To Girls
 
Imagine you have just given birth to a beautiful new baby girl. Shortly thereafter a doctor brings you a release form for surgery to be performed on her. The procedure is described as being simple. It "merely" involves cutting off the prepuce covering of the clitoris. When asked why it needs to be done, the doctor explains that your child will be able to keep herself cleaner, that by exposing the clitoris sensations will be dulled and there will be a decreased chance of masturbation, and also that there is some evidence to indicate that there will be less urinary infection, less cancer and less chance of venereal disease. Also, you're told, just about everyone is having it done to their baby girls now and you wouldn't want your little girl to be odd.
 
Sounds absurd, even barbaric, doesn't it?
 
Although not done in this country, it is done to millions of young girls elsewhere in the world. This procedure is called Pharonic circumcision, or infibulation.
 
Here is a description of how it is done in many Islamic and African countries: "The child, completely naked, is made to sit on a low stool. Several women take hold of her and open her legs widely. After separating her outer and inner vulvar lips, the operator slices open the hood of the clitoris (the prepuce) and then reaches underneath the length of the clitoris with her finger to detach and pull out the organ entirely. The inner lips are now cut off and the skin from the inside of the larger lips is scraped with a knife, so that the lips will eventually seal and narrow the vaginal opening."
 
This crude procedure, done without any anesthesia, can cause profuse bleeding and even death. By scraping the vulvar lips the vaginal opening is essentially closed as healing and scarring follows. This is the most common form of deterrent to premarital sex in many Islamic countries. Its importance is because women in these societies are considered property. They are unmarriageable if not virgin. Such nonvirgin women, instead of bringing a price to the parents upon marriage, would simply be a drain on the family. Over 100 million in Africa alone have had this procedure done.
 
Eunuchs
 
Perhaps you have heard of Eunuchs. These were men who were neutered to guard harems. As a young boy, I had these men pictured as being castrated politely and then left to guard beautiful, young maidens. The real picture is not quite as the movies present it. "Castration" to create Eunuchs went as follows: The scrotum and the penis were grabbed and twisted. Once tightened at the base, a knife was then used to simply cut the entire affair off flush. A cork was then put in the urethral opening to try to help prevent it from closing due to the scarring which would follow. Then they simply waited to see if he died from hemorrhage or infection. These mutilated men were left to guard women who had been likewise mutilated by infibulation.
 
Somehow this harem scene now loses its erotic flavor.
 
Mutilation as a rite of passage, a religious practice or for other social reasons is common throughout the world. Aside from the genital mutilation there are societies which band the head and neck to elongate them, place plates in lips and ears, bind feet to make them small and scarify the skin to create decorative scar tissue (keloids).
 
Isn't it nice that we live in a modern sophisticated society that would not practice such barbarism? Think again.
 
To boys
 
Let's look at what we do to our newborn boys by the millions. Male circumcision is the most common surgical procedure performed in this country. We are also the only country to practice it for no legitimate medical, surgical or religious reason.
 
At a time when the child should feel the warmth and love of a mother's and father's gentle embrace, they instead are locked into a restraining device. No anesthesia is given. No consent from the child is required and then a normal body part is surgically excised.
 
The compulsive need of humans to manipulate the genitals of other humans is difficult to understand, particularly when there can be given no rational reason for it. The only like behavior in nature is seen with male animals fighting and attempting to remove or damage each others' testicles. Domestic male cats often will fight leaving scrotal wounds or even castrating their opponent. But here there is at least a reason. The dominant male is attempting to assure his genetic lineage.
 
There is no like justification for the mutilation of human genitalia.
 
Catastrophes
 
We have been led to believe that circumcision for young boys is as safe and innocuous as trimming finger nails. But here are a list of the possible complications: death, severe hemorrhage, urinary retention, lacerations of the penis and scrotal skin, excessive skin loss requiring surgical grafting, loss of the entire glans
 
(end of the penis) or beveling and disfiguring of the glans, hypospadias deformity (the urethra empties on the under surface of the penis), epispadias deformity (the urethra empties on the upper surface of the penis), loss of the entire penis (requiring a sex change operation), keloids (scars), skin ridges, phimosis (attachment of the prepuce to the glans), meatal (urethral opening) stricture and/or ulceration, stitch tunnels (perforations left due to stitching) and pitted glans.
 
These unspoken complication s can result in disfigurement and dysfunction for life!
 
We're not talking about a bad haircut here. These are considered pretty special body parts by men. Behaviorists can make a strong case, in fact, for humans being predominantly sexual creatures. We are guided and molded from puberty on in terms of our sexuality. It pulls and pushes us in overt and subtle ways throughout life.
 
We are already genitally shy. Think of the emotional damage to young boys who have been disfigured, and to men who live in a society (and in a biological shell) that measures worth in terms of attractiveness and sexuality. The penis may be damaged but self esteem could be butchered. Indeed a cruel yoke for a person to carry throughout life.
 
 
Such injury is particularly regretful (and disgusting) when it is considered that it is all iatrogenic (doctor-caused). None of these injuries are a necessary consequence of a necessary surgical procedure. (This is not to say we parents are not culpable for either requesting or permitting the procedure.)

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A. Urethral fistula at frenulum, probably the result of incisional trauma. B. Three-year-old with an almost transected glans from circumcision at birth. C. Neonate referred immediately after Gomco clamp circumcision in which all the skin of the shaft had been amputated. D. Six-month-old baby was referred after loss of the entire penis from cautery used during circumcision. From the textbook Pediatric Trauma, edited by Robert J. Touloukian, M.D., Yale University School of Medicine John Wile & Sons


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If you compare the drawings, A to A, B to B, etc., you will see that male and female are very similar, each having analogous structures to the other. Each, for example, has a prepuce. If it "needs" to be removed in the male, why not the female? From Foundations of Embryology, Bradley M. Patten, McGraw-Hill

 
 
Big Business
 
But it's big business. As I said, it is the most common surgery in the U.S. resulting in over $240 million coming into the medical industry each year. That is about $250 per circumcision. It's interesting that in England when doctors were no longer compensated for the procedure, its rate dropped, to 1/2 of 1%. So much for it being a necessary medical procedure.
 
Myths that maim
 
Circumcision is an irrational bias in constant search for justification and validation. The prepuce does not cause cancer. It does not cause infection. It does not cause venereal disease. It does not cause masturbation. It does not cause insanity. It does not cause premature ejaculation. It does not cause uncleanliness.
 
One of the most frequently cited reasons for circumcision is because it is suggested that the mucus secretion under the prepuce is dirty. But think about it We don't pull finger nails because they get dirty, or oblate the ear canals of our young children because they get waxy, or shave off the nose because it forms mucus, or pull teeth because they get plaque.
 
Also consider that the female genitalia has analogous structures to the prepuce, glans and penis of the man. If you will examine these drawings you will see how embryologically male and female genitalia develop and how that the prepuce, which is removed during circumcision, is the same structure which covers the clitoris (which analogously is a penis) in the female. The prepuce of the female also produces a secretion, but yet our society has seen no reason to circumcise females.
 
Circumcision has been a rite for religions, most notably Judaism. But even in this case, circumcision originally was simply the removal of the very tip of the prepuce, not the removal of the entire thing. Such circumcision did not significantly alter normal anatomical relationships.
 
However, when Jews wanted to look like their captors, such as in Rome and Nazi Germany, they would often attempt to restore their circumcised genitalia or prevent their children from having it done. The result was that zealous priests then decided to remove the entire prepuce, fully exposing the glans, thus making it harder for their congregation to abjure their religious heritage. This complete removal of the prepuce has become the normal method for circumcision and has carried over into modern Judaism, Christianity, and secular medicine up to this very day.
 
Nature made no mistake
 
What is the prepuce? Is it necessary?
 
Make no mistake about it, nature makes no mistakes when it comes to reproductive function. Indeed the reproductive imperative is the singular most important element that distinguishes life from non-life. There is very little in any creature's being that can be separated from reproductive mechanisms in one way or another. Some biologists in fact argue our bodies are nothing but a disposable carrier of genetic information.
 
So do you think that nature made a mistake in molding our genitalia? Everything else in the body that we once thought was a mistake or superfluous such as the pineal gland, the appendix, tonsils and adenoids, for example, have been shown to be functional and an integral part of a healthy organism. So how much more must our genitalia, all parts of it, be necessary and essential to normalcy?
 
It is more likely, in fact, that if any part of our physical being has been sharpened to a razor's edge, of perfection, it is those parts that are responsible for reproduction.
 
Circumcision is subtractive surgery. If you subtract from the unit, what remains is less than the unit.
 
An important body part
 
Functionally the prepuce is meant to cover the sensitive glans. At birth the prepuce is adherent to the glans and protects the glans from infection and contamination from urine, feces and so forth, especially during the diaper stage. What do we do? We forcibly separate the prepuce from the glans and hack it off, allowing the glans to bathe in urine and feces.
 
If it is left in place, over time the prepuce produces a normal mucus secretion (smegma) that dissects the glans naturally from the prepuce, permitting the prepuce to be pulled back while urinating or upon erection. The prepuce remains as a protective covering similar to a lens cap on a camera.
 
The glans is normally an internal organ other than at the time of sexual arousal. Its exposure at other times, therefore, could be said to be inappropriate. Circumcision needlessly bares the glans to injury or dulls its sensitivity through abrasion.
 
Aside from being protective for the glans, the prepuce is in effect the only moving part of the penis. During intercourse the prepuce serves as a sleeve within which the penis can move. The prepuce in an adult is 12 square inches of erogenous and protective tissue, which is about the amount of area on a 3 x 5 index card. Without this sleeve there is, in effect, no moving part to the penis and a significant amount of erogenous tissue has been subtracted. Various sexual dysfunctions can result, particularly as both mates age.
 
Next month I will briefly discuss dysfunction in adults that results from circumcision and ingenious ways that uncircumcision can be accomplished without any medical intervention.
For some it has resulted in a restored sexual life, in others it has been the recapture of a birth right that was stolen from them without their consent.
 
In the meantime, Moms and Dads, think long and hard before you give consent to stealing your son's birth right without his consent and exposing him to possible disfigurement.
 
Share this article with others you know who are going to be giving birth.
 
For further information see the book Say No to Circumcision. (Resource B page 8)1 
 
B) Say No To Circumcision is available from the Wysong Library, 1880 North Eastman, Midland MI 48640. Catalog available. 1-800-748-0188.
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Circumcision And Pain Response
 
The pain response to vaccination of 60 boys as related to whether they were or were not circumcised was studied. It was determined that median visual analog scores and higher behavioral pain scores and crying longer were associated with the boys who were circumcised.
 
I have previously discussed the issue of genital mutilation. One organization, the National Organization of Circumcision Resource Centers, has a significant following. It produces books and newsletters demonstrating the adverse impact of circumcision on adults. For some time they have suggested that the cruel surgical procedure performed on boys has a very significant psychological impact that is carried even into adult life. This study certainly corroborates in part their suspicions.
 
Male circumcision in this country is the most common neonatal surgical procedure. It causes severe pain and measurable changes in behavior. In this study it was found that pain response to vaccinations four to six months after circumcision was increased in circumcised children.
 
Who fully understands the impact of such trauma on a developing infant? Could what is implanted into the psyche by this cruel mutilation surface later in life as any number of psychological disturbances? (To pursue this topic further, see Resource E, page 64.)
 
E) Say No To Circumcision!, by Thomas J. Ritter, M.D. provides compelling information that explodes the myth that routine newborn
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​GENITAL MUTILATION JUST SAY NO
 
In a previous issue I discussed the harmful effects of circumcision in males. Normally performed as a religious right, justification is attempted by arguing that the intact organ (exactly as nature created it) causes disease. This is absurd on the face of it. It's incredible how traditional practices, regardless of their merit or harm, can find justification.
 
Though some say there is no harm since it is simply a cosmetic procedure, abundant data demonstrates there is far reaching and significant impact on men who have had it performed. (See Vol. 7, No. 8). Historically, about the only other mutilation performed on men has been castration, creating eunuchs so that harems could be guarded without fear of sexual activity.
 
The mutilation of women is even more outrageous. Various forms of female circumcision have become accepted by both sexes as a means of maintaining chasteness and purity in women.
 
In the 19th century, clitoridectomies (removal of the clitoris) were prescribed within the medical establishment for treating conditions such as hysteria, epilepsy, melancholy, lesbianism, and masturbation. Today they are still performed infrequently to control female masturbation and sexuality.
 
There are three different types of surgical modifications to female genitalia performed around the world. The least severe is a subtotal clitoridectomy where there is removal of the prepuce covering the clitoris. This is most like male circumcision. It is even performed in the United States supposedly to help women achieve orgasm. In one instance, a U.S. surgeon was prosecuted and convicted for performing the procedure on several women without their consent.
 
A more radical procedure is known as excision. This consists of removal of the clitoris and sometimes part of the labia minora.
 
The most severe form of female genital mutilation is known as infibulation or pharaonic circumcision. It consists of removal of the entire clitoris, the labia minora and at least two-thirds of the labia majora. The two sides of the vulva are then stitched together by silk or cat gut or even by thorns. Just a small opening is left, usually made by the insertion of a match stick, to permit the passage of blood and urine. The legs of the girl are then bound from hip to ankle for up to 40 days so that scar tissue will form to seal the opening. Infibulation is performed on young 7-yearold girls to make them more "acceptable" for marriage. It is insurance that a man indeed has a virgin.
 
Women who have been subjected to infibulation can often urinate only by drops and require 10 to 15 minutes to empty the bladder. Menstruation can last for 10 days or more and is extremely painful because of the retention of the flow. Infibulated women can become malodorous enough to prevent them from even being able to work among others.
 
When the women are married they may then have to have the scar cut open to permit intercourse. When they give birth they must also be incised to permit the passage of the newborn.
 
The complications from these procedures is like a laundry list from a horror movie. First off, girls can simply bleed to death from the procedure. There is also shock, infection, damage to the urethra or anus, cheloid scar formation, epidermal cysts, tetanus, septicemia, retention of urine leading to bladder and kidney disease, chronic vaginal and urine infections, sterility, dysmenorrhea, and frigidity (no wonder).
 
Incredibly, such procedures have been performed and assisted by physicians around the world. They are commonly performed by midwives or lay people using instruments such as glass, razors, kitchen knives, scissors and in some regions even the teeth of the midwife. The surgery is performed on young girls without anesthesia in many cultures. She is placed on a low stool and women hold her down by her chest and stretch apart her legs. The child is often told that any screaming or crying will bring shame to her family. In upper class families, the daughters have the luxury of having the procedure performed by physicians who use anesthesia.
 
This topic has had my stomach rolling as I have written it. It is shocking and horrible. It is amazing what humans can do to other humans. Its cruelty lies in the fact that it is totally unnecessary to the health of girls and in fact subjects them in many cases to a lifetime of pain and disability.
 
Before those of us who have not had the procedure done and would not even consider it be done to our children become too smug, we need to re-evaluate what we have accepted in our culture as "normal." First of all, male circumcision is widely accepted and is similarly barbaric. But moving from that we can cite basically any medical procedure that potentially brings pain and suffering to those who submit to it as like barbarism.
 
For example, if heart disease can be prevented and reversed with simple lifestyle and dietary modification (which evidence indicates it can) then those who subject people to having their chest sawed open and their heart operated on can be viewed as being just as cruel as midwives infibulating young girls. Similarly, those who subject people to various cancer therapies including surgery, radiation and chemotherapy which can create incredible pain and suffering with often no likely beneficial result, are also in this category. Even dispensing drugs for conditions that could be reversed by simple life changes can be cruel. Those who take the drugs are drained of financial resources, end up with side effects that require more drugs to be taken to curtail the side effects which require more drugs to curtail the side effects from the new drugs, which then may require some form of surgery to attempt to reverse all of this damage and on and on... this too is like barbarism.
 
Before you submit to any manipulation of your body by another through the use of drugs or surgery, think long and hard and become aware and informed. If you do this, in by far the majority of cases you will just say no.​¹