Say no to circumcision - support intactivism. The following list includes blogs, articles, and websites of interest to Intactivists that were published in the past week. This is a running tally of the ones I found interesting.
 

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Sunday Nation: Circumcision not enough to stop HIV, experts warn experts
Although circumcision has been touted as one of the ways to prevent HIV infection, recent findings show an increase in HIV infection in regions where most males are circumcised. According to findings of the Kenya Aids Indicator Survey (Kais) released last week, North Eastern and Coast provinces, where 97 per cent of males are circumcised, registered an increase in HIV prevalence.

Cancer Care Tips: Circumcision and Cervical Cancer
Circumcision was once thought to protect women from cervical cancer but we now know that this is not true. Painful infant circumcision has no medical benefit and should be discouraged except in special cases.

The Guardian UK: NHS urged to offer circumcisions to avoid botched operations
A study finds that many children of Muslim parents require medical care after circumcision. The NHS in the United Kingdom is urged to provide circumcisions for such families, but public sentiment is that circumcision is a cosmetic surgery and should not be provided by the government as a service.
 

Monday, July 12, 2010

Male Circumcision and HIV: Circumcision lobby launches attack on Latinos, resorts to ethnic stereotypes
A critique of a biased study that attempts to justify male circumcision for Hispanics. The researchers interviewd medical providers who, except for the Mohel, questioned the efficacy of male circumcision for reducing STDs, including AIDS. As expected, the Mohel was all for circumcision. The pro-circumcision authors believe that the providers need to change their attitude.

Care2: Pediatricians Finally Reject All Female Genital Mutilation
A discussion of the AAP policy reversion back to an anti-FGM stance. The auther, an OB/GYN, states that a common question is why do we allow male circumcision but not female circumcision. She advocates loving ourselves just the way we are.
 

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Em & Lo: Your Call - Are Womens Ethical & Erotic Preferences About Circumcision in Line?
A reader wonders if women who are against infant circumcision prefer sex with an intact man. The question is if cultural sexual preference is consistent with a desire for genital integrity.

Male Circumcision and HIV: J. Steven Svoboda: Circumcision Lawsuits
A video interview of lawyer J. Steven Svoboda of the Attorneys for the rights of Children (ARC). The Lawyer describes two lawsuits that involved circumcision.
 

Thrusday, July 15, 2010

Newsday Zimbabwe: Mass circumcision — let’s put down blades for more research
Finally, a voice of reason! The author questions the efficacy of male circumcision given the conflicting real world data. He points out that the foreskin has advantages and its removal by circumcision creates its own problems. Also, areas that have high circumcision rates also have higher HIV rates than areas with less circumcision.
 

Friday, July 16, 2010

A Gift Universe: Why my son is intact
A mother lists reasons why she did not let her son be circumcised at birth. She also provides a response to those that would argue for cutting off the sex organ of an infant boy. I like this woman. She is very thorough with her list of reasons to leave boys intact, that is, whole and not circumcised.

Earthy Mother: Spending the day next to a victim of circumcision
A mother describes her experience at the hospital where she witnessed the aftermath of an 18 month old boy (not her son) who had undergone corrective surgery for a botched circumcision. Reading her account was as painful to me as watching a circumcision video. Why do parents continue to subject their kids to unnecessary surgery like circumcision?
 

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Sex Secrets: Have More Pleasure during Sex with Circumcised or Uncircumcised Men?
There are three common complaints from American women about sex: vaginal dryness, vaginal discomfort or pain, and difficulty achieving orgasm during intercourse. In my opinion, all three of these problems are not the womans fault at all. Those problems exist almost entirely because her partners penis is missing its foreskin, that is, he is circumcised.

Gloria Lemay: Do Babies Feel Pain? This one does
Gloria comments on a picture of a baby boy who is undergoing an infant circumcision. The boy is obviously in pain as his foreskin is forcibly removed.

International Coalition for Genital Integrity: Promotion of Male Circumcision at AIDS 2010 Vienna Is a Dangerous Mistake
The human rights group Intact America, in cooperation with the International Coalition for Genital Integrity (ICGI), is exhibiting at the AIDS 2010 conference in Vienna, Switzerland, this coming week. Both groups are urging policy makers to halt the male circumcision rollout, calling the plan exorbitant, dangerous, and unethical.

Bhakti Birth & Bodywork: Pain processing in newborn infants/The pains of Youth (repost)
Repost of an article discussing how infants process pain. A common reply by those supporting infant circumcision is that babies do not feel pain like adults. BUNK! That makes as much sense as the excuse that "they won't remember it."