The Plastibell Lie

By Robin Vaughn-Bortolus © 2012


After four days of labor to bring my sweet son into the world, he arrived perfect.

I was exhausted when a nurse came in and said that it was time for him to be circumcised. I had been preparing for my sons arrival for months. I had read everything I could to try and make sure that I made informed decisions on his behalf. I chose breastfeeding, no vaccines at birth, etc. I really thought I had covered ALL the things I would need to be prepared for.

But there I was faced with a procedure that I had failed to educate myself on: circumcision.

I told the nurse that I was not okay with my son being cut. She informed me that this hospital used a no-cut device called a Plastibell. She said that it was a pain free method for my son. It was in that moment that I made a decision on his behalf that I regret, and will regret, for the rest of my life. I signed off on the procedure.

I knew that I wasn't okay with a scalpel, knife, etc., being used on my newborn -- but here was a great cut-free, pain-free alternative, right? I could not have been more wrong.

When my son was brought back to me he was crying in such a way that shattered my heart. I knew in that instant that I had made a terrible mistake. It was only after getting home that I looked up the Plastibell method and discovered the terrible truth behind it. I was horrified at my ignorance.

Two weeks later my son had his check up and the physician told me that the Plastibell procedure had not been performed correctly - that my son's foreskin was still "to long." Without so much as asking my permission my son's doctor had his nurse begin to gather the necessary instruments to "fix the problem."

In that moment, I informed the doctor that my son was fine as he was and that we would NOT be "fixing" anything. He did not approve and we were forced to find another doctor. I failed my son when I signed those permission papers in the first place, but I refused to damage him further.

I can never take back what I subjected my son to by allowing him to altered. But hopefully by sharing this I can encourage other parents to be more informed than I was, and to not fall for the Plastibell lie.

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To learn more about the Plastibell method of circumcision, that many parents are told is 'cut-free' 'blood-free' and 'pain-free' please see: Plastibell Infant Circumcision.

Hear from other parents whose sons were circumcised before they had accurate information or support at I Circumcised My Son: Healing From Regret and Keeping Future Sons Intact.

Resources on intact care and circumcision are gathered at Are You Fully Informed? and the library at Saving Our Sons.

Happy Little Baby

Poem and photo © 2012 Megan Tyers



I love my Mum and Dad - they're the centre of my world.
It is their special, loving presence that helps my life unfurl.

I went straight to Mum for cuddles right after I was born.
It's the best place in the world, so blissful, soft and warm.

When I'm hungry, tired or lonely, my cries are swiftly heeded.
With lots of love and kindness I am given what is needed.

For the best part of the day I am carried in a sling.
It's such a reassuring way for my new life to begin.

It's a lovely, cosy place to have a little sleep,
And because I am so happy there, I hardly make a peep.

There are so many things to look at as we go from place to place,
I also really like being able to see my mummy's face.

Sometimes it is Daddy who carries me around.
I can hear his heartbeat - it's such a comforting sound.

At night I like to know that Mum and Dad are near.
Lying close beside them means I sleep soundly with no fear.

My parents are so patient as I learn the way of things.
They laugh at funny moments that a new day with me brings.

I love that Mum and Dad give me so much of their time.
It makes me feel so loved. I grow confident and shine.

The time and love they gave me will certainly endure,
For I'm an adult now, happy, confident and secure.

~Megan Tyers


Megan Tyers lives in New South Wales, Australia with her 14 month old daughter and police officer husband. She worked as a secondary school science teacher until an even more important job came along - mothering her gorgeous little girl. Tyers says that it is her dream to explore the ways that she can reach and support families, while educating on the importance of parenting peacefully, especially in the early years. 

Happy Pi Day!


Happy Pi Day!

Official Pi Day commentary: PiDay.org

Learn more on #i2 Pi Day topics at IntactNetwork.org/research or via the starting off resources at Are You Fully Informed?

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Circumcision Does Not Prevent Prostate Cancer

By Danelle Frisbie, Ph.D. © 2012


Circumcision Does Not Prevent Prostate Cancer


Male Anatomy

1. Bladder 
2. Seminal vesicle
3. Prostate 
4. Pubic bone
5. Erectile tissue
6. Urethra
7. Vas deferens 
8. Epididymis
9. Glans
10. Prepuce ('Foreskin')
11. Testis
12. Rete testis
13. Efferent ductules
14. Seminiferous tubules
15. Anus






The prepuce, or 'foreskin,' is an organ located on the outside of the penis or clitoris and is present from birth in all mammals on earth. The prostate is a gland located deep inside the male pelvis at the base of the penis which surrounds the neck of the bladder. The two are located no where near each other and have little bearing on one another, except for the fact that both play important roles in male sexuality.

In reference to these two organs, an article published today by Reuters titled, Circumcision tied to lower prostate cancer risk, reports that "circumcised men may have a slightly lower risk of developing prostate cancer than those who still have their foreskin..." The article goes on to discuss research by Jonathan L. Wright who states that he, "Would not go out and advocate for widespread circumcision to prevent prostate cancer. We see an association, but it doesn't prove causality." (1)

As cringe worthy as some parts of the article are, it is a good thing that Wright notes the difference between correlation and causality because we know the two often have nothing to do with one another. For those not familiar with the difference: imagine for a moment the cities you know that host a lot of churches. We'll say City A has 100 churches, City B has 50 churches, and City C has just one church. We know (thanks to the fields of criminology and sociology) that City A also has the highest rate of aggravated crime, City B has much less, and City C sees almost no crime recorded in the local police log. Does this mean that building churches increases crime? If we tear those 100 churches down, will we see a decrease in City A's crime rate? Of course not. Because there are other variables at play, and the two are merely correlated. There are no direct causalities between a church and aggravated crime. In fact, the two are about as related as the foreskin and prostate cancer.

But, we've been here before - toying with the fairy tale of prostate cancer and foreskins. We've had a long list of illnesses (both real and imagined) that we've blamed on the foreskin -- masturbation, 'promiscuity,' epilepsy, convulsions, seizures, 'sin,' blindness, deafness, cancer, sexually transmitted illnesses (STIs) of various kinds, women's health issues, HIV... and now we are back to cancer again.

In their 1996 letter to the American Academy of Pediatrics, Drs. Heath and Shingleton (VPs on The American Cancer Society's board) stated that, "Perpetuating the mistaken belief that circumcision prevents cancer is inappropriate."

Not surprisingly, in their current review of risk factors for prostate cancer, The American Cancer Society does not list being intact among factors. Included are such things as age, ethnicity, family history, diet, obesity, and smoking.

In addition, The American Cancer Society makes this statement on early detection of prostate cancer and treatment:
Research has not yet proven that the potential benefits of testing outweigh the harms of testing and treatment. The American Cancer Society believes that men should not be tested without learning about what we know and don’t know about the risks and possible benefits of testing and treatment. The only test that can fully confirm the diagnosis of prostate cancer is a biopsy, the removal of small pieces of the prostate for microscopic examination. However, prior to a biopsy, less invasive testing can be conducted. [...] Screening men who are older or in poor health in order to find early prostate cancer is less likely to help them live longer. This is because most prostate cancers are slow-growing, and men who are older or sicker are likely to die from other causes before their prostate cancer grows enough to cause problems. (2)
Despite The American Cancer Society's position, those who are invested in pro-cutting measures today would assert that we should forgo early detection of prostate cancer via biopsy because it is 'too invasive,' but instead conduct an even more invasive and life-long, altering surgical procedure by amputating the prepuce organ from all healthy males. Is there logic in doing so? If there is any to be found, we would surely see it played out in statistics of prostate cancer between male populations that are circumcised at birth vs. those who are not.

Yet in reality, we find just the opposite to be true.

The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer presented the 2008 findings of incidence and mortality of prostate cancer. Statistics clearly show that rates of prostate cancer are highest in nations with the highest populations of adult circumcised men, and rates of prostate cancer are consistently lowest in nations where male circumcision is unheard of. (3)

Diagram One shows the incidence of prostate cancer (red) and mortality rate of those inflicted with prostate dancer (blue). Keep in mind that North America has one of the highest populations of adult males who were circumcised at birth.


Diagram Two shows the age-standardized incidence of prostate cancer per 100,000 men across the globe. Again, we see that the highest prevalence of prostate cancer exists in nations that also have the highest number of adult circumcised males. The lowest rates of prostate cancer are found in nations where men are almost exclusively intact.


In fact, if we didn't know better [remember correlation versus causation] we'd venture to guess that being intact serves as protection from prostate cancer! We know very little at this point within the fields of human sexuality, health, and urology about the immunological protection that is achieved by the sub-preputial (within the prepuce) flora, immunoglobulins and lytic secretions coming from within the human male body. Physicians and researchers alike have suggested that these protective properties may lend explanation to the fact that we consistently find results as those portrayed in the graphs above - men who keep their full and functioning prepuce (which serves, in part, as an immunological organ) tend to see less, not more, genital related illnesses and infection of all kinds. (4, 5, 6).

What was first debunked in the 1940s after Abraham Ravich (7) invented the mythological notion that the foreskin was to blame for prostate and cervical cancers, seems to have resurfaced in pro-cutting circles today. Maybe enough time has past that we will not recall the roots of these tall tales and will tragically fall victim to them again... And maybe enough money (unnecessary surgeries, the sale of foreskins for research and cosmetics, job opportunities) will incite even the well researched professional to cut healthy organs from healthy human beings. But in the midst of the mess, one thing is for certain: circumcision does not protect against prostate cancer.

While discussing the subject among advocates today, Kira Dawn remarked, "It never ceases to amaze me how much money and time is spent by 'researchers' hell-bent on proving that a normal human body part is the biggest threat known to mankind." Much in agreement and bewildered at today's headlines, Australian native, James Mac, noted, "These increasingly desperate and hysterical claims will only hasten the demise of forced circumcision." Let's hope that he is correct. It's high time for Americans to wise up and and put an end to such laughable nonsense.


References

1) Reuters' "Circumcision tied to lower cancer rates" at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/12/us-circumcision-cancer-idUSBRE82B08G20120312?feedType=RSS

2) American Cancer Society: Prostate Cancer at: http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/ProstateCancer/MoreInformation/ProstateCancerEarlyDetection/prostate-cancer-early-detection-toc

3) World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer: Globocan 2008 at: http://globocan.iarc.fr/factsheets/cancers/prostate.asp

4) Bowen JM, Tobin N, Simpson RB, Ley WB & Ansari MM. Effects of washing on the bacterial flora of the stallion's penis. Journal of Reproductive Fertility, 1982; 32:41-45.

5) Fleiss, Paul M. & Hodges, Frederick M. (2002). What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Circumcision. Warner Books, New York.

6) Wallerstein, Edward (1980). Circumcision: An American Health Fallacy. Springer Publishing Company, New York.

7) Ravich, Abraham. “The Relationship of Circumcision to Cancer of the Prostate” Journal of Urology, Vol. 48, 1942:298‑299.

Related reading in addition to above references:

1) Gollaher, David, L. (2000). Circumcision: A History of the World's Most Controversial Surgery. Basic Books, New York.

2) Ritter, Thomas & Denniston, George (2002). Doctors Re-examine Circumcision. Third Millennium Publishing Company, Seattle, WA.

3) Romberg, Rosemary, The Painful Dilemma, Chapter 14: The Question of Prostate Cancer at: http://circumcisionthepainfuldilemma.wordpress.com/table-of-contents/chapter-14/

4) Circumcision Information Research Pages: Penile Cancer at: http://www.cirp.org/library/disease/cancer/

5) Joseph Lewis' Latest Pro-Circumcision Canard: 'Circumcision Prevents Prostate Cancer'.

6) Hugh, of Circumstitions.org response: http://www.circumstitions.com/news/news44.html#prostate

7) Georganne Chapin of Intact America responds: http://intactamerica.wordpress.com/2012/03/14/prostate-cancer-yet-another-bogus-justification-for-circumcision

Learn more: Medical Professionals for Genital Autonomy


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International Homebirth Symbol Public Selection


At long last, we have recovered most of the damaged files from the computers (and backup) lost in the storms of 2011, and the finalists for the International Homebirth Symbol have been chosen by a panel of birth and babies professionals and mothers alike (see panel members here). They are presented here for your vote. Graphics are drafts and may be brushed up or altered slightly for finalization. Color/shade will also be voted on publicly once the symbol is selected. All are presented here in the same shade for voting purposes only. Artists will remain anonymous to the panel and public until voting is complete. The top symbols will go on to Round Three where they will be voted on and tweaked by a panel of graphic design artists. Polls (with symbols A through P) are located at the top left hand corner of DrMomma.org and are open until Friday night, March 9, 11:59pm EST. You may only vote for one symbol of your choice, but you may change your vote as often as you like until polls close.


A



B



C



D



E



NOTE: Selection E has been removed at the creator's request.
Email DrMomma.org@gmail.com with questions.



F



G



H



I



J



K



L



M



N



O



P



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Not a homebirth submission... but we adore the birthy tees and onesies at Made By Momma!
Thought you may like them too.



More Business of Being Born Free Screening



Executive Producer, Ricki Lake, and Filmmaker, Abby Epstein, will present an online screening of Special Deliveries: Celebrity Mothers Talk Straight on Birth this coming Monday night, March 5th at 6pm PST (8pm CST; 9pm EST).

From their highly influential four-part DVD series More Business of Being BornLake, Epstein and special guests from the film, including Kellie Martin, will host a live Q&A chat following the film beginning at 7:10pm PST. Viewers are encouraged to ask questions and engage in conversation with Lake, Epstein, and Martin by directing messages via Twitter to @rickilake with the hashtag #mbobb.

More Business of Being Born is a follow up to the landmark documentary, The Business of Being Born, and offers a practical look at birthing options, as well as poignant celebrity birth stories.

For those in the Los Angeles area: The Business of Being Born: Classroom Edition also premieres Monday, March 5th from 4:00-5:30pm at UCLA’s Lenart Auditorium in the Fowler Museum, located at 308 Charles E. Young Drive North, Los Angeles, CA. The half-hour screening will be followed by an hour-long Q&A discussion with Ricki Lake, Abby Epstein, Dr. Suzanne Gelberg-Lenz, MD, Kellie Martin and Alyson Hannigan. This free event is open to the public and is sponsored by Choices in Childbirth. For information or to RSVP email: Julia@ChoicesInChildbirth.org

More Business of Being Born includes:

DISC ONE:
Down on The Farm: Conversations with Legendary Midwife Ina May Gaskin

Follow Executive Producer Ricki Lake and Director Abby Epstein to The Farm Community in Summertown, Tennessee, where pioneer midwife Ina May Gaskin talks candidly about the latest birth trends and the art of midwifery. Gaskin, who was featured in the original The Business of Being Born, sparked Lake’s initial interest in natural birth and has continued to inspire the filmmaking duo’s advocacy efforts. Also on the journey is pregnant actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley, who has enlisted a midwife to attend the birth of her second child and joins the filmmakers in meeting The Farm’s famous midwives and touring the picturesque birth cabins in the woods. In the poignant final sequence, Gaskin exhibits her Safe Motherhood Quilt and calls for a deeper examination into the rising maternal mortality rate in the US. (Running Time: 55 min)

DISC TWO:
Special Deliveries: Celebrity Mothers Talk Straight on Birth

Featuring celebrity moms Laila Ali, Gisele Bundchen, Cindy Crawford, Alyson Hannigan, Melissa Joan Hart, Kellie Martin, Alanis Morissette, Christy Turlington-Burns and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Special Deliveries is a collection of intimate birth stories from a diverse group of mothers. Whether they chose to deliver at a hospital, home or birthing center, these heartfelt and humorous testimonies speak to the lasting power of the birth experience. True inspiration for any mother-to-be, this group of women trusted their bodies and intuitions, taking responsibility for their birth decisions even when things didn’t go according to plan. None of these courageous women has ever spoken on the record in such compelling detail, and, on this DVD, the filmmakers weave together their passionate narratives as a celebration of the journey to motherhood that will leave viewers with a renewed sense of amazement about the power of women. (Running Time: 74 min)

DISC THREE:
Explore Your Options: Doulas, Birth Centers and C-Sections

The most comprehensive and educational DVD in the series, Explore Your Options offers birth-planning guidance around key topics such as the role of doulas (labor support specialists,) the advantages of birth centers and the alarming escalation of cesarean sections in the United States and Brazil. Epstein and Lake talk to doulas about why their profession is currently booming and uncover why having a good doula can make-or-break the entire birth experience. They look at the ever-growing rates of inductions and c-sections, which have reached 50% in many US hospitals and more than 99% in some private hospitals in Brazil. How “safe” are these cesarean surgeries, and what are the health implications for the mothers and babies? Explore Your Options examines the pros and cons of birth centers, described as a perfect middle ground between home and hospital. Special features include Alanis Morissette and Alyson Hannigan on the advantages of doulas, Christy Turlington Burns on her unexpected complications at a birth center, Molly Ringwald on how she avoided a cesarean birth with her twins and Gisele Bundchen and Michelle Alves on the cesarean epidemic in their native Brazil. (Running Time: 102 min)

DISC FOUR:
The VBAC Dilemma: What Your Options Really Are

The VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) has become a hot-button issue in the modern maternity care system, as one in three new mothers will give birth via cesarean section. Are all of these mothers then forced to undergo a repeat cesarean the next time around? Epstein and Lake posed that question to dozens of experts, determining the surprising truth about VBACs. They also follow several women’s stories – both those who succeed and fail at attempting a VBAC – including that of filmmaker Abby Epstein, whose first c-section delivery was depicted in the dramatic, final moments of The Business of Being Born. (Running Time: 51 min)

More Business of Being Born is available as a four DVD set; or as a 'Mother Load' package, including all four of the new DVDs, The Business of Being Born, a signed, hardcover copy of the best-selling book, Your Best Birth by Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein, a baby onesie and digital downloads of More Business of Being Born. All items can be purchased at www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com.

LIVE STREAM of DISC TWO HAPPENING HERE MONDAY NIGHT MARCH 5TH



Live Social Stream: 



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