# Parents Magazine...OH NO!



## Ivan's Mom (Jul 10, 2006)

Letter writing campaign to begin NOW!

http://www.parents.com/parents/story...1552317165.xml

Quote:

Circumcising Your Baby May Help Protect Him from AIDS in Adulthood
New studies out of Africa show that being circumcised cuts a man's risk of
contracting AIDS through heterosexual sex by 50 percent.By Karen Bilich

New research strongly suggests that circumcising your baby may protect him
against AIDS later in life. Two studies followed nearly 8,000 men (half
circumcised, half not). The studies found that circumcised men contracted
AIDS about 50 percent less frequently than those in the uncircumcised
group. (Although the research was conducted in Africa, where the risk of
AIDS is much higher, American experts believe the findings are relevant
for us, too. The major issue is that the foreskin seems to somehow harbor
viruses.) The results from the African studies were so staggering that the
clinical trials were halted by the National Institutes of Health Data
Safety and Monitoring Board, which concluded that not offering
circumcision to every man was unethical and an unnecessary risk to their
lives.

Why Circumcision Lowers the Risk of AIDS

Even though the studies (and circumcisions) were performed on grown men,
the study results are relevant to baby circumcisions since the biology is
the same -- presence of penis foreskin increases the risk of contracting
HIV, whether the circumcision was performed at birth or in adulthood.

Circumcision is the removal of a portion of the foreskin at the end of the
penis. This foreskin is thought to increase a man's risk of HIV
contraction for two reasons. First, the underside of the foreskin contains
immune system cells -- to which HIV cells can easily attach. Second, the
foreskin often suffers small tears during intercourse, allowing the HIV
cells to enter the bloodstream. Circumcising your baby can eliminate these
two risk factors.

"Lower incidence of HIV, lower incidence of urinary tract infections, and
lower incidence of penile cancer" are all proven medical benefits of
circumcision, says Dr. Ari Brown, pediatrician, author of Baby 411 and a
Parents.com advisor. "But thus far, those benefits have not been
significant enough for any major medical organization to advise routine
male circumcision. This new study may have an impact on what is advised in
the future, but remember there are other risk factors and other ways to
prevent HIV transmission. "

How Circumcision Protects Women, Too

Additionally, the studies go on to suggest that circumcised men who are
already infected with HIV were about 30 percent less likely to transmit it
to their female partners. Earlier studies in the United States and Europe,
and published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2002, also showed
that uncircumcised men were about three times as likely as circumcised
ones to infect a female partner with the human papillomavirus, the virus
that can lead to cervical cancer.

Should You Circumcise Your Baby Boy?

Obviously, the decision about whether or not to circumcise a newborn son
is a personal one that all parents need to make on their own, taking into
account cultural and religious considerations as well as health concerns.
But this latest research may help ambivalent parents reach their
conclusion.
I am so sick of this study...especially this line:
"The results from the African studies were so staggering that the
clinical trials were halted by the National Institutes of Health Data
Safety and Monitoring Board, which concluded that not offering
circumcision to every man was unethical and an unnecessary risk to their
lives."


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## lactationmom (Aug 13, 2002)

Let's FLOOD them with the MGM bill, the video and other links to let them know this is outrageous! This is like cutting off your ears to prevent possible ear infections!

[email protected]

I just wrote them about this and the rotovirus vaccine article they have online, sheesh!


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## LavenderMae (Sep 20, 2002)

: Horrible horrible horrible article. They just got many many more baby boys cut.


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## Baby Makes 4 (Feb 18, 2005)

That made my heart hurt.









It's bad enough that people cut their sons because they don't want to teach them how to clean themselves but now we're supposed to cut them because we don't want to teach them to wear a condom?

My son is 11, he knows how to wash his body and he knows that when he is old enough to have sex he must wear a condom. It wasn't that hard to teach him either of those concepts.







:


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## LavenderMae (Sep 20, 2002)

I'm emailing them now, give me some good links to include!!!


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## SharonAnne (Jul 12, 2004)

I think the biggest problem with this "study" is the false sense of security it's giving people. "Well, we circumcised our son, so he won't have to worry about getting AIDs". :crazy: Which is obviously RIDICULOUS.

And, in another vein, my family's got a history of breast cancer. But my mother never asked the doctor to lob off one of my breasts. We've also got a serious history of migraine headaches, but miraculously, no physician ever suggested we chop off any part of our heads.

How ridiculous.







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## Super Pickle (Apr 29, 2002)

Was that article printed int he magazine, or just online?
I'll write a letter either way, I just want to feel the relief wash over me if it is just online and not in the magazine. Thanks!


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## dynamohumm6 (Feb 22, 2005)

I just wrote a very angry letter.

Unreal.


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## LavenderMae (Sep 20, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dynamohumm6* 
I just wrote a very angry letter.

Unreal.


So did I! I am livid.


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## LavenderMae (Sep 20, 2002)

I hope a lot of us will write them. They need to know that there are many of us out there who do not agree with that stupid "study" or circumcsion. I am so F'ing sick of that damn study. It so illogical that if it weren't about circumcising it would be laughed at.


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## TigerTail (Dec 22, 2002)

Circumcision for women may prevent HIV as well! How about it? And no 'it's completely different', please. Even pharoanic circumcision, the most drastic & uncommon type, does not remove 'the whole clitoris'- two minutes perusing the anatomy of the clitoris on Wiki or in a textbook will disabuse anyone of that notion.

Girls die from circumcision.
Boys die from circumcision.

Langerhans cells, of the 'foreskins harbor infection', are in all mucus membrane, including labia. Imagine that.

Some girls are cut with dirty objects in unsterile surroundings.
Ditto to boys.

It is to remove sexual sensation in both boys & girls. It is a religious ritual for both boys & girls. It is to 'promote cleanliness' in both boys & girls.

The only difference is, it's 'those Africans' who circ girls. Not nice American 'Parents Magazine' reading folks.

By the way, no one would publish that study in any peer-reviewed journal. They stopped because it was too unethical not to offer circumcision to all the men? They stopped because if it had continued, the findings (as the men's penises healed from surgery!) would've evened out.

Microtears (mentioned in the article) are far more attributable to the prevalence of 'dry sex' (Wiki that one too), where women use drying herbs, that wetness is considered unpleasant by the men in those cultures.

Link to World AIDS 2006 conference abstracts
http://www.iasociety.org/abstract/sh...act_id=2177677

Quote:
Results: By self-report, 17.7 percent of women were circumcised. Circumcision status varied significantly by region, household wealth, age, education, years resident, religion, years sexually active, union status, polygamy, number of recent and lifetime sex partners, recent injection or abnormal discharge, use of alcohol and ability to say no to sex. In the final logistic model, circumcision remained highly significant [OR=0.60; 95% CI 0.41,0.88] while adjusted for region, household wealth, age, lifetime partners, union status, and recent ulcer.

Conclusions: A lowered risk of HIV infection among circumcised women was not attributable to confounding with another risk factor in these data. Anthropological insights on female circumcision as practiced in Tanzania may shed light on this conundrum.

And finally:

Summary of evidence that the foreskin and
lysozyme may protect against HIV infection
By George Hill

This file contains a summary of the evidence that the foreskin and the sub-preputial wetness under the foreskin (prepuce) may protect against human immunodeficiency virus.
Lysozyme is an enzyme with anti-bacterial action that is found in body fluids. (An enzyme is a protein or conjugated protein produced by a living organism and functions as a biochemical catalyst.1) Lysozyme breaks down cell walls and kills bacteria.

Prakash and others reported in 1983 that sub-preputial wetness contains lysozyme2 and Lee-Huang finds lysozyme in human urine.3 Lee-Huang et al. report that lysozyme is also an effective agent for killing HIV in vitro.3

Laumann et al. report that about 77 percent of adult American males are circumcised. 4 Thus, these circumcised males have no sub-preputial wetness and no lysozyme protection. Laumann finds that circumcised men are slightly more likely to have both a bacterial and a viral STD in their lifetime.4

World Health Organization data show that the incidence of HIV infection in the United States is four or more times greater than in any other advanced industrial nation.5 Other advanced nations either do not circumcise males or have a very low incidence of circumcision compared to the United States.6

Chao reports that a circumcised husband is a risk factor for HIV infection amongst pregnant women in Rwanda.7 Grosskurth et al. find a higher incidence of HIV infection in circumcised men in Tanzania.8

The high incidence of HIV in the United States and its correlation with the high rate of circumcision has been noted by Storms9 and Nicoll. 10 Furthermore, Tanne reports a general epidemic of STD, including chlamydia and HIV, in the United States.11

Moreover, Fleiss and others report that the increased friction and more vigorous and prolonged thrusting required to achieve orgasm with a circumcised penis may be more likely to cause "breaks, tears, microfissures, abrasions, and lacerations through which HIV in semen can enter the receiving partner's bloodstream."12

More research is needed to verify the protective effect of lysozyme and the foreskin in vivo.

References
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 3rd edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston: 1992.

Prakash S, Rao R, Venkatesan K, et al. Sub-preputial wetness--its nature. Ann Nat Med Sci 1982:18:109-112.

Lee-Huang S, Huang PL, Sun Y, et al. Lysozyme and RNases as anti-HIV components in beta-core preparations of human chorionic gonadotropin. Proc Natl Acad Sci (U S A) 1999 (Mar 16);96(6):2678-2681.

Laumann EO, Masi CM, Zuckerman EW. Circumcision in the United States: prevalence, prophylactic effects, and sexual pratice. JAMA 1997;277:1052-1057.

World Health Organization. The Current Situation of the HIV/AIDS Pandemic, Quarterly Report. World Health Organization, Geneva: July 3, 1995.

Wallerstein, E. Circumcision: the uniquely American medical enigma. Urologic Clinics of North America 1985;12(1)-132.

Chao A, Bulterys M, Musanganire F, et al. Risk factors associated with prevalent HIV-1 infection among pregnant women in Rwanda. National University of Rwanda-Johns Hopkins University AIDS Research Team. Int J Epidemiol 1994; 23:371-380.

Grosskurth H., Mosha F, Todd J, et al. A community trial of the impact of improved sexually transmitted disease treatment on the HIV epidemic in rural Tanzania: 2. Baseline survey results. AIDS 1995;9(8):927-934.

Storms MR. AAFP fact sheet: a need for updating. Am Fam Physician 1996;54:1216,1218.

Nicoll A. Routine male neonatal circumcision and risk of infection with HIV-1 and other sexually transmitted diseases. Archives of Disease in Childhood (London) 1997;77(3):194-195.

Tanne JH. U.S. has epidemic of sexually transmitted disease. BMJ 1998;317:1616.

Fleiss P, Hodges FM, Van Howe RS. Immunological functions of the human prepuce. Sex Trans Inf 1998;74(5):364-367.
19 March 1999

Your editors need to have more stringent standards. Please feature a factual rebuttal in a subsequent issue (or start telling people to have their newborn girls circumcised to prevent HIV as well. Oh wait, that's illegal here. Because it's cruel & no one has the right to alter someone else's genitals.)

It's a personal choice- of the person, not their parents. Whether they are girls or boys.

Sincerely, (TT)


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## LavenderMae (Sep 20, 2002)

Oh damn I forgot to say something about it being a personal choice (the boys).
Good letter TigerTail.


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## Ivan's Mom (Jul 10, 2006)

OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!

Did anybody else see the advertisement at the right side of that stupid article.

Here it is!
http://www.myskinclamp.com/?gclid=CP...FQx1VAodVFq2uQ

Stupid stupid stupid people.








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## TigerTail (Dec 22, 2002)

I THINK that addy goes to web support, not the editors... Anybody?


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## LavenderMae (Sep 20, 2002)

It's online cutsomer service, crap.


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## pdx.mothernurture (May 27, 2004)

My heart aches at all the good this 'study' is undoing everytime it's misused to advocate forced circumcision of children.









Jen


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## LavenderMae (Sep 20, 2002)

I can't find an email address for comments , does anyone here get this mag and help us out with an email addy? I want to send my email to the right place.


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## Ivan's Mom (Jul 10, 2006)

Here is correct addy. I just called.

[email protected]

Let them know what is on your mind!







:


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## ~member~ (May 23, 2002)

Maybe calling the sales reps will do more, kwim?
http://www.meredith.com/mediakit/par...ontact-us.html

Here is the link to the other email addy's
http://www.parents.com/parents/file....equestid=73093


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## LavenderMae (Sep 20, 2002)

Well I did find this so maybe it is the right addy.
If you have questions or comments about Parents magazine, contact us at

support @ parents.com


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## janellesmommy (Jun 6, 2004)

Even if circumcision actually helped prevent AIDS, it still would be no reason to circumcise INFANTS.


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## Ivan's Mom (Jul 10, 2006)

*Here is my letter to the correct addy:*
[email protected]

Quote:

Dear Parents.com,

I am saddened to see that your website is giving credit to the flawed Circumcision/AIDS study that was done in Africa. Please read this article from Doctors Opposing Circumcision to see the truth behind this flawed "study."

http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcisi...Statement.html

Because of your article, I fear many more children will be put through the torment of circumcision for no good reason. Are you aware of the many problems that can arise from circumcision? Are you aware of the excruciating pain that is involved with circumcision? Are you aware that this "study" says that condoms must still be worn to protect against AIDS? Please remove this article from your website before too many parents read it and put their baby through unnecessary surgery.


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## hunnybumm (Nov 1, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ivan's Mom* 
OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!

Did anybody else see the advertisement at the right side of that stupid article.

Here it is!
http://www.myskinclamp.com/?gclid=CP...FQx1VAodVFq2uQ

Stupid stupid stupid people.








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How is that for complete irony. Here, it is better for everyone if you cut off your sons penis at birth, oh and when he is an adult he can just grow it back!

I acutally find it sort of funny that they have an article about how circ is great, then a link that is pro intact. I guess they are just making money all the way around!

Do we have a correct email to send a letter to? I can literally hear the baby boys screaming from all the readers getting so much confirmation that circ is the right choice, and those on the fence falling off.


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## Ivan's Mom (Jul 10, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *hunnybumm* 
Do we have a correct email to send a letter to? I can literally hear the baby boys screaming from all the readers getting so much confirmation that circ is the right choice, and those on the fence falling off.

Here is my letter to the correct addy:
[email protected]


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## buckeyedoc (Nov 9, 2006)

Sent one, too, very similar to my post on the "what do I say about the HIV studies" thread a few days ago. What an irresponsible article by someone who clearly never thought about why it would have anything to do with US infant circumcision. I'm a very disgruntled Parents subscriber, and I made that clear in my letter.


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## TigerTail (Dec 22, 2002)

Thanks IM, I'm glad I saved it here







. Re-sent.


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## LavenderMae (Sep 20, 2002)

Thanks Ivan's Mom for the email addy, I re-sent my email to that address.


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## dynamohumm6 (Feb 22, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Sheacoby* 
Thanks Ivan's Mom for the email addy, I re-sent my email to that address.

me too.


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## Daisyuk (May 15, 2005)

I can't believe even a mainstream parenting magazine can be that irresponsible.

How many AIDS deaths are they now going to be responsible for amongst adult men who will now think that they are protected? How is it that they manage to forget all the men that were circ'd in those studies and still got it?

This is just unbelievable stupidity, that journalist deserves to be fired for dangerously incompetent journalism.


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## Super Pickle (Apr 29, 2002)

Thanks. I wrote:

Dear Parents Magazine,
It is absolutely appalling that you would promote infant male circumcision on your website, based on questionable studies about the link between circumcision and HIV transmission in Africa.
Neither the American Medical Association nor the American Academy of Pediatrics has changed its position on routine infant circumcision in light of the African studies. On the contrary, they have reaffirmed their statement that they find no medical basis for recommending it. It is highly irresponsible for you to print an article promoting it, when the national medical organizations are still saying that the potential benefits do not outweigh the risks and side effects.
A child born today has fifteen to twenty years before he becomes sexually active. By then, we will know far more about the link between circumcision and HIV. At that point, a mature young man will be able to evaluate his own behaviors and risk, weigh the evidence, and make his own decision about circumcision. It's just too personal a choice to be made by any but the man who will have to live with the consequences.
Your token mention of cultural and ethical considerations at the end of the article did not mask the piece as unbiased. You were attempting to paint as sensible the most irrational of American customs--the genital mutilation of baby boys. Boy or girl, African or American, no child deserves to be seized by stronger adults, forcibly restrained, and suffer the severing of the most sensitive, private parts of his or her body. Circumcision irrevocably alters a person's sexuality and deprives him of control over his or her own body. It's not a medical question; it's a human rights issue.
Here's an idea: Why don't you print a piece that looks at the rise of the intactivism (anti-circumcision) movement and the decline of circumcision rates in America? There's a controversy raging in this country over male genital cutting, and you would do your readers a better service by reporting on that debate than by promoting an unnecessary surgery that even the AMA and AAP don't recommend.
Sincerely,
A mother of two young boys


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## guestmama9908 (Jan 23, 2007)

After I get the kids in bed tonight I am going to write a letter. I think if they are going to promote circumcision they should shed light on its consequences as well.

I am going to make sure to point out the high rate of Penile Adhesions caused by circumcision in this country. I think I will be forced to share our horror story with those.


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## hunnybumm (Nov 1, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Daisyuk* 
I can't believe even a mainstream parenting magazine can be that irresponsible.

How many AIDS deaths are they now going to be responsible for amongst adult men who will now think that they are protected? *How is it that they manage to forget all the men that were circ'd in those studies and still got it?*

This is just unbelievable stupidity, that journalist deserves to be fired for dangerously incompetent journalism.

I was talking to my DH about that last night. I mean how do they really test this? I admit I haven't read the full study. WHY would someone want to be a part of a study that is testing whether they will get HIV or not? I mean, how responsible is that these men are having sex (unsafe I assume) and they are counting how many get infected. I realize the study is probably more complicated than that, but it still boggles me.


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## leah martinez (Jun 20, 2005)

Oh my! that makes my stomach turn!!!!














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## travisandjill (Jul 18, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Sheacoby* 







: Horrible horrible horrible article. They just got many many more baby boys cut.










Yeah the sad thing is that parent really are stupid enough to circ based on what they read in a magazine. If this article makes parents circ, then they dont deserve to even be parents at all. When I found out I was having a boy I did research the WHOLE time I was PG. even after I had my baby I still wasnt convinced one way or the other so I "held off on circ" until I could think clearly about it. I asked several doctors oppinions, and my ped even told me off for asking about it! She said you better not change your mind now (when ds was at his 2 week appt). I chose NOT to circ. Yes it was hard decision to make especially because I was being yelled at by family members who told me I was ruining my sons life. But I didnt care. I wanted to know exactly what would happen to my son during circ. I was appalled by what I saw. I will never regret my decision to keep him whole

Jill


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

Quote:

"The results from the African studies were so staggering that the
clinical trials were halted by the National Institutes of Health Data
Safety and Monitoring Board, which concluded that not offering
circumcision to every man was unethical and an unnecessary risk to their
lives."
Notice it says every MAN, not ever baby. Not that it makes it better, but sure, if you want to give grown men the option of circ it's their body and their choice. A baby has no choice. And no major medical organization had recommended INFANT circ based on the findings (that I'm aware of). The article is completely irresponsible. But what do you really expect from "Parents"?


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## ~Kira~ (Sep 16, 2004)

Just sent a REALLY strongly-worded email. Read it out loud to DH, who said "Jeez, calm down, hon!"









- Kira


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## Mamm2 (Apr 19, 2004)

Ok, I sent an email.


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## TigerTail (Dec 22, 2002)

Hm, what happened to my response? I think it was (to Kira): 'Calm' is for when people stop torturing little boys & girls.


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## My*Scorpio (Aug 15, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Super Pickle* 
Thanks. I wrote:

Dear Parents Magazine,
It is absolutely appalling that you would promote infant male circumcision on your website, based on questionable studies about the link between circumcision and HIV transmission in Africa.
Neither the American Medical Association nor the American Academy of Pediatrics has changed its position on routine infant circumcision in light of the African studies. On the contrary, they have reaffirmed their statement that they find no medical basis for recommending it. It is highly irresponsible for you to print an article promoting it, when the national medical organizations are still saying that the potential benefits do not outweigh the risks and side effects.
A child born today has fifteen to twenty years before he becomes sexually active. By then, we will know far more about the link between circumcision and HIV. At that point, a mature young man will be able to evaluate his own behaviors and risk, weigh the evidence, and make his own decision about circumcision. It's just too personal a choice to be made by any but the man who will have to live with the consequences.
Your token mention of cultural and ethical considerations at the end of the article did not mask the piece as unbiased. You were attempting to paint as sensible the most irrational of American customs--the genital mutilation of baby boys. Boy or girl, African or American, no child deserves to be seized by stronger adults, forcibly restrained, and suffer the severing of the most sensitive, private parts of his or her body. Circumcision irrevocably alters a person's sexuality and deprives him of control over his or her own body. It's not a medical question; it's a human rights issue.
Here's an idea: Why don't you print a piece that looks at the rise of the intactivism (anti-circumcision) movement and the decline of circumcision rates in America? There's a controversy raging in this country over male genital cutting, and you would do your readers a better service by reporting on that debate than by promoting an unnecessary surgery that even the AMA and AAP don't recommend.
Sincerely,
A mother of two young boys









Great letter!


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## stelly (Sep 20, 2006)

I sent them a short email. Suggested they should write another article correcting that one, based on the idea that their readership demographic are not living in Africa and therefore the studies bear no relevance. Grrrr.


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## glongley (Jun 30, 2004)

This is what I sent them:

As a Registered Nurse with with a background in HIV testing and counseling, as well as newborn nursery, I am writing to express my profound dismay at the irresponsible and biased article on circumcision and HIV by Karen Bilich which you published today. On what authority are you touting circumcision of babies as a preventative for HIV, when no medical organization in the world recommends routine circumcision for this, or any other, medical reason? Ms. Bilich's article is seriously unbalanced in its analysis of the African studies and their practically non-existent relationship to male infant circumcision in the United States.

Circumcision is no magic bullet. Circumcised men can and do become infected with HIV. In fact, the United States, which has probably the world's highest
percentage of non-religiously circumcised men in the sexually active age range, also has the highest rate of HIV in the developed world. Evidently, in real life, circumcision is not necessarily the great preventative it has been made out to be.

Behavior, not anatomy, is the key factor in reducing the rate of acquisition of HIV. All men, circumcised or not, still must be taught and must practice safe
sex behaviors: abstinence, delaying onset of sexual of activity, reducing numbers of partners, use of condoms, testing, and monogamy. (This also goes for their partners.) Ms. Bilich's article does not mention that circumcision is not guaranteed to protect an individual from sexually transmitted diseases, and does not take the place of parents teaching their
children the importance of condom use and other safe sex behaviors.

An uncircumcised man who consistently uses condoms or practices monogamy in a tested relationship will be at infinitely less risk for acquiring HIV than a circumcised man having unprotected sex, especially with multiple partners. This uncircumcised man will, furthermore, still have all the benefits and sexual sensitivity of his normal, intact penis. Circumcision permanently alters and diminishes the normal sexual sensations and dynamics of the penis, a fact that expectant parents should seriously consider, but which Ms. Bilich completely fails to discuss.

It is of significance that the African circumcision studies were conducted on consenting adults. Unfortunately, most of the circumcised males in the
world did not consent to this alteration of their sexual organs. It is clear from an ethical point of view that any circumcision program should be strictly
voluntary, another crucial point completely ignored by Ms. Bilich. When a male is old enough to weigh whether he considers circumcision as a preventative for HIV to be a rational or desirable choice, he can makes a
fully informed decision for himself. A procedure as irrerversible and damaging as circumcision should only be done when absolutely medically necessary or when an adult gives fully informed consent.

Please take steps to correct the serious misconceptions that Ms. Bilich's article has put forth, for the sake of your readers' right to complete
information about circumcision and the normal intact penis, and the sake of their sons' right to a whole body and to make their own decisions about how much of it they want to keep.

Gillian


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## TigerTail (Dec 22, 2002)

Damn, you rock, Gillian.


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## moonfirefaery (Jul 21, 2006)

I will be writing with the article I wrote for AC addressing the HIV/HPV mythology soon. The AAP feels the studies are flawed and that hte data is inconclusive. It is highly irresponsible for them to publish something that several major medical organizations state is possible misinformation.


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## trmpetplaya (May 30, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TigerTail* 
Damn, you rock, Gillian.









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love and peace.


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## eepster (Sep 20, 2006)

I want to write something but find myself at a loss for words







: . It's just so stupid. When you look at these studies they are so obviously flawwed. Why does the media not see what is so clear.


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## trmpetplaya (May 30, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *eepster* 
I want to write something but find myself at a loss for words







: . It's just so stupid. When you look at these studies they are so obviously flawwed. Why does the media not see what is so clear.

They only see what they want to see and report what they want to report... Buffet-style reporting







:

love and peace.


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## Daisyuk (May 15, 2005)

Well, we knew this kind of idiocy was going to happen, anyone looking at the evidence and what was going on in the pro-circing research community could see years ago what they were working towards.

Daniel Halperin, Robert Bailey, Bertrand Auvert, Alan Brody, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation(who funded the second two studies), Peter Piot, and all the other promoters of this atrocity are going to have the blood of many many men on their hands, because they have effectively told them that they aren't going to get HIV if they have their penises cut up. And they are lying.

How to commit the perfect mass-murder.

Is there any way that the AAP could get involved in this? Even _they_ have got to realise that this kind of misinformation and media attention is going to set back sexual health in the US years, and lead to many deaths.


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## Ivan's Mom (Jul 10, 2006)

Beautiful letters! You all really have a way with words and really know your stuff!


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## box_of_rain (Mar 16, 2006)

Oh that makes me *so* angry!

I wrote a letter. A very strongly worded letter.

Shame on them.


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## guestmama9908 (Jan 23, 2007)

I got my letter off this morning! I wrote it from a point of view that I thought the editors might understand.

To whom it may concern,

I am a Registered Pediatric Nurse. I am writing to inform you of my extreme disappointment in the article presented on your website in regards to circumcision and HIV transmission. This article was a biased one sided argument in favor of the routine circumcision of young boys. I feel that you owe it to your readers to present them with the facts from both sides before making such a generalized statement.

I fear that your article will give parents the impression that their little boy will be protected from HIV transmission simply because he is circumcised. No circumcision will prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS without proper use of condoms or the practice of monogamy.

I am also the mother of a circumcised little boy. I regret the decision to have my son circumcised every day.

Do you realize that in the United States most mothers are not even given true informed consent when it relates to the procedure of circumcision? If a Physician truly explained to a mother what the function of a normal intact foreskin was and if said Physician fully explained to a mother what the procedure entails I doubt very seriously that circumcision rates would remain as high as they are.

Unfortunately, most parents's considering circumcision are given only one side of the story. They are led to believe that by circumcising their little boy they are giving him the opportunity to have a cleaner, healthier penis with a lower rate of Sexually transmitted diseases and Urinary Tract Infections. They are also led to believe that the procedure will be done using proper anesthesia and that it is simply a "little snip".

This is simply untrue.

My own son has suffered terribly because of my decision to have him circumcised. He suffers from severe Penile adhesions. According to a study conducted by the JOURNAL OF UROLOGY, Volume 164, Number 2: Pages 495-496, August 2000. the rate of penile adhesions in circumcised boys younger than 12 months of age was 71%. Most Physicians are unaware or under-educated in the care of Penile Adhesions. For months our Pediatrician insisted on manually releasing my own son's adhesions causing him great pain and re-opening a raw wound on his penis multiple times. This is an unnecessary procedure. Most Penile adhesions as a result of circumcision will resolve on their own. However, multiple parents I have spoken with have told me of their little boys being made to suffer the manual release of their adhesions at the hands of Pediatricians.

The article you presented simply mentioned only that parents should take into account the cultural, religious and health benefits of circumcision.

I would ask that you print an article in which you also allow parent's to see both sides of the argument in an unbiased light. Present parent's with the opportunity to learn about potential complications of Infant circumcision instead of only hearing of its benefits. Give new parent's the information about the high rate of penile adhesions, the risk for infection, the risk of meatal stenosis, and the risk for bleeding as well as the numerous other complications that can arise.

I think that parent's who are considering the procedure also deserve the right to know what it entails.

If I had been given true informed consent and had known the risks I was exposing my own son to by having him circumcised and if I had known what the procedure entailed I never would have made the decision to have the procedure performed.

Parents deserve to know both sides of the story. I hope that you will give them the chance to be properly educated on the subject prior to making such an important decision for their child.

Thank You,
Molly XXXXX R.N.


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## LittleLlama (Feb 27, 2006)

Wow, there are some great letters here!!! Makes mine seem inadequate









Oh well, at least I let my voice be heard Here it is:

Regarding your online article "Circumcising Your Baby May Help Protect Him from AIDS in Adulthood" I wish to comment that if the same faulty study proved that women should be circumcised, the entirety of the West would brush off the article and the findings listed in it as antiquated and assume some sort of religious bias. There is no way we would allow our baby girls to go under the knife for something so painful as circumcision. Additionally, the circumcised African men in the study probably had regular access to doctors or some sort of healthcare, thus dramatically reducing their risk of AIDS due to both treatment and awareness in prevention.

There is no reason to go removing our children's body parts against their will. If a girl grows up in a family prone to breast cancer, let it be HER decision to have a mastectomy. If someone fears their appendix may rupture, let it be their PERSONAL decision to have it removed rather than taking a scalpel to an infant and removing the choice from them. If a boy grows up and decides he is at risk of AIDS, let it be HIS decision to alter his penis.

Really, I'm just appalled that your magazine would run such a biased and misinformed article. I hope you will make amends and distribute more complete and informed pieces about circumcision in the future.

Sarah


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## Fyrestorm (Feb 14, 2006)

Sent my letter...

Dear Parents Magazine,
I am absolutely appalled that you would promote circumcision based on an article that has been found to be so full of holes that no reputable peer reviewed journal is willing to print it.

Why on earth would you promote this disfiguring cosmetic surgery which is preformed on non consenting infants with inadequate pain relief when common sense alone will tell you that your logic is nonsensical. The US has one of the highest circumcision rates in the world and also one of the highest HIV/AIDS transmission rates in the world. It just does not hold water.

Did your editor just regurgitate this information from some lobbyist in the cosmetics industry (you are aware that male male infant foreskins are worth a fortune to them for testing and use in their products - See no animal testing and Oprah's favorite skin cream) or did they just fail to do even one iota of research.

I am proud that I do not subscribe to your garbage piece of pharmaceutical advertisement - I mean magazine, and I'll never be back to your website. I will also tell all my mommy friends in our playgroups and parent-tot classes about the lies your are spreading as truth.

You should be ashamed,
A very concerned & angry parent


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## mntnmom (Sep 21, 2006)

if anyone is going to count on circumcision to keep their boy safe from AIDS, instead of educating him about safer sex, they will be HIGHLY dissapointed!!
I understand that African governments are grasping at ANYTHING that MIGHT help, but it is irresponsible to suggest it for people in the industrialised world whoo have so many better options.


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## trmpetplaya (May 30, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mntnmom* 
if anyone is going to count on circumcision to keep their boy safe from AIDS, instead of educating him about safer sex, they will be HIGHLY dissapointed!!
I understand that African governments are grasping at ANYTHING that MIGHT help, but it is irresponsible to suggest it for people in the industrialised world whoo have so many better options.

IMO it's irresponsible to suggest it for ANYONE regardless of where they live.. especially given the real-life experiment of the US's high circumcision and AIDS rate. Whatever the studies say, and even if they were actually well-done respectable studies, it obviously doesn't work that way in real-life.

I think that these studies may help convince some Christians not to circumcise though... since they certainly don't want to be giving their children the idea that they can go off and be promiscuous with lessened physical risks.

love and peace.


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## midwestmeg (Jul 10, 2005)

Hey 'yall!







I noticed that article when I picked up 'parents' at my SIL's.... Sure am glad to see that I'm not the only one who got pissed off by that CRAP!









Keep on rockin' mamas!


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## 13Sandals (Sep 22, 2006)

i wrote last night. Since when is parent's magazine a medical authority advising a practice that the AAP hasn't even gotten behind? is the author a medical expert? and what a moron. we already have the majority of sexually active men circumcised in this country and we have the highest HIV infection rate among industrialized countries. seems like there might be other factors going on in Africa. ughhhh - there is no consequence to this irresponsible reporting - it makes me


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## Cassandra M. (Aug 3, 2003)

To Whom It May Concern:

Your article re: African AIDS and circ studies, advocating Routine Infant Circumcision, is a stark disregard for baby boys right to be whole, until they themselves choose otherwise, and I am disappointed, especially since all major pediatric authorities do not advocate the procedure.

The thought that circumcision is going to prevent STDs or AIDS is not withstanding evidence to continue with this procedure&#8230;we need to teach our children to protect themselves with abstinence or condoms, NOT circumcision, if they make the choice on their own to circumcise themselves at an older age, it is just that, THEIR OWN CHOICE. There are many reasons to leave the penis intact, it is more than a piece of skin and is a functioning and protective part of the penile system.

Please do some research on how much this routine hospital procedure is done without proper anesthetic and please attend a circumcision and watch the baby boys pain as the procedure is done. See if you can then still advocate this crime against our boys.


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## baybee (Jan 24, 2005)

I have created a post from the OP info and several of the excellent letters from this forum and sent it out to all the pro-intact people in my address book. I hope others will do the same. A deluge of letters to this magazine may tweak their interest in
a) doing their research properly before running half-baked articles
b) running a more boy-friendly piece
c) letting them know there is a growing interest in this subject
Baybee


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## buckeyedoc (Nov 9, 2006)

Anyone get a response back from Parents? I didn't yet.


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TigerTail* 
Damn, you rock, Gillian.









:

And a question, could we get Dr. Fleiss to write to Parents Magazine?

ETA: I'm going to email Dr. Fleiss and Marilyn Milos.


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *eepster* 
I want to write something but find myself at a loss for words







: . It's just so stupid. When you look at these studies they are so obviously flawwed. Why does the media not see what is so clear.

me, too.


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## TigerTail (Dec 22, 2002)

They've gotten enough evidence now that they'd skim over it by this point- we need volume. If nothing else, tell them that issue was the last issue you'll read or buy & you'll be notifying their advertisers of that fact.


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

Does anyone have a snail-mail address for Parents' Magazine? Sometimes I think snail-mail has more significance. It's harder to "delete." (But of course it takes longer to get there.)


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

Here is what Marilyn Milos wrote to Parents: (I'm sure she won't mind me sharing it):

Dear Editor,

The article by Karen Bilich, "Circumcising Your Baby May Help Protect Him from AIDS in Adulthood," is dangerously misleading. While circumcision is being touted as a way to stop the spread of AIDS in Africa, HIV/AIDS has successfully been curbed in Thailand, Senegal, and Eastern Uganda with aggressive educational campaigns about the danger of AIDS, the need for safe sex, and the importance of condom use. In Thailand, the government's program of "100% condom use, 100% of the time," providing free condoms for everyone, has been successful without circumcision, which is not cost-effective and has known risks. Reduced penile sensation and a false sense of security after circumcision could easily exacerbate the spread of HIV/AIDS by decreasing condom use. Circumcision hasn't prevented HIV in the USA, Israel, or Muslim countries. Circumcision is not promoted in Scandinavia because education is enough; so why isn't it enough in Africa? HIV policy should focus on what's been shown to work. Education, not amputation, is the rational approach to curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS."


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## Daisyuk (May 15, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *A&A* 
Does anyone have a snail-mail address for Parents' Magazine? Sometimes I think snail-mail has more significance. It's harder to "delete." (But of course it takes longer to get there.)

I've often heard that, emails don't count as "real" mail and quite often get ignored.

Letters, on the other hand, command respect because someone has gone to the trouble to not only write it, but have also taken it to the post office and paid to post it. There is also less likelihood of multiple letters being sent by the same person, so each one is valued more.


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Daisyuk* 
I've often heard that, emails don't count as "real" mail and quite often get ignored.

Letters, on the other hand, command respect because someone has gone to the trouble to not only write it, but have also taken it to the post office and paid to post it. There is also less likelihood of multiple letters being sent by the same person, so each one is valued more.


Unfortunately I can't find their snail-mail address on their website; perhaps someone with a subscription could look up the snail-mail address for me.


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## Arduinna (May 30, 2002)

Great letters!

I'm so disgusted that this crap study is being used to perpetuate sexual assault on helpless infants. WTF is wrong with people?


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## moonbeem (Sep 7, 2006)

Tiger Tail,

that was awesome!!!


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## Super Pickle (Apr 29, 2002)

Snail mail address:

Parents Magazine
375 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10017

Please, even if you have already sent an email, send a letter via snail mail. The March issue is already out, but they'll likely print responses to the Feb issue in April. If we make this into a big deal, hopefully they'll get the message that many parents consider it inappropriate for them to promote MGM.

You know, I stopped by the bookstore after grocery shopping yesterday just to get this address. It was their "Green issue" so I flipped through it hoping to see some great tips on going greener. Here were two of their ideas: _Save the individually packaged items for lunchboxes and snacks on-the-go; and clean 100 pounds of toys out of your SUV._ Can I just say I have never felt more grateful for the existence of _Mothering Magazine?_ I love _Mothering._


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## jessjgh1 (Nov 4, 2004)

_Quote:_

_Save the individually packaged items for lunchboxes and snacks on-the-go; and clean 100 pounds of toys out of your SUV_
Please tell me this was satire.....

Jessica


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## guestmama9908 (Jan 23, 2007)

No I stopped and flipped through the "Green Issue" as well. It was about as far from green as one could get!


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## wytchywoman (Nov 14, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Super Pickle* 
You know, I stopped by the bookstore after grocery shopping yesterday just to get this address. It was their "Green issue" so I flipped through it hoping to see some great tips on going greener. Here were two of their ideas: _Save the individually packaged items for lunchboxes and snacks on-the-go; and clean 100 pounds of toys out of your SUV._ Can I just say I have never felt more grateful for the existence of _Mothering Magazine?_ I love _Mothering._









:







:

Sing it sister. Thank Goddess there is at least one magazine out on the market that holds itself responsible for what they print and condone.

Namaste,

Michelle

ps.... I wrote an email and will ship off a letter. Has anyone heard back yet?


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Super Pickle* 
Snail mail address:

Parents Magazine
375 Livingston Avenue
New York, NY 10017


Thanks!


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## Super Pickle (Apr 29, 2002)

AAAAaaaaargh!
I am so sorry everyone, I feel like a dork.

it is _not_ 375 Livingston Ave; it is

375 *Lexington* Ave
New York, NY 10017

I don't know where my brain was. I'm sorry if I made you waste a stamp!


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

Oh, thanks! Good thing I saw this before I mailed it! I appreciate the address! Here's my letter: (not that they will print it, but still)

Dear Parents' Magazine,
Shame on you for perpetuating the Victorian-era myth that circumcision prevents disease. The African "studies" you cite have not been published in any reputable medical journal. Medical historian David Gollaher states, "Mucosal tissue-the kind of skin found lining the prepuce (foreskin) and a few other places in the body, such as the inside of the mouth-has special immune properties that may actually decrease the risk of infection." (From the book Circumcision: A History of the World's Most Controversial Surgery.)
Moreover, circumcision presents very real and immediate risks for infants. For example, MRSA, a virulent form of staph infection, can easily find entry into the body through the circumcision wound. Also, circumcision impairs the bonding process and the breastfeeding relationship between mother and son. It is unconscionable to subject a helpless infant to the pain and risks of circumcision while the supposed "benefits" are still unproven.
The arguments used for male circumcision in the United States-culture, tradition, and "hygiene"-are eerily similar to the arguments used to promote female circumcision in other countries. All babies-male and female-deserve the birthright of a whole body, intact and non-mutilated. Educated parents need to protect the genital integrity of their sons.


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## cuttiebearmom (Oct 22, 2004)

Argh, another reason NOT to like Parenting magazine (as if there weren't enough already!).

Off to write a nasty-gram myself....thanks mamas for the information. Argh!!!


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## Super Pickle (Apr 29, 2002)

Nice letter, A&A!


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## TigerTail (Dec 22, 2002)

Wow, succinct & beautiful, A&A. Well done.


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## kochanyk (Jun 30, 2005)

My brother died of AIDS- he was circ'd WTH kind of stupid study is that? Ugh talk about misleading! And you know there are idiots out there who will simply read you CAN'T get AIDS being circ'd







: What a wonderful letter A&A!


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kochanyk* 
My brother died of AIDS- he was circ'd WTH kind of stupid study is that? Ugh talk about misleading! And you know there are idiots out there who will simply read you CAN'T get AIDS being circ'd







: What a wonderful letter A&A!

So sorry to hear about your brother. Would you consider writing to Parents Magazine and telling them that?


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## Daisyuk (May 15, 2005)

It would actually be very good if all the partners and families of circumcised men who have died of AIDS (the vast majority of males who have died in the US will have been circumcised) to write to every idiot magazine and newspaper telling them how stupid and irresponsible this media hype is.

It would be even better if they could start a campaign to say how ridiculous and dangerous it is to even hint that circumcision protects against HIV when clearly it doesn't in real life - WHY are all these thousands of people staying silent in the face of such blatant lying? Where are all the people who are campaigning and educating against HIV, WHY are they silent? Has anyone got the AAP onside here?

This is CRAZY, it's going to cost so many lives, in the States and everywhere else where genital mutilation is accepted and looking for a disease to "cure" - except this one is FATAL.


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## Treece (Apr 5, 2006)

I was wondering what exactly the US rates of AIDS among circed and AIDS among intact men are. I mean, that would be the best way to solve this. A phone survey......Or a gallop poll. SOmething scientific. I mean seriously this is absurd. why don't people see that?


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## kochanyk (Jun 30, 2005)

Treece the problem with that would be cultural more than anything, kwim? I don't think it'd truly be accurrate.

Daisy that's a great idea!!!!!

A&A for sure- I'm so glad I don't subscribe to their magazine







:


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