Parents, protect your babies. 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, February 26, 2012

Zimbabwe News Day: More questions on male circumcision and HIV prevention
An insightful article questioning the male circumcision campaign being waged in Africa. After considering all the evidence, the author concludes that local research is needed. He is particularly concerned with the research showing that the HIV rate increased about 61% for women when they had a circumcised partner. But no one is considering the adverse impact of male circumcision on women. He also points out that several African nations have higher HIV rates for circumcised men than for intact men.

All Voices: Circumcision, PrEP and Vaginal Gel: HIV Prevention Show-Stoppers?
HIV in Kenya: Circumcision, PrEP and Vaginal Gel: HIV Prevention Show-Stoppers?
Absolute and relative risk reduction is discussed with respect to advocates of various HIV related treatments. Before anyone accepts circumcision or other treatments as a way to stop HIV, they should consider all the numbers. The low absolute risk reduction numbers tell a different story than the circumcision advocates want people to hear.

Intact America intactivist blog: Talking Points for Intactivists – Part Two
Part two in a series that provides information that activists can use to educate others about the harms of male infant circumcision.

Edward Virtually: On HIV Prevention as New Justification for Male Infant Circumcision
Some straight-forward thoughts about the several trials promoting the male circumcision campaign in Africa.
 

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Saving Our Sons: Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner Welcome Healthy, Whole Baby Boy
In 2006 Ben Affleck appeared on The Daily Show, where Jon Stewart showed a fake headline about Ben Affleck's stance on circumcision. Chances are, Affleck's recently born son is intact.

EmpowHER: Male Reproductive Disorder: Balanoposthitis
Balanitis is inflammation of the glans (head) of the penis. Posthitis is inflammation of the foreskin. And balanoposthitis a condition in which there is inflammation of both. Medscape.com says that topical antibiotics and antifungals or low-potency steroid creams can help treat balanoposthitis. Male circumcision is not as necessary as previously thought.

Moralogous: The problem with HIV as a justification for circumcision
The claims by advocates of the circumcision campaign in Africa do not hold up under scrutiny. The author puts forth several reasons why the claims are not sufficient to justify genital cutting of males. "The African circumcision and HIV studies are dangerous, immoral and futile, and only make sense if you see them in their historical context: yet another in a long string of diseases that circumcision was supposed to prevent.  We laugh when people joke that masturbation causes blindness, but 150 years ago, doctors really did think that was true, and so promoted circumcision as a way to prevent masturbation which would lead to blindness, epilepsy, and so on.  Today’s focus on HIV is no different."
 

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Intact America Intactivist Blog: Guest Blogger: Alan Cumming!
Actor Alan Cumming is intact. He has a foreskin that was spared because he grew up in a country (the UK) that does not routinely cut off part of the penis of baby boys. Alan writes that his foreskin protects the most sensitive part of his body. He offers a perspective not often seen in American men and tells a story of one delighted young woman upon her first sight of an intact penis.

Salem-News/com: Impact of Male Circumcision on HIV Doubted
The Maravi Post: Flawed studies used to claim circumcision reduces HIV infection
Researchers warn that male circumcision is a dangerous distraction in the fight against HIV/AIDS because there is no more than 1.3% reduction in transmission rates if the man is circumcised. Circumcision advocates have overstated the effect male circumcision has on the HIV acquisition rate. Circumcision advocates have also downplayed the fact that one study, which was stopped early, showed that the HIV rate increased for women if their partner was circumcised. Relying on male circumcision may result in an increase in the number of cases of HIV.

Larys Kaziukonis' Blog: 2012: Infant/children circumcision still accepted in the world
The practice of male infant circumcision is an obvious in-your-face abusive practice. It hurts babies and leave them physically scarred for life. If you "don't see anything wrong with circumcision, then why don’t we tattoo infants?" The author attempts to answer the question, "Why do we accept and allow circumcision?"
 

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Moralogous: A brief history of the foreskin and circumcision
A good treatment of the history of male circumcision. Almost all male mammals have a foreskin. Until about 4,000 years ago, all men had a foreskin and kept it their whole life. Sadly, in today's world, cutting of the male foreskin is all too common. Even worse, we inflict genital cutting on our youngest male children.
 

Friday, March 2, 2012

Yahoo! She Phillipines: Women have better sex with an uncircumcised (uncut or intact) partner
Dr. Diana Sarmiento reports on the recent study that showed both men and women have more sexual satisfaction when the male is uncircumcised or uncut. The better term is intact because that is the natural condition when males are born. The doctor briefly discusses the history of male circumcision in the Philippines. She says that, historically, male circumcision was promoted deliberately to reduce sexual pleasure. She admits that the information that male circumcision is harmful comes too late for most in the Philippines. Sadly, that is also true in the United States because the majority of adult men are circumcised, including me.

Choose Intact: “Since not all men are willing to be circumcised, …” (Part 1)
A rabidly pro-circumcision meta-analysis attempts to answer the question, "What is the best age to circumcise?" without considering if circumcision is even necessary at any age. The authors are all proponents of male circumcision have extensive written about male circumcision. Here, the blogger identifies an outright falsehood in the meta-analysis by showing that boys are NOT born with phimosis.

amednews.com: Male newborn circumcision rate falls to lowest level
A report on the falling rate of male infant circumcisions in the United States. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality shows that the male infant circumcision rate fell from 62.7% in 1999 to 54.5% in 2009. The report says regardless of the accuracy of the circumcision rate, the data shows a clear decrease in the number of male infant circumcisions.

Armenian Medical Network: Can penile cancer be prevented?
With increased scientific knowledge comes the information that male circumcision does not a good way to prevent penile cancer. To avoid penile cancer, practice good hygiene and avoid HPV and smoking. To clean under the foreskin, retract and rinse with water. Do not use soap because soap will dry out and potentially damage the sensitive tissues under the foreskin.
 

Saturday, March 3, 2012

NY Daily News: Infant's death at Maimonides Hospital linked to circumcision
In 2004 a mohel gave several baby boys herpes during a religious infant circumcision. One baby boy died. Last fall, another baby boy died from a similar religious infant circumcision. The ultra-Orthodox ritual, known as metzizah b’ peh, has the mohel removing the blood from the circumcision wound by sucking with his mouth.