MEDICAL FRAUD and the criminal assault of boys
FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPESTCIRCUMCISION AT BIRTH BURDENS MILLIONS OF MEN WITH PSYCHIC SCARS
BY SIBYLLE PREUSCHAT
AS A SOCIETY, WE'RE MOSTLY IN DENIAL about the fact that a
large proportion of guys walking around today were traumatized
shortly after birth by circumcision, performed in the hospital where
they were born. In Canada, the medical profession didn't come out
against circumcision until 1975. Despite official disapproval, babies are
still circumcised for irrational reasons like "so he'll look like Daddy."
There may be a tendency to joke this subject away, precisely because
it is so painful, but unfortunately we now know thanks to recent
anatomical research that removing babies' foreskins is not all that
different from removing an eyelid or lip. All these structures contain
sensitive nerve endings and a mucosal membrane for lubrication. The
foreskin contains most of the specialized nerve endings needed for full
sexual pleasure. Removing it is the equivalent, gals, of removing your
clit. It's still often done without anaesthetic, even though the way the
foreskin is attached to the penis in babies is similar to the way
fingernails are attached to the nail bed.
Without the foreskin, men often lose even the reduced sensitivity they
have left, since without protection the penis gets drier and tougher
with age. Circumcision cuts down female pleasure, too and ;
circumcised men have to thrust a lot harder, which can cause vaginal
tears. Studies indicate that women with uncut partners come more.
Besides being unethical, since it removes healthy tissue without the
informed consent of the patient, circumcision also has no
demonstrated health benefits. It's kept going, say activists, by denial
and our society's deep-seated anxiety about sex.
Fortunately, rates are dropping rapidly in Canada, though they're still
at 60 per cent in the U.S. In the meantime, we have to come to terms
with this poor decision made by our elders. It's important to realize that
post-traumatic stress from the operation can linger into adulthood,
exacerbating rage, fear, depression, low self-esteem or shame. And if
you're a male who has trouble being sexually intimate or is chronically
angry with women, this could be what ails you.
You might need a psychologist who recognizes circumcision trauma
(see www.birthpsychology.com) a homeopath, acupuncturist,
cranio-sacral therapist or body-based psychotherapist, because these
modalities can address non- and pre-verbal experience. "Restoring"
the foreskin through stretching what's left will provide protection for
remaining sensitive nerves.
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
"Not a single national medical organization in the world approves
circumcision. The harm far outweighs any possible benefits in every
case. The idea that sex with a circumcised partner prevents cervical
cancer was shot down about 20 years ago. In an Israeli study, the
incidence of urinary tract infection in men is higher after circumcision
than before. A study surveying women found that men who were
circumcised put so much effort into getting their own pleasure that
they weren't actually making love to the women; the men who had their
entire complement were more loving. The worst thing about this is that
men have to face up to the fact that they've been diminished. We say,
'Men, it takes courage for someone who's been circumcised not to
have his son circumcised. '"
GEORGE C. DENNISTON, MD, master of public health, founder and
president, Doctors Opposing Circumcision, Port Townsend, WA
"Male satisfaction with circumcision depends on lack of awareness
and knowledge about it. Men may also not be aware of how certain
feelings are connected to circumcision, or they may be afraid of
disclosing these feelings. One way someone can explore this is first to
educate himself as to what circumcision is and talk about it with
someone. As a man feels and shares more, the next step comes. Some
men (eventually choose) to help raise awareness. Empowering oneself
to do something about the situation can have therapeutic benefit."
RONALD GOLDMAN, psychologist, Circumcision Resource Center,
Boston, author of Circumcision: The Hidden Trauma and
Questioning Circumcision: A Jewish Perspective
"The mother-child bond is affected by circumcision because the baby
is in pain for weeks after. Infants show a lowered ability to breast-feed
because when held against the mother's body they experience pain.
Imagine the effect on you when early hugging and feeding cause you
to experience pain. In circumcising, the doctor often has to get the
penis into a condition where he can handle it better. To do that, they
often stroke the baby's penis and give him an erection. It might be the
baby's first. The next thing he experiences is excruciating pain."
LAWRENCE BARICHELLO, executive director, Intact, Toronto
"Newborns have an exquisite sense of pain. Usually, circumcision is
done without parents in the room, and babies are restrained. It sounds
like torture, doesn't it? A baby's prefrontal cortex develops during the
first 18 months. The prefrontal lobes are involved in making higher
ethical decisions and forming intimate relationships. When a baby's
needs aren't met, he develops high levels of stress hormones that can
become toxic and prevent proper brain development. The impact of
circumcision on the prefrontal lobes hasn't been researched. We know
circumcision causes stress and raises stress levels thereafter."
LISA MURRAY-DORAN, naturopath, Ajax, continuing education
instructor in natural parenting, Canadian College of Naturopathic
Medicine
"When people are reliving trauma, other things can come up.
Sometimes, it appears to be the memory of being circumcised. I've only
seen this a few times, but that was enough to alert me that men who
have been circumcised may carry trauma with them. For those who
remembered, it was a potent experience, though we don't know for sure
it was related to circumcision. Reliving old trauma tends to provide
relief. In the short run it's upsetting; in the long run you're able to
release old crap."
TOM GOLDEN, clinical social worker, Washington, DC, expert in
trauma, author, Swallowed By A Snake
"Chinese medicine looks at piercing and altering the body as adversely
affecting energy flow. Your genitals are part of your liver and kidney
meridians. This is a severe trauma that happens early. The memory of it
would be so buried it would be hard to retrieve. You'd have to have
done meditation or other work to remember. Acupuncture deals with
trauma even if you're not aware of it; it helps move energy and remove
blockages."
KALEB MONTGOMERY, doctor of traditional Chinese medicine,
TorontoNOW | MAR 11 - 17, 2004 | VOL. 23 NO. 28
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