[ ARC forum 2 ]

Re: Agenda...Child Welfare...or?

Written by Rood at 14 Oct 2002 20:03:35:

As an answer to: Agenda... written by AJ at 14 Oct 2002 19:05:04:

I applaud your interest in the welfare of children, especially when it involves genital mutilation. The difficulty, particularly in the United States, is that most American doctors and fathers were circumcised at birth. They have grown to adulthood almost completely unaware of the foreskin. Certainly they do not know its purpose, its complicated anatomy or the several problems that may exist. This ignorance may complicate the issue for children who are left intact.

The NOCIRC representative in Tempe took her intact baby to his Doctor for a certain problem and was horrified when the 'good' Doctor forced the child's adherent foreskin behind the glans before she could object. The child screamed in pain. Unknowing parents do the same, then religiously wash the foreskin and glans with soap, precipitating balanoposthitis. Ignorant doctors then recommend circumcision as a 'cure'.

I have known several American Doctors who recommend circumcision as the only solution for those of us who have (or had) an unretractable foreskin.

When you recommend that children seek information from their parents and from their Doctors regarding their genitals, you betray a terrible ignorance of the situation, at least that which exists in the United States, and you should temper your remarks. They do a disservice to the very children for whose welfare you pretend to fight.

Having studied these problems firsthand for over a dozen years, I know of what I speak. And in my experience, the information concerning the benefits of the foreskin that exists from the several sources on this and other sites is far and away more knowledgeable and reliable than that which can be gleaned from the great majority of American parents and Doctors.
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>>According to your agenda, children should go ask their parents and go to doctors rather than read an online forum
>Calm down, Ralesk. My "agenda" as you put it is to ensure that people (including kids) get objective and actual medical advice. I'm all for people reading an online forum. However, especially where kids are concerned, they should definitely speak to their parents and/or doctor prior to taking advice from strangers online.
>All the best.


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