If you haven't heard yet, The American Academy of Pediatrics has decided that the decline in circumcisions needs to be reversed and is about to release a recommendation that circumcisions have medical advantages that medical science has proven over and over again to be completely unfounded.
This is the final nail in the coffin for many of us as proof that the AAP serves profits over babies.
Dr Bob Block, the current president of the AAP, has this picture of himself on his twitter profile. One hand says AAP, one hand says Rocks.There is a Facebook campaign called Wash Your Hands Clean of the AAP that calls for changing your profile pic to a similar picture but with the words "AAP" and "No Ethics" written on your hands.
I tried taking this picture by myself, since Bryan works nights, but it didn't work out, so I changed my whole facebook banner to the one at the top of this post with my beautiful, intact son.
No other national medical organization on God's green earth recommends routine infant circumcision.
For our for-profit medical industry, infant circumcision is a multi-million dollar industry, bringing money to the doctor who performs the surgery, the hospital where the surgery is performed, and then bringing in money again when the foreskins are sold and used for everything from skin grafts (at least some good will come from it) and cosmetics (WTF?).
It is apparent that the AAP is more interested in protecting this cash cow than it is in operating in the true best interests of the young and vulnerable babies they are supposed to help heal and protect.
They are also interested in never, ever having to admit that they have been perpetrators of a horrific violation against infants for decades.
"Doctors who circumcise are the most resistant to change. They will not admit that they made a critical mistake by amputating an important part of the penis."
Paul Fleiss, M.D., pediatrician
It is up to each of us as human rights advocates and intactivist parents to keep campaigning for change and sharing information, and changing minds one parent at a time.
Ugh, makes me want to BARF!! I'm soooo glad I was able to talk sense into my husband before it was too late for our son.
ReplyDeleteSo true... So very true. Thank you for this post.
ReplyDeleteIf only Americans understood what they were cutting off and that it affects male and female sexual pleasure. To do this to a child is cruel and criminal. But, there is a "whole" generation growing up with their bodies intact and believe me they are speaking out. We must not be defeated, the fight is just gearing up. Michelle Storms MD
ReplyDeleteMichelle, you are right. Our older DS is almost 25 now and an outspoken critic of circumcision.
ReplyDeleteIf circumcision is such a great preventative, how come thee most circumcising nation (the USA) had the first high HIV/AIDS) incidence rate. My second wife's 1st husband was circumcised. She sakys the proper use of the intact penis makes sex far greater and more cpmfortable than she could have imagined.
ReplyDeleteIntact Herb
I don't understand the argument about it being cleaner, either. It would be like cutting off my eyelids to prevent getting dust trapped under there.
ReplyDeleteAAP NO ETHICS!
ReplyDeleteRobert Block is an advocate against child abuse...but if you watch on youtube a circumcision performed unnecessarily to a crying, strapped-down baby, that seems abusive to me. I could hardly watch it; it made me cry and I usually handle seeing gruesome things on tv!
That sounds horrific!!!!
ReplyDeleteBob Block and the other members of the AAP Task Force on circumcision have overplayed their hand, underestimating that the average person is better informed and more ethical than those who use junk science to justify remove healthy body parts from children who cannot understand or consent.
ReplyDeleteThank you to all who speak up for the rights of children to genital integrity.