskin is cut off.

Most parents who see what is done to a baby when he is circumcised
and how he reacts decide against circumcision and let their baby keep
his foreskin intact.

Parents have new concerns

More and more parents -- including Jewish parents -- are questioning
the wisdom of subjecting their baby to the pain and risks of
circumcision and its life-long consequences. More and more parents
are wondering if they have the right to consent to the irreversible
amputation of a healthy, normal, sensitive, functional part of their
baby's penis -- an amputation that experts regard not just as
"unnecessary," but as contraindicated. More and more parents are
becoming truly informed and, as a result, more and more parents are
deciding against circumcision and are keeping their baby boys intact.

"The best reason to let a baby keep his foreskin intact is that
it's almost a certainty that he will be glad you did." - John A.
Erickson
"Many parents today realize that if they had been given
accurate information about circumcision they would never
have let anyone circumcise their baby. I am one of those
parents, and that is why I do the work I do, and why I have
written this pamphlet." - Marilyn Fayre Milos, R.N.
More information can be found at:

NOCIRC and

Circumcision Information Resource Pages

NOCIRC pamphlets: 50 cents each or $25/100 (same or mixed) plus $3
S/H. Five different pamphlets: $2 and business-size SASE with 55
cents postage.

The NOCIRC Resource Guide lists the pamphlets, books, articles,
newsletters and videos available from NOCIRC, and other resources
as well. Included as one of the five pamphlets above or free for SASE.
National Organization of Circumcision
Information Resource Centers
Post Office Box 2512
San Anselmo, CA 94979-2512 USA
Telephone: 415-488-9883
Fax: 415-488-9660

www.nocirc.org

The information in this pamphlet is not meant to replace the care and
advice of your pediatrician.

11/97

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Articles/Links
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*Paper: Circumcision, A Riddle of American Culture

http://www.nocirc.org/symposia/first/riner.html
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*Infant Circumcision Causes Serious Psychological Damage

http://www.circ-info.org/psydamag.htm
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*Fathering Magazine: Circumcision Forum

http://forum.fathermag.com/circ/048/forum/
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*1965 Study on the Psychological effects of Circumcision: (BRITISH JOURNAL OF MEDICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Volume 38: Pages 321-31, December 1965.)

http://www.cirp.org/library/psych/cansever/
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*A Biocultural Analysis of Circumcision, SOCIAL BIOLOGY, Volume 44, Pages 265-275,
Fall-Winter 1997.

http://www.cirp.org/library/psych/immerman2/
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*Female "circumcision" (various ritual procedures, including removal of glans clitoris) --article

europa.eu.int/comm/development/publicat/ courier/courier181/en/en_078.pdf

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