About 50 percent of American adults support circumcision...

[eeeee]

... and exactly 100 percent of American infants oppose it.

[Tony]

If 50% of Americans support circumcision that only means we haven't educated them yet. One people understand the issues about circumcision most oppose it.

[Swingshiftworker]

Circumcision was adopted as a common "medical" practice in the US about 100 years ago.

Lots of different reasons suggested for why this happened -- to discourage sexual promiscuity, to improve health by reducing the risk of VD, etc -- but the fact that it was accepted, adopted and recommended by the medical professional over the past century has caused it to become ingrained in our society and has come be viewed as "normal" by people generally, when in fact it is entirely abnormal to unnecessarily cut off a properly functioning body part.

With education, the routine practice of circumcision is dropping in the US but very slowly. It has been reported that: "Between 1979 and 2010, the rate of newborn circumcision among males declined from 64.5 percent to 58.3 percent. The rate was highest in 1981, at 64.9 percent, then declined during the 1980s, rose again in the 90s, and fell again in the 2000s, reaching a low of 55.4 percent in 2007." It is also reported that the variation in these rates is believed to be influenced by changes in recommendations made by medical professionals. See source below.

While the work of groups like NOCIRC are valuable in educating the public about the lack of necessity and harm caused by infant circumcision, the process is just too slow. IMO, the only way to dramatically reduce the rate of infant circumcision is for the medical profession to STOP recommending and performing routine circumcisions so the the new 'normal" will be to be for every infant boy to remain uncut.

So, that's where I think that the efforts in re-education should be directed.

[Tony]

How do you propose that we get the "medical profession" to stop recommending circumcision? Its a non-starter. Doctors are not going to listen to non-doctors. Doctors are not going to work against their own financial interest. Doctors will not go against their cultural or religious beliefs because they are intentionally using their authority & expertise to push this on uninformed parents. Doctors will respond to pressure from the American public, hence our educational efforts are directed at the grass roots. Intaction has been having terrific success with its Mobile Education Unit reaching at times over 80,000 people in one day! Find out more about what Intaction does by joining at http://intaction.org/join-the-intact...-circumcision/ and also look at our Facebook page http://facebook.com/intaction.org

[Swingshiftworker]

How do you propose that we get the "medical profession" to stop recommending circumcision? Its a non-starter.

If you never make the effort, it will never happen. Public opinion is one away of going about it but it is quite indirect and inefficient. There have been professional health/medical organizations that have come out against unnecessary circumcision and it is those groups that are mostly likely sway doctors than the public generally.

Just my 2 cents . . .

[z726]

Are you sure the number is that high? If this is the average rate that it happens to newborn boys in the US these days, it only means that around 50 percent of new parents who have boys support it at the time their child is born.

[Tony]

If you never make the effort, it will never happen. Public opinion is one away of going about it but it is quite indirect and inefficient. There have been professional health/medical organizations that have come out against unnecessary circumcision and it is those groups that are mostly likely sway doctors than the public generally.

Just my 2 cents . . .

Let me know which American medical organizations that have come out against "unnecessary" circumcision......i've been in the movement awhile now haven't heard of any.....

[Swingshiftworker]

Let me know which American medical organizations that have come out against "unnecessary" circumcision......i've been in the movement awhile now haven't heard of any.....

In the article that I attached to my initial post it is said:

"In 1989, the American Academy of Pediatrics said that there were potential benefits to circumcision, but in 1999, the organization said there was insufficient evidence to recommend the procedure."

It is suggest that this recommendation coincided with changes in the rate of circumcision in the US at those times.

I do not know if the AAP still maintains the same position it adopted in 1999 but it would be interesting to find out if there have been any further chances in their policy that has affected the rate of circumcision rates since then.

[Tony]

The AAP changed it's policy in 2012 in which it stated the "benefits outweigh the risks." This has been the subject of great discussion in the press and the intactivist movement, and has led to a series of protests/demonstrations against the AAP. I suggest you research the issues further before stating your recommendations on what everyone should be doing.

[Swingshiftworker]

I suggest you research the issues further before stating your recommendations on what everyone should be doing.

Sorry that I've pissed you off.. You are apparently very involved in this matter and I admittedly am not. However, I'm still entitled to my opinion whether you like it or not. Your sense of "entitlement" as one of the self-anointed advocates against circumcision does you not good if your actions/words antagonize people (like me) who are actually "on you side."

That said, if I were more involved, I would still devote more of my efforts to attempting to change the medical profession's opinion/position on the matter because I would see it as a more effective use of my time. That's not to say that affecting public opinion at large is not valuable and necessary. It is. I just think you also need to attempt to sway the medical professionals who have much greater influence in affecting public opinion that I think any "outside" organization can.

Ciao!

[parsecskin]

The fact of the matter is that you are NEVER going to get the AAP, the CDC or any other organized association to fully change their stance. Know why? $$$$$ MONEY $$$$$. If they actually did come out and admit that they were wrong all these years, there would be MILLIONS of pissed off people in this country alone, and the resulting wave of lawsuits would literally bankrupt the country overnight and clog the court system for DECADES. Then there's the lost revenue from all of this shit. The only way to get this to stop is thru EDUCATION and possibly getting the legislature to pass laws including boys in the existing framework protecting girls, but good luck with that. Our government is FUCKED UP!

[Tony]

Sorry that I've pissed you off.. You are apparently very involved in this matter and I admittedly am not. However, I'm still entitled to my opinion whether you like it or not. Your sense of "entitlement" as one of the self-anointed advocates against circumcision does you not good if your actions/words antagonize people (like me) who are actually "on you side."

That said, if I were more involved, I would still devote more of my efforts to attempting to change the medical profession's opinion/position on the matter because I would see it as a more effective use of my time. That's not to say that affecting public opinion at large is not valuable and necessary. It is. I just think you also need to attempt to sway the medical professionals who have much greater influence in affecting public opinion that I think any "outside" organization can.

Ciao!

I was not pissed off. All of the large intactivist organizations get comments about what they "should" be doing. We hear it all the time. As if after years of running various efforts, events, protests, and demonstrations we never thought of your particular idea. All I can say is if you have a good idea, then suggest it with an offer to get involved to make it happen. Maybe we can join up. There are many groups and events around the country to get involved. After discussion you may find your idea has been tried already, or is impractical. Or maybe its a good one.

But don't offer suggestions and then drop-out. Thats being an armchair intactivist. It doesn't help us, doesn't help you, and doesn't help the next generation of children.

[Rood]

That said, if I were more involved, I would still devote more of my efforts to attempting to change the medical profession's opinion/position on the matter because I would see it as a more effective use of my time. That's not to say that affecting public opinion at large is not valuable and necessary. It is. I just think you also need to attempt to sway the medical professionals who have much greater influence in affecting public opinion that I think any "outside" organization can. Ciao!

Swingshirtworker .... Your idea of trying to change the medical profession's attitude toward MGM interests me, much. Granted you don't have time/inclination to get involved ... but what would you suggest people do, who are inclined, and who are willing to take the time, to positively work towards effecting change among members of the medical profession.

Our restoration group (NORM-Phx) has had several doctors attend meetings, but I don't believe a single one has ever returned. While manning a circumcision information table in downtown Phoenix during the annual MLK Civil Right's Day, I was approached by a lady who put one hand beside her mouth, leaned forward, and whispered .... "My husband is a doctor and he's opposed to circumcision." Naturally I asked her what his fellow doctors thought about his brave stand against MGM. Her answer: "Oh, he would never tell them."

So you see if doctors fear marginalization ... and are too afraid of censure to speak their mind ... I am at a loss to see how anything we might say could possibly change the minds of anyone in the "profession" of amputating foreskins from infant boys. Naturally I'm open to persuasion, and wait with baited breath for any advice you have.

Members of our group will be manning a circ info table again this coming Monday, 18 January 2016, during the annual MLK Day Festival in Phoenix, and as we are usually approached by someone in the medical profession ... some good advice from you would be most welcome.

[Trey47]

You will never get Doctors to admit to a mistake, never! Parsecskin is correct! EDUCATION is the only way! What we need is SEX EDUCATION in our public schools, teaching kids about sex and all the parts that make it up. But we as Americans can't seem to get sex education is our schools.

[Rood]

Here's a parenting poll. Scroll down to the question on circumcision .. When I last looked the poll was 42 - 58% in favour of leaving boys intact.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/morganshanahan/what-kind-of-parent-are-you?utm_term=.wuWYRGEYn#.bq7B8lLBP