Why I Don’t Go With The Flow

Interestingly, you would think this blog would be a hub for parent’s choice advocates, parents who are upset about being bullied, and people looking for some information about intactivist claims.  Instead, it’s usually a hate read, or a way for certain intactivists (like Brother K, for example) to pretend to be victimized.  It’s a place to solidify outrage.  But why?  I’m not lying about anything.  The questions about Carol weren’t an attack, merely someone finally asking the questions a lot of people have quietly been asking each other (and by the way…a picture of a sandwich and a video of a male and female voice with the camera pointed at a Facebook page?? L.O.L) for awhile now. The bad behavior shown here is not photoshopped, or made up.  It’s just a light shined.  Yes it’s a one-sided story.  But a lot of the time, there really is no excuse for that bad behavior.  And it shouldn’t be excused.

This is a legitimate advocacy.  I want to see it succeed.  I know some people will say that I’m some sneaky snake or an intactocop (a word used to prevent self-correcting).  That’s because I’m not going with the flow, I’m not sitting down and shutting up, and I refuse to.  Anti-circumcision advocacy should be better than this.  Those voices shouldn’t be the overwhelming voices, shouting down the more reasonable advocates.  Read nearly any mainstream media piece about intactivism (or the comments section in any story about circumcision) and intactivists look unhinged.  Why would I want to be a part of or excuse that kind of behavior?

When an advocacy has more in common with extremist anti-abortion advocates, including threats of violence, that’s an advocacy I’m not ashamed to speak out against.  And the thing is?  That kind of advocacy isn’t the majority of anti-circumcision voices.  If I’m not highlighting your behavior, I’m not talking about you.  If you’re getting offended on behalf of someone else because they’re ‘saving babies’, you need to really consider that.  Really think about it.  Sure, it does work sometimes.  But it certainly hasn’t done much to change the numbers significantly over the last decade, which is about the point the advocacy got really aggressive.  Keep in mind, the majority of your audience is simply reading silently.  It’s only a small portion of the people that are actually reading that will be interacting with you.  How do you think most people react to people raging at them, threatening them, calling them ‘cutters’, telling them their abusing their children, raping their children, that they themselves should be mutilated and raped, and ascribing essentially every negative action by a person to them being circumcised?  Yes there is room for aggressive advocacy, but there isn’t room for it to be shouting down more moderate, information-based advocacy.

We also know that fear-based approaches don’t work.  Over-emphasizing risks and minimizing benefits (to the point that many claim there are none) is a fear-based approach. It’s also not a truthful approach.  The best evaluation of the current science is that there are few benefits, fewer risks, and it is unnecessary.  That is hard to hear when you’re being told over and over and over that circumcision is the biggest atrocity perpetuated on helpless infants, that doctors are just out for your money and don’t care about their patients, and that there’s some big conspiracy to keep circumcising infants to steal their foreskin for face creams.

Finally, there is the all-too-common anti-Semitic attacks on Jews.  Claiming that because members of the AAP taskforce were Jewish that they are biased, for example.  Well, Jews don’t proselytize.  They don’t want Goyim circumcising.  That is their covenant with their G-d.  It is an important covenant that cannot be replaced with a made up ceremony.  And yes, some very ultra-orthodox Jews engage in a practice called metzizah b’peh.  This is oral suctioning of the blood from the infants penis.  Yes I find it abhorrent.  But presenting it as a common practice in Brit Milah is bullshit.  And that doesn’t even begin to address the claim of the ‘traditional Jewish circumcision’.  Most intactivists don’t know anything at all about Judaism, but they want to tell Jews how to be Jews.

Lastly, the constant comparison to FGC.  It is done to shock, because most people know the picture painted by anti-FGM advocates instead of those who study it.  They picture a 14 year old girl thrown down and having her genitals cut out and sewn up shut, leaving only a small hole for menses and urine, for her husband to cut open when he takes her virginity.  Then the intactivists yell about how that’s not the most common type.  But that’s the reason they use the comparison, because they want to transfer that same horror onto infant circumcision in the US, which really isn’t comparable and which really is less invansive.  But yes, there are methods of FGC that are less invasive, like in Malaysia.  Yes, that is true.  And yes, people are still horrified by even that, despite it being less invasive.  Because they are trained not to think critically when it comes to FGC.  Trying to take the horror from a procedure that is, in most ways, completely incomparable to male circumcision in the US, is disingenuous.

These are my biggest issues with the advocacy.  Not the basis of the advocacy.  The attitude.  The aggression.  The parroting of information (accurate or not).  The lack of self-correction.  The lack of critical thought.  The constant confirmation bias.  The Dunning-Kruger effect. The threats.  The echo-chamber.  The refusal to converse with people who don’t agree with their tactics.  The labeling and shunning of ‘other’.  The violent language.  The willingness to lie.  The bullying.  The harassment.  Not the fact that they are against infant circumcision.

Because I am against infant circumcision.  I want it to be widespread knowledge that infant circumcision isn’t necessary.  I want people to willingly choose not to do it, not have their hand forced because advocates are impatient.  I want advocates to leave Judaism and Brit Milah alone, no matter how much they don’t agree with it (AND NO, THERE IS NO RELIGIOUS REQUIREMENT TO CUT A GIRL).  I want solid science used.  I want advocates to know how to understand the science, and how to use it effectively, not to parrot what they see on Dr. Momma.  Not to post idiotic memes.  Not to regurgitate un-sourced claims.  Not to repeat lies pulled straight out of the ass of Dr. Fleiss.  Not to rely on the well-meaning-but-erroneous math of Dan Bollinger.  Not to bully well-meaning parents or cuss out well-meaning doctors.  Not to threaten people or use violent language.

I want to see anti-circumcision advocates to use critical thinking, including critical thinking of their information and their tactics.  Because I think what they are doing now is failing to accomplish anything.  That makes me angry and sad.  I want them to succeed.  But that isn’t going to happen through fear, and anger, and lies.  Please.  You are better than this.

The Dehuminization of Mr. and Mrs. ‘Cutter’

When I read intactivism threads, which isn’t often lately, I noticed a near constant trend of dehuminization of the ‘other’.  It does tend to occur mostly, but not exclusively, by intactivists against parents who circumcise, parents choice advocates, and anti-intactivism advocates like myself.  (I do tend to stay off of other websites lately but not exclusively,  however, because the sheer amount of advocacy on Facebook by people using their real names the time spent is much greater there).

 

There have been a lot of posts lately, that have addressed intactocopping.  That is when one intactivist tells another what to do.  In true hypocritical fashion, it is completely acceptable when levelled against someone telling an aggressive intactivist to quit calling well-meaning parents rapists, but totally and completely UNacceptable when levelled against someone aggressive telling an intactivist working together with non-intactivists they’re ‘sleeping with the enemy’ (yes someone keeps being told that only because they are actually willing to have a conversation with people who think differently).  In other words, aggressive behavior is groomed by those who are fond of the term, and working together is sharply frowned upon and those doing it are to be shunned.

 

How does that relate to this post? Because that is the other group of people that are dehumanized by these aggressive intactivists.  If you are not using their tactics, not only do they now consider you against them, but also a full-fledged target.    A shorter way to say this is that any who do not think of this as a war are NOT welcome by these types of intactivists…brother k, holly de leon, brian herrity, william ortega, etc.   You join, you ‘fight’, or you are a target.

 

The intactivists who do not want to be in a war, they are supporting the now-targeted.  And they themselves, in doing this, will become targeted too.  But they have INTEGRITY.  They know this is not what they support and they will not cross that line just to increase their status.

 

This must stop.  This kind of activism accomplishes nothing.  They form multiple groups soley for talking about this or that other group of activists, again, dehumanizing them.  Trying to shore up their position above or better than that group.

 

They set up secret ‘boot camp’ groups whose goal is literally to make men hate their body in order to recruit them into intactivism.  They teach other activists how to overcome men to make them loathe their own bodies, just to bulk up their numbers.

 

They lie.  They ostracize.  They rob you of your self-esteem and then they demand you do it their way.  And if you will not?   You are a target.

 

Tell me, activists.  Is this what and who you want to be?

Propacandy

Ahhhh Halloween! That special time of year when children dress up as their favourite superheroes, cartoon characters, ghouls and goblins and then embark on a door-to-door journey to gather candy. Sure, adults and teens use it as a convenient excuse to dress up, party and binge drink, but kids tend to be the main revellers with their sugar filled goodie bags and the excitement of getting to stay up late.
Despite Halloween being about costumes, candy and the veil lifting between the living and the spirit worlds, there exists a special breed of asshole that also emerges this wonderful time of year.
I’m not talking about the people who give out mini toothpastes, raisins or those gross molasses candies (seriously. People actually like those?!). Nor am I referring to the people who don’t turn off their porch light or put up a sign indicating they’re not participating in giving out candy, and then react rudely when people ring their bell. No, I’m talking about those assholes who slip bible verses, pro life pamphlets or other political propaganda into young children’s loot bags.
This is nothing new, of course. Growing up, it seemed like every town had that one house that parents and their trick or treaters would skip past. Thanks to social media today though, a lot more attention has been brought around these proselytizing idiots who use Halloween to push their cause du jour.
What was once mainly the domain of relgious fundamentalists, handing out propaganda has been adopted by everyone from anti-vaxxers to PETA activists. And now, intactivists are getting in on it, too. You know, because it works so

well.

Yes, much like how anti-choice protestors think they are “counselling” the women they scream at, harass, shame and bombard with blatantly false information, intactivists are “educating” young children and their parents by handing out “information”. Said information procured, no doubt, from biased intactivist websites that cite no credible studies, facts or resources. Not that hardcore intactivists like Hollie Redinger are concerned with facts, mind you, but who needs facts when you have hysteria and hyperbole? Loling forever at 50% of your penis missing..

Speaking of Hollie, it seems as though her idea to use a much loved holiday to push her cause onto young children has caused a stir on her page. When one of her followers informed her (correctly) that people would get upset at her putting intactivist shit in kids bags, she threw a tantrum and flooded the thread with memes and berated the dissenter. Telling the poster she wasn’t a REAL activist (only a “hobby” intactivist) and then another follower accusing her of trying to tell her there was only one right way to be an intactivist (the hypocrisy is truly stunning). All because the poster didn’t think it was doing the cause any good to emulate rabid bible thumpers by handing out bullshit on Halloween.

Hilariously enough, Hollie used a meme that featured Albert Einstein, a circumcised Jewish male. Oh the irony.

The poster is right, though. Parents don’t appreciate strangers putting political garbage in their child’s treat bags. Let alone strangers putting pamphlets talking about penis, foreskin and sexual function in the bags of young children. This is grossly inappropriate, and the excuse that it’s “for the parents” doesn’t fly. That’s bullshit. Intactivists push the importance of targeting young people and “planting the seed.”

They target kids in particular like most fundamentalist fucksticks do, because kids don’t have the means to think critically about these issues and often believe most anything adults tell them. As opposed to adults, who ask for evidence backing up your claims. Gee whiz. Sounds kind of exploitive, manipulative and cowardly when you put it that way. Adults are about as likely to take your stickers and pamphlets on circumcision as seriously as they would pro life junk mail. Which is to say they won’t, and suddenly you wake up to a well deserved egged house. You’re not going to convince anyone, even if some people agree with the sentiment I guarantee they still don’t appreciate activists using Halloween as a platform. So if you think putting stickers on candy,

posting inflammatory signs aimed at children in your yard,

or doxxing/harassing people on the streets or internet

will change the hearts and minds of your target audience, then you’re as delusional as those people who think doing the same shit will lead others to God.
So hand out the goddamned candy, and for just one day keep the political bullshit to yourself. Don’t be a Halloweenie.

Foreskin for sale

A common canard of intactivists is that foreskins are commonly sold.  The actual truth is that it’s produced with fibroblasts.

 

Similar to how vaccines contain “aborted babies!!!!!” There’s a lot of emotion and very little fact.

 

Sure, products are made using foreskin cells.  The cool thing about science is that with a small tissue sample, tons and tons of tissue can be grown.

 

 

So no, doctors aren’t chopping off foreskins for fun and profit, earning money once with the procedure and again by selling the foreskin.

 

Similar to the fetal cell lines used in vaccines, the tissues grown don’t require any new ‘donations’.

 

The more you know.

NCFM refutation

Stephen Moreton, PhD guest post

In July the National Coalition For Men (NCFM) sent an open letter to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation attacking the Foundation’s support for circumcision in Africa as part of the drive against HIV there.  The letter was co-authored by Peter Adler and Steven Svoboda of “Attorneys for the Rights of the Child”, though signed only by Harry Crouch of the NCFM.  You can see a copy here:

 

http://www.arclaw.org/our-work/letters/arcs-adler-and-svoboda-write-letter-about-hiv-and-circumcision-ncfm-sends-gates

 

It is bad even by intactivists’ standards (assuming they have standards, not so sure having read this latest effort).  They say it took months of painstaking research to write.  It took me about ten hours spread over a week to demolish.  Naturally I have sent a copy to the Foundation but am not optimistic they will take much notice (their website actually says not to send them unsolicited materials).  As intactivists have begun linking to the NCFM open letter in forums there is a need for an on-line rebuttal.

Annotated version of the NCFM’s open letter to The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  Original text in normal font, annotations in bold.

Everyone should applaud how your Foundation is funding proven methods to slow the spread of HIVand AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, including testing, teaching the so-called ABC’s (Abstinence, Be Faithful, and Condoms), retroviral therapy, treating schistosomiasis (which causes vaginal bleeding) and STDs, and helping to lead the search for an HIV vaccine. It is time, however, for your Foundation to stop funding the scientically, morally, ethically, and legally unjustified program to circumcise 38 million African men as an HIV preventive strategy. After seven years and 6 million circumcisions, your program has failed.

On the contrary, it is working (Auvert et al, 2013).

1

Biased, Deeply Unethical Trials and Buried Results. The mass male circumcision program is being justified based on four random controlled trials (RCTs) conducted in sub-Saharan Africa. The RCTs suffered from numerous ethical, scientific and methodological flaws that render the results meaningless. 1,2,

Here the author ignores multiple debunkings of these criticisms. They have been answered in painstaking detail by authorities in the field, and to the satisfaction of all professional bodies involved. For examples of comprehensive debunkings see Halperin et al (2008) and Morris et al (2012). Tellingly, some of the articles cited in the open letter at this point attracted debunkings specific to those articles. Thus Green et al (2010) in ref. 2 was refuted by two separate letters to the editor: Banerjee et al (2011) and Wawer et al (2011); Boyle & Hill (which the author neglects to provide the full reference for) were refuted by Wamai et al (2011); and Van Howe & Storms (2011) in ref. 2 were refuted by Morris et al (2011). Ignoring criticisms, and citing discredited studies, is a pattern in Harry Crouch’s open letter, as we shall see.

Worse, one of the RCTs produced evidence that was quickly buried suggesting that circumcision may increase male to female transmission of HIV by 61%.3

The reference given (no. 3) merely refers the reader to the list of discredited studies above it, leaving the reader with the tedious task of searching through them to find the primary source. (Bad referencing is a problem with this open letter). Presumably it is Wawer et al (2009) who found that the female partners of recently circumcised HIV positive men had a higher risk of becoming positive themselves. This was because some men resumed sex before they had completely healed. So it is really an argument for educating men about the need to wait for complete healing before resuming sex, rather than an argument against circumcision per se. Of course this problem would not arise if the men were circumcised at birth. It has just been announced at the recent International AIDS Society conference that circumcising men reduces the risk to their female partners by about 20 % (Jean et al, 2014).

Moreover, the African circumcision program may be completely unnecessary, as a Ugandan RCT4 showed that intact men who wait at least ten minutes to clean their penis after sexual intercourse are 41% less likely to contract HIV than circumcised men.5

Here the author refers to a study which found that men who were quick to wash themselves after intercourse were more at risk than those who took their time and eventually merely wiped themselves with a cloth. Intactivists have enthusiastically seized on this curious finding and promoted it as an HIV-prevention strategy. This is premature as it is not proven why waiting and wiping should be of benefit. Speculations about enzymes in vaginal fluids have been made but the truth may be far more mundane. If a man has sex with a stranger, a prostitute, or someone else he considers to be at high risk of having HIV, then he will be far more likely to wash thoroughly and quickly as soon as proceedings have concluded. On the other hand, if he is with his regular partner, or someone he knows to be at low risk, he will be relaxed, and may take some time before merely reaching for a cloth and drying himself off. In short, the difference is simply a reflection of the accuracy of the men’s perception of risk (Ndebele et al, 2013). In light of this simple, prosaic explanation, it is reckless and irresponsible to promote “wait and wipe” as an HIV prevention strategy.

Thus, the program’s targets could be achieved without a single circumcision and at minimal cost versus a projected cost for the current program of $16 billion. African men and women should have been informed of these facts critical to their health and safety.

As the author’s basis for this comment comprises discredited studies and an irresponsible instruction about waiting and wiping, it can be dismissed. What the author is presenting is not factual at all, but dangerously misleading pseudoscience.

   2

Circumcision Offers Men Little or No Protection From HIV.

About 60 % reduction in female to male transmission as indicated by three randomised controlled trials, rising with time to around 76 % in the S. African trial, putting it on a par with influenza vaccine.

Some Africans are being told, and many will reasonably assume (why else are they being circumcised?) that circumcision will protect them from HIV, but that is false. Circumcision is no vaccine. Circumcised or not, men who have sex with HIV infected females risk becoming HIV positive. Africans should be informed as follows: “For highly exposed men, such as men living in southern Africa, the choice is either using condoms consistently, with extremely low risk of becoming infected, or being circumcised, with relatively high risk of becoming infected.”6

Getting African men to use condoms at all, let alone consistently, has proved very challenging despite massive condom promotion. Circumcision provides added protection for when condoms fail (as sometimes they do) and for those who don’t or won’t use them. The reference cited (no. 6) refers one to no. 5 above, which is a duplicate of no. 4, and is not the source of the quote. More sloppy referencing. Presumably it is intended to be Garenne (2006).

Even if circumcision did reduce the relative risk by 50%, Garenne concluded,” a 50% reduction in risk [if true] is likely to have only a small demographic effect. “Observational studies of general populations have for the most part failed to show an association between circumcision status and HIV infection.”7

Again the reference is wrong.  In fact it comes from Van Howe and Storms (2011) in ref. 2 which, as explained previously, was discredited by Morris et al (2011).

Thus, the true protection that circumcision provides to men from HIV infection is negligible or nil.8

False, for reasons stated above.

3

Ironically, Circumcision Will Likely Increase HIV Infections Among African Men and Women. Experts have concluded that “circumcision programs will likely increase the number of HIV infections.”9

The reference given here is to husband and wife Van Howe and Storms, although confusingly it says “Supra n.12” which means “note 12 above”, when 12 is actually below. It should be n.2. Such repeated careless referencing does not inspire confidence in the author’s academic skills. And, as Van Howe and Storms have no relevant research background in African HIV, but are in fact prominent intactivists, and Van Howe has a history of shoddy scholarship (see below), the description of them as “experts” is misleading. As stated before, the article in question has been debunked (Morris et al, 2011). Some of the co-authors of the debunking were involved in the African trials – real experts.

First, only 30%-35% of HIV in African men is attributable to sexual transmission, not 90% as experts initially claimed.10 HIV in Africa is often blood borne, spread by contaminated needles.

Once again the author makes a bogus claim from a discredited source. In this instance he cites Gisselquist whose ideas about African HIV being mostly spread by vaccinations were thoroughly debunked in 2004 by the WHO (Schmid et al 2004). Gisselquist continues to be cited by anti-vaccination groups, HIV/AIDS deniers and, it seems, intactivists, but amongst the scientific community he has no credibility.

 Circumcision surgery in Africa often causes HIV.

Having been regaled with discredited studies, and fringe sources like Gisselquist, we now have the other stock-in-trade of the pseudoscientist – the half-truth. Traditional African-style circumcision, by a shaman with a razor blade and no regard to hygiene, pain control or cosmetic outcome, does spread HIV (not “cause” it, how do you “cause” a virus?) This has been known for years (e.g. Brewer et al 2007) and is why in some African countries (e.g. Lesotho, Cameroon & Tanzania) circumcision actually correlates with HIV (something intactivists never tell their audiences when they gleefully point to such countries).

The problem will much worse when millions of Africans are circumcised in multiple, often unsterile venues on a rush basis by poorly trained workers.

Then see that they are trained and have the time and resources to do the job properly.

Second, volunteers, reasonably believing that they are completely or substantially protected from HIV, are less likely to use condoms,11,12 and circumcised men are less likely to use condoms anyway.

This is the “risk compensation” argument. As usual the references cited are both discredited studies by the unreliable Robert Van Howe. No. 12 in particular became a textbook example – literally – of how NOT to do a meta-analysis (Borenstein 2009). Undeterred, Van Howe went on to do a second meta-analysis (on circumcision & HPV) that was so bad that when experts from the Catalan Institute of Oncology examined it they concluded it ought to be retracted from the literature (Castellsagué et al 2007). But Van Howe didn’t learn and when his third meta-analysis came out (on circumcision & STIs) it was again found to be so bad as to merit retraction (Morris et al 2014). Whenever Van Howe gets on his anti-circumcision hobby-horse he attracts criticisms. These episodes are just a sampling of the impressive tally of rebuttals and critiques he has clocked up over the years. And he was described earlier in Crouch’s open letter as an “expert”! Readers are advised to be deeply wary of anything bearing the name Van Howe.

Of course the notion of risk compensation has already been well examined and found not to be an issue when men are given proper counselling. Here are the studies demonstrating this which Crouch ignores: Mattson et al (2008), Reiss et al (2010), L’Engle et al (2014), Westercamp et al (2014).

Third, mass circumcision diverts resources from the proven methods of HIV prevention listed in the introduction. Thus, your mass male circumcision program will not only fail but will backfire.

4

Circumcision Is Also Painful, Risky, and Harmful. Africans report surprised at how painful circumcision is. Even if local anesthetics are used and given time to work, they are largely ineffective, and pain continues during the healing period.

This is just false as millions of men circumcised in this way know. Where is Crouch’s evidence?

Even the American Academy of Pediatrics ‘Task Force on Circumcision concedes that circumcision risks a long list of minor injuries , serious injuries (including hemorrhage, infection, deformed penis, and loss of all or part of the glans or of the entire penis) and death. In the United States, the risk of injury is estimated to be between 2% and 10%.

In the largest study yet (n = 1.4 million) the CDC have determined the risk of all complications, whether serious or not, from infant medical circumcision to be 0.5 %, and about 10 to 20 times higher for those carried out later (Bcheraoui et al 2014).

In Africa, the risk of injury is much higher, estimated to be 17.7% clinically and 35.2% for traditional circumcisions.13

As usual Crouch does not tell the whole story. The clinical practitioners in the study had not the training or equipment to conduct circumcisions safely. Great efforts have since been put into developing safe methods and providing resources so it is misleading to base a complaint on one study of one district in one country which identified issues that have since been addressed. And to compare medical circumcision with crude traditional circumcision by a shaman is just absurd.

As the AAP conceded in its 2012 policy statement, the true extent of the risks associated with circumcision is unknown.

Bcheraoui et al 2014.

5

Circumcision Diminishes Every Man’s Sex Life. Circumcision removes one-half of the penile covering, the size of a postcard in an adult.

There is such variation in penile sizes and proportions it is not possible to give a “one size fits all” figure. Intactivists also count both inner and outer surfaces to make it seem larger.

The foreskin is replete with blood vessels and specialized nerves such as stretch receptors. The foreskin is, and circumcision removes, the most sensitive part of the penis.14

Here Crouch cites another dubious work by intactivists. Aside from the round of criticism (Waskett & Morris 2007), counter-criticism (Young 2007) and further criticism (Morris & Krieger 2013) it attracted, the study looked only at one kind of sensitivity – fine touch. But is this the right kind of sensitivity? Fine touch comes from nerve endings called Meissner’s corpuscles which are present in the foreskin, but even more so in the fingertips (Bhat et al 2008), and we do not consider fingertips erogenous. Pleasurable erotic sensations come from genital corpuscles which are concentrated around the glans, not the foreskin. So the whole study may be a red herring. It is certainly cherry-picked. Other studies find no difference between the circumcised and the uncircumcised. Like Bleustein et al (2005) who tested a broader range of sensation types (vibration, pressure, spatial perception and temperature) and found no difference between circumcised and uncircumcised. For every study the intactivists cherry-pick to suit their agenda, another can be found that contradicts it. Tellingly, the only meta-analysis to date, on the ten best studies, found that circumcision makes no difference to male sexual function (Tian et al 2013). An independent review found the same (Morris & Krieger 2013).

African men will be outraged to learn that circumcision not only has failed to protect them from HIV but has forever diminished their sex lives. Female partners of circumcised men also report reduced sexual satisfaction.15

More cherry-picking. There are studies which found that women report a preference for circumcised partners (e.g. Williamson & Williamson 1988) including a randomised controlled trial (table 2 in Krieger et al 2008).

6

Africans Are Being Misinformed, Coerced, and Exploited. African men are not being informed of the truth, that circumcision is painful, risky, and harmful; that in itself it gives little to no protection from HIV, and the surgery itself may infect them with HIV. Serious ethical violations are occurring as usually poor Africans are being offered valuable incentives to volunteer such as free medical care.16 Boys as young as fifteen years old are being coerced, such as being offered team uniforms and equipment in exchange for being circumcised.

As usual the reference Crouch cites here (no. 16) is one that was comprehensively debunked, as mentioned earlier.

7

Call For Action. Your Foundation’s mass circumcision program violates science, medical ethics, and the law. Your Foundation should immediately terminate its misplaced support of the African mass circumcision program. Your Foundation should also immediately initiate a comprehensive investigation into the program led by unbiased experts, ethicists, and of course Africans. Otherwise, the legacy of the Gates Foundation, and inevitably your personal legacy, will be that you and your Foundation funded one of the most harmful medical programs in human history, and also that you and your Foundation failed to stop it after being informed that it had failed.

Respectfully submitted,

Harry Crouch

Harry Crouch’s letter violates truth and reason. Although there is plenty of evidence in it for scholarly incompetence (such as the garbled referencing), the ignoring of detailed debunkings and the use of discredited studies, are so systematic from start to finish that it is difficult to see this as being due to mere ineptitude. The selectivity and use of fringe sources like Gisselquist add to the charge that Crouch’s open letter is agenda-driven anti-medical pseudoscience. I urge the Foundation to disregard it, and any future pressure from anti-circumcision groups, and to continue to back scientifically proven interventions, including circumcision, in the face of a deadly epidemic that has killed millions.

1 G.W. Dowsett and M. Couch, “Male circumcision and HIV prevention: is there really enough of the right kind of evidence?,” Reproductive Health Matters, 15, no. 29 (2007): 33-44; L.W. Green, R.G. McAllister, K.W. Peterson, and J.W. Travis, “Male circumcision is not the HIV ‘vaccine’ we have been waiting for!,” Future HIV Therapy, 2, no. 3 (2008):193-99; D. Sidler, J. Smith, and H. Rode, “Neonatal circumcision does not reduce HIV/AIDS infection rates,”. South African Medical Journal, 98, no. 10 (2008):762-6.

2 Robert S. Van Howe and Michelle R. Storms, “How the circumcision solution in Africa will increase HIV infections”, Journal of Public Health in Africa, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2011)

(http://www.publichealthinafrica.org/index.php/jphia/article/view/jphia.2011.e4/html_9 ); Boyle & Hill, supra n.1; D.D. Brewer, J.J. Potterat, and S. Brody, “Male circumcision and HIV prevention,” Lancet, 369 (2007): 1597; L.W. Green, J.W. Travis, R.G. McAllister et al., “Male circumcision and HIV prevention: insufficient evidence and neglected external validity,” American Journal of Preventive Health, 39 (2010): 479-82.

3 Id.

4 F.E. Makumbi, R.H. Gray, M. Wawer et al., “Male post-coital penile cleansing and the risk of HIV acquisition in rural Rakai district, Uganda,” abstract from presentation at Fourth International AIDS

Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention, Sydney, 2007, available at

http://www.iasociety.org/Default.aspx?pageId=11&abstractId=200705536.

5 F.E. Makumbi, R.H. Gray, M. Wawer et al., “Male post-coital penile cleansing and the risk of HIV acquisition in rural Rakai district, Uganda,” abstract from presentation at Fourth International AIDS

Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention, Sydney, 2007, available at:

<http://www.iasociety.org/Default.aspx?pageId=11&abstractId=200705536&gt;.

6 Id.

7 Id.

8 M. Garenne, A. Giamland, and C. Perrey, “Male Circumcision and HIV Control in Africa: Questioning

Scientific Evidence and the Decision-making Process,” in T. Giles-Vernick and J.L.A. Webb Jr., eds., Global Health in Africa: Historical Perspectives on Disease Control (Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press, 2013): 185-210, at 190 (“Garenne Male Circumcision and HIV Control”).

(http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.0030078 ).

9 Van Howe & Storms, supra n.12.

10 Gisselquist D, Potterat JJ. Heterosexual transmission of HIV in Africa: an empiric estimate. Int J STD

AIDS 2003;14:162-73 (www.rsm.ac.uk/new/std162stats.pdf ).

11 Van Howe & Storms, supra n.12.

12 Van Howe RS. “Circumcision and HIV infection: review of the literature and meta-analysis”. Int J STD AIDS 1999;10:8-16.

13 Bailey RC, Egesah O, Rosenberg S. “Male circumcision for HIV prevention: a prospective study of

complications in clinical and traditional settings in Bungoma, Kenya”. Bull World Health Organ 2008; 86: 669-77.

14 Sorrells et al. “Fine-touch pressure thresholds in the adult penis”, BJU Int. 2007 Apr;99(4):864-9 at

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17378847 .

15 Frisch et al, “Male circumcision and sexual function in men and women: a survey-based, crosssectional study in Denmark” (2011), at http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2011/06/13/ije.dyr104.full ; and “Effects of male

circumcision on female arousal and orgasm”, New Zealand Medical Journal, Vol. 116, No. 1181: 595-96, September 12, 2003.

16 Boyle & Hill, supra n.1.

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Peytavin, G., Mahiane, S.G., Sitta1, R., Puren, A., Lewis, D. (2013) Association of the ANRS-12126 Male Circumcision Project with HIV Levels among Men in a South African Township: Evaluation of Effectiveness using Cross-sectional Surveys. PLoS Med., 10(9), e1001509.

Banerjee, J., Klausner, J.D., Halperin, D.T., Wamai, R., Schoen, E.J., Moses, S., Morris, B.J., Bailis, S.A., Venter, F., Martinson, N., Coates, T.J., Gray, G., Bowa, K. (2011) Circumcision Denialism Unfounded and Unscientific. Am. J. Prev. Med., 40(3), e11-e12

Bcheraoui, C.E., Zhang, X., Cooper, C.S., Rose, C.E., Kilmarx, P.H., Chen, R.T. (2014) Rates of Adverse Events Associated With Male Circumcision in US Medical Settings, 2001 to 2010. JAMA Pediatrics, E1-E10.

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Bleustein, C.B, Fogarty, J.D., Eckholdt, H., Arezzo, J.C., Melman, A. (2005) Effect of neonatal circumcision on penile neurologic sensation. Urology, 65(4), 774-7.

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to Meta-Analysis, John Wiley and Sons, West Sussex.

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Castellsagué, X., Albero, G., Cleries, R., Bosch, F.X. (2007) HPV and circumcision: A biased, inaccurate and misleading meta-analysis, J Infect., 55, 91-3.

Garenne M (2006) Male Circumcision and HIV Control in Africa. PLoS Med 3(1), e78-e79.

Halperin, D.T. & 47 others (2008) Male circumcision is an efficacious, lasting and cost-effective strategy for combating HIV in high-prevalence AIDS epidemics. Future HIV Therapy, 2(5), 399-405.

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Mattson, C.L., Campbell, R.T., Bailey, R.C., Agot, K., Ndinya-Achola, J.O., Moses, S. (2008) Risk Compensation Is Not Associated with Male Circumcision in Kisumu, Kenya: A Multi-Faceted Assessment of Men Enrolled in a Randomized Controlled Trial. PlusOne, 3(6), e2443.

Morris, B.J., Bailey, R.C.,  Klausner, J.D.,  Leibowitz, A., Wamai, R.G., Waskett, J.H., Banerjee, J., Halperin, D.T., Zoloth, L., Weiss, H.A., and Hankins, C.A. (2012) A critical evaluation of arguments opposing male circumcision for HIV prevention in developed countries. AIDS Care. 24(12), 1565-1575.

Morris, B.J., Hankins, C.A., Tobian, A.A.R., Krieger, J.N.,  Klausner, J.D. (2014) Does Male Circumcision Protect against Sexually Transmitted Infections? Arguments and Meta-Analyses to the Contrary Fail to Withstand Scrutiny. ISRN Urology, Article ID 684706.

Morris, B.J. and Krieger, J.N. (2013) Does Male Circumcision Affect Sexual Function, Sensitivity, or Satisfaction? – A Systematic Review. J. Sex. Med., 10(11), 2644-57.

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increase HIV infections in Africa. J. Public Health in Africa, 2(e28), 117-122.

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Tian, Y., Liu, W., Wang, J.Z., Wazir, R., Yue, X. & Wang, K.J. 2013. Effects of circumcision on male sexual functions: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Asian J. Androl., 15, 662-6.

Wamai, R.G., Morris, B.J., Waskett, J.H., Green, E.C., Banerjee, J., Bailey, R.C., Klausner, J.D., Sokal, D.C. & Hankins, C.A. 2012. Criticisms of African trials fail to withstand scrutiny: Male circumcision does prevent HIV infection. J Law Med., 20(1), 93-123.

Waskett, J.H., Morris, B.J. (2007) Fine-touch pressure thresholds in the adult penis. BJU Int., 99(6), 1551-2.

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AIDS workers baby rapists

 

 

Any questions?

 

EDITED TO ADD

I suppose it’s obvious that I don’t feel that it’s necessary to post any commentary on this.  However, I am shocked that so little response was given to such a heinous thread.  Why is this ok, intactivists?  Sure, a few prominent intactivists distanced themselves FROM THIS POST.  FROM THIS OPINION.  But not THIS PERSON.  To me, that is an EXPLICIT acceptance of this behavior.

This is not ok.

What More Can I write

I don’t know.  At this point it sorta feels like chasing my own tail to update this blog.  There really is only so much that can be said on this topic.  Despite the Google Alert Brigade posting endlessly, they’re also repeating themselves over and over.  In amusingly pseudo-intelligent language.  Quite hilarious, that.   In any case, the Intactivism blogs tend to post updates of what Slate or The Baskerville Times said about circumcision that they think was wrong (BTW did you see that piece from Slate?  It really was a good piece!).  So THEY have stuff to write about, but I don’t really want to update multiple times a day to complain about what the Intactivism blogs are doing.  After all, it might end up just giving them more traffic.   No thank you.  Also I’m just not into that kind of minutia.

So I suppose I have a few topics that were promised to be addressed, so I could address those.  Religious Circumcision (though really, I’d prefer someone much more educated on myself to write on that particular topic, and you bet your cutie mark the comments will be closed on THAT blog), more on the AAP, maybe about how next year there’s not going to be some mind blowing ruling outlawing circumcision (and yeah the misunderstanding of the 14th Amendment in that manner makes me chuckle).  But honestly that’s still really not that much to write about.

Oh but I do have an idea.  I definitely have an idea. So for tonight, let’s just leave you guys with this little bit of positivity, from the totally sane, not fucked up or obsessed Intactivism crowd.  L’Chaim!

“My heart sure doesn’t break for her. On the contrary, she got exactly what she deserved. If every baby who was mutilated died, it might put a stop to the practice. This so-called tragedy is good publicity for outlawing genital mutilation. I hope she feels guilty for the rest of her miserable life & my sympathy for her is ZERO.”

“They didn’t care. It was more important that his penis be cut up than he live.”

“The doctors are trying to feed them the lie that the circumcision didn’t kill their son. This is why, even though it doesn’t seem ‘compassionate,’ people need to let’er rip on her. No, people should not be silent and ‘compassionate.’ While everyone is feeling sorry for the mother, what about the child?”

Meet The New Boss

Hello all. This is the new Paper Airplane. This post is to just update a few things and perhaps start this rusty old blog up again.

I am not the old Paper Airplane and I am a big old meanie. I personally consider most so-called intactivists to be foreskin fetishists and I am pretty against the practice of proselytizing to EVERYONE ON THE INTERNET about your weird ideas about the foreskin and circumcision. I do agree with the old Paper Airplane about the lack of necessity but other than that I support parents making either choice. Because it’s none of my business or your business if they want to have a safe, common procedure done when it is the safest and easiest to perform or to not have it done because they don’t want to.

I know there are many many moms who are sick and tired of this stupid debate. Intactivists seem to have gotten even crazier and more willing to lie and act as unethical charlatans in the name of Saving The Babies.

In any case I’m going to go through and post some comments stuck in moderation for now. I won’t let you promote your website on the blog but other than that I won’t censor.

By the way intactivists – you will never see any of the “pro-cutters” dressed up as a penis or a used tampon (or whatever that disaster of an outfit is) running around in public like idiots, or publishing comic books that have illustrations straight out of Nazi Germany (Foreskin Man The Aryan Savior of The Wrongly Jewish Baby). Because that’s extraordinarily unlikely to convince anyone of anything other than your dire need for psychiatric evaluation.

Happy New Years!

I Am Against RIC

There is a difference between being anti-intactivism and pro-circumcision.  I’m not even necessarily against intactivism, I’m simply against the current incarnation that embraces lying, bullying and threatening/silencing the opposition.