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This site differs from others opposed to genital mutilation—its focus is on intactness rather than on circumcision. It is intended to counteract the "circodoxy": the mindset that the foreskin is an "extra" "flap of skin" and that circumcision is the norm—and the corresponding mindsets that lead to the cutting of girls and intersex people.
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A trombone can play more notes than a vuvuzela.
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This site does not pretend to be "balanced". The case for circumcision has been made daily for decades in public media such as TV sitcoms, magazine articles, by medical "authorities" and by word of mouth. Now, thanks to the Internet, the opposition has a chance to be heard uninterrupted. This site does attempt to tell the truth about circumcision, and not overstate the case against it.
There are some pictures of penises on this site, including erect ones and also a few babies' ones, where necessary for their purpose. They are preceded by warnings. This site does not claim to offer medical advice, etc. etc. |
Did you know that…
- most men in the world and the great majority of men in Europe, Scandinavia, Central and South America and Asia are not circumcised?
- "medical" infant circumcision was introduced to prevent masturbation?
- until a few decades ago, female genital cutting was promoted in the western world for many of the same reasons as male circumcision?
- infant circumcision was fashionable in the English-speaking world 50 years ago but is now rare (except in the US)?
- babies are strapped down to be circumcised?
- circumcision with a PlastiBell™ does involve cutting?
- before an infant's foreskin can be cut (or crushed) off, it must be torn away from the glans?
- circumcision removes 50% of the skin of the penis?
- circumcision removes the most sensitive part of the penis?
- no national medical association anywhere in the world supports non-therapeutic neonatal circumcision (male or female) on medical grounds?
- the claim that circumcision protects against HIV is based on 5,400 circumcisions protecting (perhaps) just 73 men?
- even if the claim is true,
- it would take hundreds of circumcisions to prevent one case in the US?
- circumcision offers no protection at all to women?
- circumcision offers no protection at all to gay men?
A comprehensive, independent rebuttal of the HIV claims.
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The Intactivism Pages The struggle for genital integrity and against the involuntary genital modification of children of any sex: Female Genital Cutting Involuntary Sex Reassignment Genital Integrity for All! Father of the Year  Koeby Johnson (See why here.)
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Intactivist News
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Links to Blogs ◦ Essays ◦ Podcasts ◦ Videos ◦ Events |
| Intact News announces future Intactivist events |
An anonymous donor has offered to match their Kickstarter target. If they hit $55,000, they will receive an additional $55,000. |
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Canada: |
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International Congress of Pediatrics |
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NORM-UK - Genital Autonomy Conference |
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2013 National Conference & Exhibition
American Academy of Pediatrics Orlando, Orange County Convention Center October 26-29, 2013 Pre-conference events Friday, October 25 (If they haven't "retired" their circumcision policy before then) |
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Ongoing |
| Change.org Petition to the American Academy of Pediatrics: Revise your policy on infant circumcision |
| Change.org Petition to the American Academy of Pediatrics: Remove the members of the AAP Task Force on Circumcision from the AAP |
| Change.org Petition to the United States Congress: Ban the circumcision of all males under the age of 18 years old. |
| Change.org Petition to the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP - Australian Minister for Health: Remove the MBS benefit for circumcision of a male under six months of age |
| Avaaz.org Petition an Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger: Stoppt die Beschneidung von Kindern aus religioesen Gruenden! |
| Change.org Petition an die deutsche Bundesregierung: Schuetzen Sie koerperliche Unversehrtheit von Kindern |
| Change.org Petition to the German Minister of Justice: Uphold the Cologne Court ruling: Protect children's rights to bodily integrity. Age-restrict circumcision. |
| Change.org Petition to the United Kingdom Goverment: End Unnecessary Male Circumcision in The UK |
| Change.org Petition to the United States Congress: Extend the ban on female circumcision to include male circumcision as well. |
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Petition to |
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Put Down the Knife! |
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Facebook pages
PICTURES AT A CIRCUMCISION
Nobody should consent to a circumcision who has not seen one. Close-up still photos of an infant circumcision.
 off- site video |
A 3-minute video of a circumcision
(by Gomco ® clamp) with instructions—again, not for the squeamish.(The sound-track does not include the baby.) |
A 12-minute video of a circumcision
(by Gomco
® clamp)—again, not for the squeamish—the baby is quieter in this one, but what the doctor says may give you pause.(Requires minimal registration to view—just an email address.)
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(by Mogen ® clamp)And again, not for the squeamish. (Also uses the same registration as above video.)
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A 6 minute video of a circumcision
(by Dr Milton Sales using a Plastibell™ with dorsal penile nerve block.) |
A 2 minute video of a circumcision (by Winkelman
® clamp) from Razi Hospital, Jenin, Palestine. Disturbing.
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A 2¾ minute video of a circumcision by Accu-circ™ from the makers (click on "Live Demonstration"). Not for the squeamish—even though the baby's shrieks have been replaced by monotonous piano music.
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Ten close-up videos of Brit Milah with a barzel. (NSFW) They are indeed quick, though some may have been edited.
The mohel does not wear gloves. |
| Laser circumcision of a six-year-old in Indonesia posted by his father (23:47 NSFW) Much screaming. |
® circumcision(clinical, from a scientific paper) Warning, very graphic. Still pictures of a sleeve procedure (clinical, from a scientific paper) Warning, very graphic. 12-page photo story of a a Gomco ® procedure(no close-ups, offsite, from the Saturday Evening Post) |
Methods
A survey of historical and present-day circumcision instruments, and what can go wrong using each of them.
EXCUSES
Lists of
- Circumstitions (bad reasons for circumcising, the genesis of these pages):
- the choicest, sorted by category, and
- the full list, more than 450 with sources, references and comments
- Fallacies used to promote circumcision
- Bad analogies used to justify circumcision.
- The Sand Myth—that desert sand causes infection under the foreskin
- An excerpt from an influential and wildly fantastical 1900 diatribe against the foreskin, still quoted today.
Hygiene
Who dares to be in favour of dirt? Facts about bacteria.
Disease
Circumcision is said to prevent…
- Phimosis (non-retractable foreskin).
an artistic version of how one young man successfully eased his (unusually tight—phimotic) foreskin back
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- HIV The recent claims, based on Random Controlled Tests. ◦ One scientific rebuttal. ◦ Scepticism from Britain's Terrence Higgins Trust.
- Circumcision is no vaccine.
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Points to Consider
by David Gisselquist
- Urinary Tract Infections. ◦ Research that suggests circumcision may cause urinary problems.
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases ◦ Rebuttal to a high-profile study.
- Cancer, penile in the man himself and
- Cervical in his partner. ◦ A recent, widely-publicised study claiming protection against both Human Papilloma Virus in men and cervical cancer in their partners.
- Prostate cancer
Religion
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Sikhism: |
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Christianity: | |
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An essay on Jesus' circumcision. ◦ A commentary on Mantegna's painting "The Circumcision". | ||
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Islam: |
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Judaism: | |
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A list of Rabbis and others who will perform it. A speech by one after a Kol Nidre service. A Jewish father's letter to his intact son. |
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Motivation to circumcise
The psychology of circumcising ◦ “Circumcision as a memeplex” ◦ Prejudice against intact men ◦ The remarkable silence around the intact penis and circumcision ◦ Circumsurdities—absurd claims for circumcision.
Money
Evidence that doctors promote circumcision out of greed. • The declining rate of Medicaid cover. • The real cost of circumcision. A cost-utility analysis of circumcision—it's a loser.
Complications
Risks and damage, up to and including
loss of the penis and death. • The autopsy reports on a Canadian baby who died of blood loss ◦ another when his urethra was blocked by a PlastiBell™
The pain of circumcision has long-term effects and is only partially relieved by anaesthetics. ◦ A report from the AAP recommends avoiding painful procedures, but fails to mention the commonest painful procedure.
◦ Circumcision may hinder Breastfeeding.
Circumcision vs |
For those who think circumcision improves the appearance and is invariably harmless, there's a gallery of pictures of circumcisions. ◦ One man's multiple botches. ◦ Side-by-side comparison of the intact and circumcised penis: you can see the difference.
Resentment
Famous men and others who resent/ed being circumcised
THE WORLD
Some people imagine circumcision is universal in the western world. They should see the map of its prevalence worldwide. ◦ The same page shows a map of the prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Predominantly intact countries:
| New Zealand A presentation and an article. From being very rare in the 1950s, intactness is now commonplace. An intact New Zealander celebrates. (.wav file, 103KB) |
| Australia In Australia four boys in five are now left intact some states, more than 19 in 20 in others. |
 Holland Non-religious circumcision has never been known in Holland. |
Het geïnformeerdeg besnijdenisbeleid van KNMG |
A Dutch documentary (with English subtitles)
“Mama waaram ben ik besneden?”(Mum, why was I circumcised?) by Michael Schaap covers most of the main issues — shows several circumcisions, not for the squeamish
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Sweden |
(Finland |
In The Pacific Practices vary widely in Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia. |
Predominantly circumcising countries:
Tribal circumcision |
| U.S.A. The United States is the only country in the world that surgically modifies a majority of its boy babies. |
Korea From unknown, circumcision has become almost universal in Korea in the last 50 years. |
The Philippines A traditional ritual for boys has become medicalised in the Philippines without the need for it ever being questioned. Myths are rampant. |
Yemen Justified by appeal to Islam, a report of Yemeni circumcision from 1921 details a particularly brutal variant (an answer to "but FGM is much worse") |
REPRESENTATION—how circumcision is perceived
Mass media
Circumcision episodes on TV sitcoms, soaps, talk shows and in movies.
"That Thing"—common themes in TV shows.
Books
Books about, or with significant parts about, circumcision or the foreskin ◦ The foreskin and circumcision in literature, mainly fiction
Mutilation, Regrets, Second-thoughts
Why circumcision may be called "mutilation". ◦ A mother who regrets circumcising ◦ A last minute change of heart
Doctors' organisations
The American Medical Association's policy statement on circumcision is weighed in the balance (and found wanting). It agrees with the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics. ◦ The stark contrast between the AAP statements on circumcision and Female Genital Mutilation ◦
The statements of the American Urological Association and the American Association of Family Physicians—both ethically barren
Nurses
Advice for nurses questioning circumcision
Midwives
The serious bias towards circumcision of a leading US midwifery textbook, including a chapter telling midwives how to do it (yet it details the disadvantages of each method)—analysed and contrasted with a British textbook.
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REBUTTALS The case presented for circumcision is hydra-headed: answer one argument and its supporters will produce another, and another, indefinitely. (Urinary Tract Infections, until recently cited as the main reason to circumcise, were only added to the list in 1982) Something else is going on—if the foreskin has so many faults and varied, how could it ever have have survived? • A 1941 article mentions in passing that some doctors then did it without asking • Former US Surgeon-General G. Everett Koop's site, drkoop.com has moved forward very little. • Harvard Medical School lends its prestige to a very one-sided article. • The American Medical Association finds no convincing medical reason, yet leaves the surgical decision to the parents. • Dr Brian Morris, a physiologist at the University of Sydney, presents most of the "reasons"—even "he might get it caught in a zipper"! • A 2003 leaflet for parents (revised 2008) by the Americal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) dissected. • The Mayo Clinic has produced a brochure for parents with misleading "before" and "after" pictures. • The Eisenhower Army Medical Center in Georgia offers a particularly bad example. • Rebuttal to a pro-circ article in Parenting magazine's BabyTalk. • Calls for circumcision to prevent HIV are becoming more frequent and strident. That by Szabo and Short is answered here and contrasted with that of Weiss. • A very biased BBC/Learning Channel documentary about HIV is rebutted here. • A renewed claim that circumcision protects against cervical cancer in the partner is rebutted here. |
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• The American Association of Family Physicians' 2002 circumcision policy admits the low utility of circumcision, and discusses ethics (inadequately). |
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• The Royal Australasian College of Physicians' 2010 policy disposes of the medical claims and (unlike its predecessor) considers the functions of the foreskin, but still bends over backwards to blur the ethical issues so that it can stay on the fence. |
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• The RACP has issued a brochure. |
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• The AAP's 2012 policy statement is answered here. (1999) • The AAP's 2012 brochure for parents is so full of bias that this page offers an alternative. |
Female Genital Cutting
Female circumstitions—bad reasons to cut a girl ◦
The AAP's 2010 policy on FGC compared with its 1999 policy, and its 1999 policies on FGC and MGC compared. ◦ A chart comparing circumcision with Female Genital Cutting (FGM/FGC). ◦ The UN definitions of the types of FGM/FGC ◦ A doctor defends FGM. ◦ A study showing FGM does not impair the frequency of women's sex (nothing about the quality).
Episiotomy A form of Female Genital Cutting still common in the US.
Breast-ironing Another cruel sexually-related female mutilation, practised in parts of West and Central Africa.
Intersexed people and non-consensual gender-assignment.
Castration Mozart, Handel, Rossini and Gluck wrote music for castrated singers, and Allegri was one. This was as accepted in Italy in 1600-1860 as circumcision is in the US today.
And beyond the genitals, infant circumcision compared with footbinding and uvulectomy (removal of the uvula that hangs down at the back of the mouth)
APPEARANCE
A Gallery of Intact Men and their Penises. ◦ A Gallery of Intact Men and their Penises in Art. (The entire sequence of five pages is a slide show with music off-site.) ◦ Countries that celebrate the (intact) penis. ◦ The "luscious beauty" of the intact male.
For intact (young US) men who worry about being "different," a Gallery of Intact Celebrities (with their clothes on): a page each of intact historical personages, US film stars former and current, US TV stars former and current, US sporting heroes, US musicians, non-US celebrities (musicians, actors, sportsmen and others), and leaders.
A Gallery of Very-Probably-Intact men.
A Glossary of words relating to Intactivism and normal anatomy. Some of the main ones are illustrated.
Diagrams of male and female anatomy at eight weeks gestation and at birth illustrate the similarity of structure.
Not "just a flap of skin": a non-erotic animation of how a foreskin works. ◦ A more stylised animation to demonstrate its size. A remarkable illustration of its actual size.
Functions of the Foreskin (22 of them)
aimed at doctors and uses medical language but very clear about the use and value of the foreskin.
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Sexuality
The sexuality page corrects the fairly popular fallacy that there is no difference in sexual function between intact and circumcised men.
◦ The foreskin itself gives pleasure.
◦ A musical illustration. Reports by women about what a revelation intact men were to them.
◦ Condoms and the intact man.
◦ Tantric sex.
◦ Popular myth: "American women prefer circumcised." (Williamsons' survey of women in Iowa)
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There's very little to it! also available in PDF format a response to the AAP's "Care of the Uncircumcised Penis" |
Paraphimosis, one of the few real threats.
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PDF format leaflet
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Frenulum breve "tight banjo string"—can be readily treated.
FOR PARENTS (TO-BE) AND SONS
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“It's a Boy!” A short summary for parents and parents-to-be of the case for intactness in simple language.
Also available as a PDF format leaflet. written to answer the AAP's brochure for parents which doesn't even acknowledge that the foreskin is part of the penis! |
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A historic documentary video
circa 1982 (How little has changed!) featuring Intactivist pioneers Edward Wallerstein and Rosemary Romberg—includes a Mogen ® clamp circumcision—(Parental Guidance Recommended) |
Mothers (and mothers-to-be)
Sheila Kitzinger's New Pregnancy & Childbirth. ◦ A thought-experiment. ◦ How to raise the subject with a circumcised husband.
Fathers
A circumcised father with an intact son—a telling rejoinder to "a boy should look like his father" ◦
A cartoon ◦ A 2500-year-old fable by Æsop
Refusal
Circumcision is sometimes pushed on parents, and even committed contrary to their wishes. To prevent this, a firmly-worded
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Circumcision Refusal Form and a sheet of circumcision refusal stickers in PDF format
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Intact boys
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A short story for intact boys and their parents about what intactness is, and why intact boys should, if anything, be glad to be "different" from their friends.
(also available in PDF format) |
Intact teens
“Something They Haven't”
A story and Q&A for intact teenagers about peer pressure and being intact. (also available in PDF format) |
Foreskin restoration—a growing movement
Vorhaut-Restoration—ausführliche Informationen auf Deutsch ◦ An artificial foreskin.
HUMAN RIGHTS
• Genital integrity is first and foremost a human rights issue.
Ethics
• Medical organisations have very little to say about the ethics of circumcision.
There is more here.
• The British Medical Association has issued ethical guidelines that rule out infant circumcision based on parental preference alone.
• An important book, "The Ethical Canary", includes a chapter on the ethics of circumcision.
Law
The legal case against infant circumcision is growing. This section also contrasts the protection afforded cats, dogs and a baby's head against similar procedures.
A shocking parallel. Parental guidance recommended.
THE CAMPAIGN FOR GENITAL INTEGRITY: INTACTIVISM
- Reasons Not to Circumcise (at least 32)
- The Lost List—what is lost to circumcision (18)
- A chapter from a 1980 classic, Wallerstein's Circumcision: an American health fallacy.
SCHMUCK
Interview with Dan Strandjord, who daily pickets the University of Chicago Hospital to protest its high circumcision rate. |
Five short videos from Genital Integrity Awareness Week 2009 on YouTube
—and over 100 other interviews about circumcision |
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Bruce Springsteen "sings" at Superbowl |
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An award-winning children's rights documentary The only circumcision-related video to explore important issues not addressed in other programs, and so far the only one that can both be purchased as a DVD and viewed online.
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LINKS to other Intactivist sites
- Scientific references
- A Chronology of the Foreskin and Circumcision
Propaganda
- Short Answers on Circumcision
- Some relevant quotations
The case for intactness in two minutes- An epic ballad, The Rape of the Cock
- multimedia—animations, sound files and a logo
Circumcision—a "cure" in search of a disease
Presentation to the New Zealand Skeptics, September 26, 2009"The Rape of the Cock", an epic poem with illustrations
"The Foreskin and Circumcision"
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§ The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's promotion of circumcision encourages many to use free, open source alternatives to Microsoft software like LibreOffice & Calligra Suite.
Campaign resources
Readymade T-shirts and bumperstickers from The Intactivism Shop
Also mugs, buttons, fridge-magnets, tote bags, and other gear.
(off-
site) The Intactivism Shop 
T-shirts, bumperstickers, mugs, more.  
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HOUSEKEEPING
Feedback from readers
Comments about this site are welcome. Please use email.
(No e-cards, thank you. Hostile messages may be displayed unedited. Link exchange considered only for sites related to genital cutting.)
Miscellaneous
Types of circumcision articles; circumcision in Shakespeare; infection vs. inflammation; diabetes; other "useless" organs, the appendix and Jacobsen's organ; whether babies remember being circumcised; permanent retraction; circumcision and royalty.
To people who think the subject is beneath discussion.
Have you changed your mind about circumcision?
We'd love to hear about it!
These pages are supported by the generosity of
Tilted Planet, Ltd.
To Cheer you up—
