CIRCUMserum: Renewal Ointment for the Circumcised Man

By Danelle Frisbie © 2012

A new topical product is available for circumcised men that proposes it will help you 'feel what you've been missing.' CIRCUMserum is the latest tool being marketed to the large population of American men who had one of the best parts of their penis amputated at birth - the prepuce. Meant to be an internal organ for life, the glans (head) of the penis calluses over the years when it is exposed as an external organ. This dulls sexual sensation, increases rates of erectile dysfunction, impacts orgasm response and alters the manner in which sexual intercourse functions -- something CIRCUMserum makers refer to as Dullness Syndrome, or DS.

CIRCUMserum was created by Dr. James L. Yeager, who has been at the forefront of topical and transdermal pharmaceuticals. Through Yeager's work at the Centric Research Institute, he formulated the first approved topical treatment for Erectile Dysfunction (ED), among other health care products for men. CIRCUMserum boasts Yeager's newest patent-pending formula, CRI-44, and is the product of his many years of research focused on men's sexual health. He states that this formula is the right combination of natural oils that will serve to once again condition the specialized tissues of the penile glans, mimicking what would have been in place had the foreskin been left to do its thing. CRI-44 also provides just the right amount of biofeedback for most men, so they do not become another statistic of those who have lost their 'trigger reflex.'

The sensitivity of the glans of the penis (or clitoris) impacts sexual response - something sexologists and urologists refer to as the 'trigger reflex.' The prepuce typically boasts upwards of 70,000 nerve endings, and provides a protective sheathe over the glans, keeping it subtle, moist, and precisely sensitive (much like the way our eyelids protect our eyeballs) for both men and women. [In men we commonly call the prepuce organ the 'foreskin' while we refer to it as the 'clitoral hood' in women.] The foreskin is the most nerve-dense organ of the male body, and is highly responsible for normal sexual functioning. In American style circumcision, virtually all of these nerves are amputated, and the sensitive glans is no longer protected in order to do its thing when the time comes: that is, regulate sexual response.

Because these nerve endings serve as the gateway to orgasm build up, when they are missing, there can be a whole host of sexual functioning complications that occur, and these issues tend to become more amplified as men age. CIRCUMserum poses the question: "Ever had an erection but not been able to reach orgasm? It happens to a lot more guys, a lot more often than you might think!" The loss of this trigger reflex may be the culprit -- the nerve endings of the foreskin are completely missing, and the nerve endings in the glans are covered over by multiple layers of old, hardened skin as a result of the glans' altered, external state. CIRCUMserum researchers write:

The keratin, or protein, layer of the stratum corneum [outer glans tissue] is much thicker on circumcised men than on intact men. CIRCUMserum is formulated to rehydrate and condition your glans to bring back those searing feelings of ecstasy with your partner. Doctors are learning that circumcision can reduce sensitivity of the glans in adulthood, affecting sexual pleasure and performance. Men who have been circumcised in adulthood report considerable loss of sensitivity and sexual pleasure. Besides the removal of nerve-dense and reflexogenic tissue, callousing on the exposed glans is another factor in sensitivity reduction. The buildup of a keratin layer on the outer surface of the circumcised glans is a documented phenomenon, and reduces sensation of the underlying subcutaneous nerves. The rise in erectile dysfunction in older men may be linked to loss of sensitivity in the exposed glans due to three factors:  

1) removal of nerve-dense reflexogenic foreskin in infancy
2) callousing of the exposed glans due to rubbing on clothing and other materials
3) dryness of the exposed glans resulting from constant exposure to air and evaporation

CIRCUMserum suggests it can help to reduce all three of these ED- and problem-causing factors.

A good deal of the CIRCUMserum site reads in similar fashion to Viagra ads that pop up ubiquitously online today. But with this topical product, makers remind us that there are no pills to pop with side effects and the goal is softer, more moist, more sensational sexual functioning, rather than 'bigger, harder, stronger' that rarely solves the problem:

It goes against everything you’ve been told about getting bigger and harder. Bigger and harder are good for your ego. But what about your pleasure? CIRCUMserum gives you feelings like you’ve never felt before... Moisturizing with CIRCUMserum’s dedicated formula will remove layers of old skin, and help you restore your original condition, leading to a more intense experience of sex. CIRCUMserum helps make you softer...for greater performance.

Urologists who have made CIRCUMserum available in their practices for men with dullness ranging from slight to almost complete loss of sensation have found it to be an effective step in moisturizing and de-callussing the glans. It is possible that the ointment would serve especially well for those men who have found restoration options difficult or impossible due to how tightly they were cut as infants. In combination with foreskin restoration, CIRCUMserum may enhance more rapid results as well. It will be interesting to hear back from those men who try the product on their own at home -- one that you can order or obtain a free sample of at the website: CIRCUMserum.com

While the effectiveness of CIRCUMserum may be up for debate in years to come, it is good to see a wider range of options coming on the men's health market that openly recognize the tragic detriment that circumcision is to human sexual health. With a significant amount of research on the subject, and an increasing number of men speaking up each year on the issue, it is one that is bound to be at the forefront of men's products and marketing through this generation of young adults. Here's hoping CIRCUMserum and related items are those very products that empower men today, but are no longer needed in the future when our sons grow up fully intact as their bodies are meant to be. Through recognizing the very real impact circumcision has on adult men, we can take one step further in ensuring this is the last generation of men harmed by such a barbaric practice, and say NO to infant circumcision. Our sons, and the men they will one day become, deserve to enjoy their whole penis, for their whole lives, and so do their partners.

Related Reading:

How Male Circumcision Impacts Your Love Life

Intact or Circumcised: A Significant Difference in the Adult Penis

Identifying Keratinization (NOHARMM)

The Lost List: Identifying what is lost to circumcision

Circumcision to Reduce Men's Sexual Pleasure

The Sexual Effects of Circumcision

Does Circumcision Cause Erectile Dysfunction?

Erectile Dysfunction: Is Circumcision Making You Soft?

Identify Circumcision Damage in the Adult Male (NOHARMM)

"Alexithymia and Circumcision Trauma: A Preliminary Investigation" in International Journal of Men's Health, Vol 10:2, 2011.

"Male circumcision and sexual function in men and women: a survey-based, cross-sectional study in Denmark" in International Journal of Epidemiology, May 2011. [Full text pdf]

Erectile Dysfunction: Outcome of men circumcised in Kenya (Bulletin of the World Health Organization)

Erectile Function Evaluation Post Circumcision (China)

Adult Circumcision Outcomes Study (Journal of Urology, 2002) [Full text]

Erectile Function After Anterior Urethroplasty (Journal of Urology)

"Fine Touch Pressure Thresholds in the Adult Penis" (British Journal of Urology International) [Full Text pdf]

Prevalence and Risk Factors for E.D. (PubMed)

Is Circumcision Why We Need Viagra? (Canada Free Press) 

Long-Term Adverse Effects of Circumcision (DOC)

Circumcision Sexual Dysfunction (CIRP)

Functions of the Foreskin: Purposes of the Prepuce

The Prepuce (British Journal of Urology International)

Perineal Nerve Stimulation: Role in penile erection (International Journal of Impotence Research)

Neuroanatomy of the male urethra and perineum (British Journal of Urology International)

Effects of Male Circumcision on Female Arousal

Male Circumcision: A Human Rights Primer

A Change in How Intercourse Works

Improve Marital Sex: Keep the Foreskins

Realization of Circumcision

Removing Pleasure: Male Genital Mutilation

Men Ask: Why Was I Circumcised?

RestoringForeskin.org

NORM.org (National Organization of Restoring Men)

PostSecret: His Foreskin Turned Me On

Male Circumcision and Women's Sexual Health (Resources)

Partners of Restoring Men (Women's Facebook Group): Facebook.com/Groups/Restoring

Join in the SOS conversations: Facebook.com/SavingOurSons

Resources on infant circumcision and intact care: Are You Fully Informed?

~~~~

Circumcision: My Story

By Danielle LeRoy © 2012

My two sons walking along the ocean's edge.

I feel like I have to tell my story.

Not because I think I am some super human that needs to be studied. Because I am just like every other mother out there. Nothing makes me special or different. I found out I was pregnant when I was 21 years old. I went to bed at night dreaming about pink dresses and barbie dolls. I had the *perfect* little girl name picked out. I dreamed all about how a little girl would look up to me and I would do all these fun girl things with her. I also dreamed of breastfeeding and baby wearing. I would let her run around naked in the summer sun. I would let her sleep in my bed. She and I would wake up to the warm sun on our faces!

January 2007 I practically danced into my ultrasound. Telling the tech that I JUST KNEW my baby was a little girl! I laid down, she squirted that cold gel onto my belly. The tech wasn't overly nice, I was freshly 22 years old and single. No family, few friends. I was in the ultrasound alone. It didn't bother me but it seemed to bother her.

She smirked and asked me if I had any boy names picked out. "Nope." "Well you are having a boy so you will need to pick a boy name." She said indignantly. I am pretty sure I was in shock. I just kept thinking, what in the heck am I going to do with a little boy? Was she sure? This baby is a *gasp* boy?

I went to work after the ultrasound and told all my co workers that it was a boy. Everyone laughed about me thinking it was a girl. We joked that he might have to wear a dress, or at least some pink! Then someone, and I am not sure who, asked if I would circumcise him. I said, "I don't know. Maybe not. I mean. I don't know." I remember this conversation so clearly. It was over five years ago but it could've been yesterday in my mind. I remember what I was wearing and where in my work place I was standing. I don't remember who asked me, but I remember their words.

As soon as I said I might not do it, everyone chimed in. "You have to snip the tip!" "It is cleaner, you don't want them to get an infection." "Foreskin is so gross...who likes turtlenecks?!" None of these really phased me. But then... "You have to have him cut, you don't want him to be the only guy in gym class with a covered wagon." First of all...that is hilarious. Covered wagon? Ha! I busted out laughing! Covered wagon! Then I got to thinking about my own gym classes in high school. Ugh. I was bigger than most girls in every way. Taller, bustier, bigger feet. It was terrible. Going into those locker rooms and slipping into gym clothes as fast as my over-sized body could move. Torture. In fact I stopped going to gym class in the 10th grade and had to take it again my senior year. I didn't know anything about having a son or a penis, but I did know about the horrors of the locker room. No way was my son going to go through that!

A month or so later I moved 1,000 miles away with a friend. Circumcision didn't really come to mind again. One OB visit close to my due date I asked the doctor about his opinion on circumcision. I remember this very clearly also. "Well, it is cleaner. I would have it done if I were you." Something inside of me wilted. I remember thinking, "Well, if he says I should do it then, I have to do it." This was before Facebook -- social networking was limited to Myspace and even that was pretty basic. I only knew how to shop online, I never used the internet to do research. In fact, when I was in high school and college we used real books to do research. I took a "Childbirth Class" and circumcision was never once mentioned. Car seats were. The epidural was. There was one day on breastfeeding. That class was a joke. I was the only one there as a single parent, so no one talked to me. It was so awkward.

June 2007 my beautiful boy was born. 1:39pm. 9lbs 12oz. I turned into a mother in that exact moment. He had to go to the NICU because he had gotten stuck. I tried to get out of the bed to follow him, I hadn't even delivered the placenta yet! I cried and some nurse told me to relax. Please, I hadn't even touched my son yet... I just birthed all alone and I wanted my baby! I was up and walking in 45 minutes. I paced outside that NICU waiting to be let in. I needed my baby in my arms. I needed him to hear my voice and smell me. I knew he needed my milk.

I was finally let in, but I was not allowed to hold him just yet. I couldn't nurse him either. They wanted to bathe him first. I was all alone, I didn't know I could refuse. 4:45pm that night I finally got to hold my baby. I was so scared, I had never held a newborn before. But I knew that he was mine and I was his. I held him for about 30 minutes before they made me leave him in the NICU. I was told to eat and relax, he needed more tests, and NO, he could not breastfeed yet. He was so big they thought he had high blood sugar (he didn't). I was up all night walking back and forth to the nursery, begging for my baby. At 2am the nurse promised me that if I went to sleep until 6am, I could have him in my room for the whole day. But this story isn't about my birth or birth experience so I won't go further into my feelings about the way we were treated while we were there.

At 6am I sat straight out of bed and rang for the nurse. I started crying happy tears, I could finally have my baby all to myself! I had no family and no friends around so no one would bother us - just me and my baby all alone, finally. They brought him into me and I scooped him up and put him inside my hospital gown. He stayed there until 1:30pm. Then they came in to get him to be circumcised. Everything inside of me said no. I started crying. I felt like I had fought so hard to get him here and now they wanted to take him away again. I told the nurse I didn't really want to let him go. She said it is better if it is done now because he won't feel it. She told me that most babies don't even cry. She said she wouldn't give him a pacifier, she would just put some sugar water on her finger tip, and it would be over in just minutes. She calmed me down enough to take him, and I cried when he left the room. I wrote in my journal about how awful this whole thing was, and nothing like I wanted it to be.

The nurse brought my son back to me. He was asleep. She said, "He did great." And added that he never even cried and that it was probably harder on me than it was on him. He slept all day and nursed just one time.

The next day we went home. He slept all day again and nursed only once. But he grew to be a strong boy and turned 5 years old this June.  He was exclusively breastfed until he was 7 months old and weaned at almost 14 months.

Fast forward to 2010. I was pregnant again and having another boy! I was ecstatic! I loved having a son! I loved everything boy and was SO glad that my first born was a boy! There was a lot going on during my second pregnancy. We became homeless when I was 20 weeks pregnant. I was single again. I needed to move back to my home state and figure things out. Get back on my feet. There was A LOT on my mind, and circumcision was never one of those things. I just assumed I would have it done. After all, I didn't want him to look different than his brother. I think I actually said that to someone too.

I did have friends with intact children, and it never bothered me. I never thought twice about it. In fact, no one ever said anything to me about it at all. All penises are different, whatever. No biggie.

My second son was born in June 2010. 4:55pm 8lbs. 11oz! He was beautiful and perfect just like his big brother. We were going through some trying times as a family but I was so glad to have this little boy! I stood up for myself a little more with this birth. I had a c-section (again, this story is not about my birth so I won't complain here) but he never left the OR, and as soon as I was wheeled out of the OR I had them put him skin to skin on my breast. He nursed right away! I tucked him into my hospital gown and thanked God that we were finally together.

I don't remember him being taken to be circumcised, nor do I remember signing any consent form for circumcision. His pediatrician (who was also my pediatrician) came in when he was two days old and while looking him over she said, "Oh, you've had him circumcised." All I could say was, "Yeah."

Five days postpartum I was readmitted to the hospital with necrotizing faciitis. I refused to leave my son and I needed emergency surgery. The nurses told me he could stay, but I had to have a non-patient adult with me at all times. Also, if he was circumcised, he could not be skin on skin with me. I didn't understand what his penis had to do with anything. I wouldn't learn until later this was because we could not have two open surgical wound sites (mine and his) coming into contact with one another.

I was in the hospital for two weeks. That was a lot of time to hang out with my friends who took turns staying in the hospital with us all day and all night. It was also a lot of time I spent on Facebook. I stumbled across a link to Peaceful Parenting on Facebook and then to DrMomma.org. I saw a lot of things on this site that I practiced. Cosleeping, babywearing, extended rear facing, breastfeeding, home and unschooling and... circumcision? Wait, what?!

I spent one full night reading everything on circumcision at DrMomma.org, and then I left this site and went onto other pages. I looked at the American Academy of Pediatrics. The World Health Organization. The CDC. No one recommended routine infant circumcision. I cried and I cried. I laid in the hospital bed and I wept. I kept telling my recently circumcised son how sorry I was.

What had I done? Why had no one told me? How did I not know? Why didn't I find this out sooner? I researched car seats for MONTHS - why did I never look into circumcision? I flashed back to that nurse in 2007 who took my first son to be circumcised. SHE LIED TO ME! That was my first thought. My son did cry! He was hurt! He did not sleep through it - he shut down from the pain and the trauma of being cut. It never should've been done. Then I thought back to the doctor, a man with dark hair and very hairy arms. He wore the ugliest green scrub top. He lied to me! It is NOT cleaner. He should not have recommended it! Then my coworkers who joked about the "big snip." Did they lie to me too? Or were they like me and just didn't know?

Not only was I over coming this massive infection that almost killed me, but now, because my son had an open wound, I could not undress him and slip him into my shirt. I did not get to feel his soft warm body on my breast. I needed that comfort - I needed to feel his little body rise and fall on mine. But he had a wound too. I kept him dressed. I was careful when I changed him. We left the hospital when he was two weeks old, both of us with healing wounds.

A few months after I learned the truth about circumcision, I started asking people about it. A LOT of my friends said things like, "It is a personal choice for parents to make." I didn't agree with that but I didn't know how to tell them this. How do you just tell people that they are wrong? A month or so later I decided that my friends were good people and they just didn't know the truth or facts about circumcision. I mean, I am a great mother... I do my best. I love both of my children with every fiber of my being. I make educated decisions. I never purposefully hurt them. Sure, it was horrible when I found out the truth of what I put my sons through, but I am glad that I know now so that I can make sure that no future sons will go through that. Certainly my friends will want to know the truth too! I made it my job to tell people the truth about circumcision.

Wasn't I surprised when I discovered that a lot of people do not want to know the truth. Babies are dying every week, here in the United States, from circumcision. How could people get angry and defensive about this fact? I lost friends. I was called names. Then one day someone called me a name I had never heard before: Intactivist. It felt so good.

None of my new 'intactivist' friends called me names or made me feel bad about circumcising my boys. In fact, a few of them called me brave for admitting that I was wrong. It took a while, but I do feel brave now. I am not afraid to talk to people about circumcision. I am not afraid to save babies. I post links on my personal Facebook profile and I make them public. I send messages to people I know are expecting. I send intact info packs of materials. I card Target and Walmart. I wear a tshirt that says, "If men were meant to have foreskin, they would be born with it!" I serve as Director of my state's Intact Chapter. I can turn a conversation with a stranger to the subject of circumcision in no time!

One day I will apologize to my boys. My oldest has no foreskin at all and has the brown scar line from his circumcision. When the time comes, if he wants to do so, I will offer to support him in restoration. My youngest does have foreskin left and his glans is covered completely. I am thankful for that, at least he still benefits from having part of his foreskin remaining. I know they will forgive me because they are so kind and compassionate. They will know that I never meant to hurt them. I cried a few times writing these words...my heart is still so heavy. I sometimes look at pictures of the boys when they were first born. Being propped up by a nurse, their wet little bodies and swollen faces... and their intact penises. That is when I am most sorry. That is when I want to turn back the clock and tell myself to go with my gut and that if it feels wrong it IS wrong. I speak out against routine infant circumcision because the pain and remorse I felt when I found out the truth cut me so deeply that I cannot let anyone else feel like like this. Please, research circumcision.

Tshirt from Made By Momma

Related Reading: 

I Circumcised My Son: Healing From Regret

Marching Forward: Telling My Son About Circumcision

Circumcision and Intact Care: Are You Fully Informed?

Keeping Future Sons Intact Facebook Page

*******

Keep Moving

By Danelle Frisbie © 2012

When all are let down

By what I don't possess

And crumbling to the ground

Is me at my best

It takes a type of fortitude,

A power unnamed,

To keep me on going

To keep me in the game.

When all have let me down

And I feel so all alone

What is it that holds me steady

On foundations made of stone?

I am neither goddess nor villain,

Neither 'Good' nor 'Bad'

I am just me - standing here - 

All I am, all I've ever had. 

I am humble. I am honest. 

I LOVE bigger than life. 

And I will speak up for babies, 

And stand for what is right. 

When you point your pointing fingers, 

And caste your lying lies, 

It's not just me you hurt - 

But the baby who still cries. 

I'm not sure what the answer is, 

Maybe I'll never know. 

But I will keep moving onward

For what we plant, we sow. 

~Danelle Frisbie 

~~~~

Weaning

Poem and Photo © Rachel House

You take from my body all you need to grow
Each part of my being to nourish your soul
Now here you come child, the window has opened and you seek your light
With growling and thunder my body roars, you take from your womb, you've opened the door

Here at my breast, how I've longed for you dear
My milk flows quick as I draw you near
Suckle sweetly, let our hearts keep time and our breath become sync
I am your mama, your anchor, north star
I hold you close, never am I far

Oh how the clock quickens, how time will not slow
I look up from my baby to see a child grow
First with the smiles, the laughs, the coos
You long for the grasping of toes, papas nose
You long for the ball, stuffed bear, and doll
Those moments when you are quiet at rest
I hold you so tightly and you take to my breast
My milk fills your tummy, it drips from your sleepy smile
I hold you my child, growing in my arms
I hold you for now because I can't hold you for long

Your feet have taken flight, your eyes oh so wide
You have a world to explore, it's right outside!
You run from me quickly, you spin and you dance
Your voice fills the air with style and song
My lap you still climb, my hand you will grasp
These moments are cherished, for they do not last

As the night draws you close, I hold you my dear for that sweet gentle suckle before sleep draws you near
Then all at once you come to me, smile at sister nursing at my side
You ask for no milk, you just give a kiss, tell me you love me and snuggle in for the night
I wonder and wait if you will come to me again, wrap your hands around and nurse with a grin
How quickly it comes to the beautiful end
Your belly has been filled with my sweet mama milk,
You've taken all you need to nourish yourself
You've taken from my body and I've given it all
Now here you are child, weaned and whole!

~Rachel House


Join other nursing mothers in the Breastfeeding Group: FB.com/groups/Breastfed

~~~~

PostSecret: Foreskin Turned Me On

This postcard was shared at PostSecret yesterday, and this individual may or may not realize that they are far from alone... The organs of the human body have a purpose - each and every one. It is not strange, or shameful, to be turned on by the intact male body, after all, that is precisely as it was meant to be.

This individual's second secret - "I wish my fiancé had one" - is also not uncommon. Just as there is a mourning of loss (and sometimes anger, resentment, remorse) when a man discovers the full truth of all that was taken from him, his partner goes through a similar (yet different) process of dealing with a sex life, and a loved one, who was not allowed to have it all. Love for this man is no less powerful, they are no less 'sexy.' But until we can talk about what is lost to MGM, really wrap our heads around it, and have conversations about how this impacts all parties involved, we're not able to move forward, look at our options (restoration, perhaps?) and ensure we end the cycle of stealing foreskin from future men, and those they come to love...


Related Reading:

Purposes of the Prepuce: http://www.drmomma.org/2009/09/functions-of-foreskin-purposes-of.html

Penis 101: http://www.drmomma.org/2009/10/change-in-how-intercourse-works.html

Intact vs. Circumcised: A Significant Difference: http://www.drmomma.org/2011/08/intact-or-circumcised-significant.html

The Lost List: http://www.norm.org/lost.html

Restoration Resources: http://www.savingsons.org/2009/10/foreskin-restoration.html

Male Circumcision & Women's Sexual Health (resource list): http://www.drmomma.org/2009/07/how-male-circumcision-impacts-women.html

How Circumcision Impacts Your Love Life: http://www.drmomma.org/2009/10/how-male-circumcision-impacts-your-love.html

Women Affected by Circumcision (Facebook Page): http://www.facebook.com/womenarevictimstoo

Partners of Restoring Men (Private Facebook Group; PM Saving Our Sons on Facebook to be added): http://www.facebook.com/groups/Restoring/


Want to help shift the attitude about foreskin in our culture today? These info cards were designed with straight, young women in mind (those who make up the majority of future mothers in our nation). The cards were created upon request from a couple librarians who wanted an intact info card that fit with the romance novel and 'sexy magazine' theme, and for hosts of Passion Parties and Pure Romance gatherings.

We've had an overwhelmingly positive response from those who've included them as an awareness raising, or conversation starting, tool in an already sensually-driven setting. They are easy to slip into copies of 50 Shades of Grey at your local store, into the women's magazines that highlight every imaginable article on sex and the male body, quick to leave in the women's restroom when you're out for a night on the town, or to give to a friend and plant some seeds of insight... Together, we can change the thinking on the normal male body, and in turn, spare a future generation of men from having something so important taken from them.

 Suggested donation for cards (includes shipping costs):

$3 = set of 25

$6 = set of 50 

$10 = set of 100

$20 = set of 200

REQUEST HERE

~~~~

Homeopathic Treatment for Sunburn

By Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH, RSHom(Na)

Ouch! Don't touch! Sunburns, like chicken wings, can be mild, medium or hot! You can, however, keep the following remedies handy as the summer progresses to keep the heat down. First and foremost, never leave for a long weekend or vacation without your homeopathy kit. If you don't own one, you are welcome to contact our office at (716) 941-1045. We have several selections to choose from.

When confronted with sunburn, the first remedy I turn to is Cantharis 30. It's useful for all sorts of burns including scalds and chemical burns. Use a potency that matches the severity of the burn. This means the more severe the burn, the higher the potency.

For mild sunburn a 6c, 12c or 30c is likely to do the trick. For a more serious case with severe pain, chills, and blistering, a 200c may be needed. But first seek advice from a seasoned homeopath. When treating an acute condition such as sunburn, use this general rule: the more severe the pathology, the more frequently the remedy needs to be repeated. So if the sunburn is moderate -- very red but without blistering -- and you're using a 30c potency, you might offer it every 30-60 minutes. Use pain as your guide to determine how often to dose.

If after giving Cantharis there is no improvement, consider two other remedies. Urtica urens is the remedy of choice if the pain has a prickly, stingy or itchy sensation. In fact, if the sensation is of this nature from the beginning, then start with this remedy and don't bother with Cantharis.

For a deep, severe burn, use Causticum. The more severe the burn, the more likely that Causticum is the correct remedy. Causticum is also handy for old burns that have taken a long time to heal. You should see a reduction in intensity of symptoms within 30-40 minutes of taking the correct remedy.

I also like to use cell salts in alteration with higher potency remedies. For instance, if you have determined that Cantharis 30 is the correct remedy, then alternate Kali mur 6x with Cantharsis 30 every 30 minutes or so to bring down the discomfort and pain. As always, stop when there's improvement. 

Topical ointments or tinctures can also be soothing. Try coconut oil, aloe vera gel or Calendula tincture. But to be honest, you'll likely find the homeopathic remedy is all that you need. Sunburn isn't a day at the beach. But don't worry: homeopathy, as always, has the solution!

One more tip... Sunscreen? Toss it out! If you wouldn't or couldn't eat what you put on your skin, it shouldn't be used. Read the ingredients. If they don't read like a list of ingredients in a good recipe book, then get rid of them. Your liver, the filtering organ, will thank you! What's the solution? Cover up with a sunhat, a t-shirt in the pool and seek shade during times of scorching sun. My husband is blonde, blonde, blonde, an avid sailor and hasn't worn sunscreen in 30 years. (Not since we met!) My rule is: act sensibly, not chemically.


Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH, RSHom, is certified classical homeopath who teaches and consults with moms the world over via phone and SKYPE.

For a free download of 10 Toxins and How to Antidote Them With Homeopathy go to www.homeopathyworks.net and find it on the “Free Downloads and Articles” section of the homepage. Then, consider scheduling a free 15 minute conversation with Joette to see if homeopathy is a fit for your, or your child’s, health strategy.





The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and may not be construed as medical advice.
The reader is encouraged to make independent inquires and to seek the advice of a licensed healthcare provider.

Realization of Circumcision

By James Stewart

I was 16 when I first learned about circumcision.

I was in a child development class and as soon as I had a semi-clear understanding of what circumcision was, I immediately became disgusted at the fact that there were people who would do such things to children. Of course, it only took a couple seconds for it to hit me -- the realization that this was done to me. I didn’t want to believe it. I couldn’t imagine that my parents would ever do something so obviously cruel to me, and right after I entered this world, but there was no denying it.

After that painfully obvious realization my disgust was dwarfed by the most intense anger I have ever felt. I felt violated. As though I had just learned that I was sexually assaulted as a baby. Which literally is what it is, as far as I’m concerned. I’ve never seen circumcision as anything different. I still don’t understand how anyone can.

As I felt all these feelings, I looked around the classroom. Too my horror no one else seemed to be bothered by this new information and the teacher was casually explaining the topic as though it were any other lesson. It was like something I would see in The Twilight Zone. I have never been so disappointed in people. How could everyone be so blind, I thought? This is how felt before I learned about the functions of the foreskin...

For two years I thought I might actually be the only one in the world who felt this way. When I was 18 years old I decide to Google 'circumcision.' I knew there had to be others who felt this way. The first thing I saw was a video on YouTube of a girl expressing her feelings on the subject. It was relieving. 

And then I saw many other videos like it. Each one I watched made me feel better. After two long years I was finally able to get it off my mind and I was able to find my faith in human kind again. It took me years more before I could even talk about it with a friend. And longer still before I could confront my parents. No one should ever have to go through what men like myself have. And I will continue to fight until this cruel tradition meets its end.

Resources on circumcision and intact topics at: Are You Fully Informed?
Get involved, and save a son at: Saving Our Sons

Emily Voras on the U.S. Capitol wall during Men's Health Week 2012.

Photo © DrMomma.org

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Great Chalk Event!

From Shannon in Hawaii 

Each year in the spring (when the snow has melted and things start warming up across the States) and summer (when many families are out and about at parks and recreation locations) peaceful parenting hosts a Great Chalk Event. This year we invite YOU to participate from your local area in a global effort to raise awareness of baby/child-friendly mothering and fathering.

It is a fun-in-the-sun way to get the kids involved in something creative and leave a message of advocacy in the process. Plant some seeds of info, raise awareness, and touch lives, one parent, one child, one baby at a time.

Chalk is cheap ($1 for 16-24 large pieces at most Walgreens, Walmart, etc., stores) and can also be homemade (see: http://wondertime.go.com/create-and-play/article/chalk-recipe.html). Chalk displays colorful messages on any public street/sidewalk/walkway where children and their parents are otherwise free to be, and washes naturally away with the first rainfall.

Pick your passion (intact awareness? breastfeeding? milksharing? night time parenting/no-CIO? gentle discipline? agency in birth?), select your message, choose your location, gather a few friends and the kids, get your chalk ready... and we'll see you (or at least your message!) at the next Great Chalk Event!

This year, the 1st participant in EACH STATE (including international locations) will win an advocacy bracelet of your choice (or info cards of your choice if you prefer). See bracelets at Saving Our Sons here (1/2 way down the page, 8 choices to select from): http://www.savingsons.org/p/info-cards-etc.html

Prizes will also be awarded to winners in each category (each participant can only win once):

'Most Creative'

'Most Artistic'

'Most Catchy Phrase'

'Biggest / Most Public'

'Most Beautiful'

'Most Childlike.'

*Update: Winners at bottom of this post!* 

To be in the running, post photos to the peaceful parenting FB page (www.Facebook.com/peacefulparenting) or the Saving Our Sons FB page (www.Facebook.com/SavingOurSons) or send to DrMomma.org@gmail.com between Friday, July 13th and Monday night, July 16.

Great Chalk Event page on FB: http://www.facebook.com/events/106874866123826/ Taking place the weekend of July 13-15.

View past Chalk Days for ideas at peaceful parenting: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150169988052671.298955.202794322670 and intact-related chalk events at Saving Our Sons:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.220458054639990.62794.166998263319303

We look forward to YOUR creations this Great Chalk Weekend!

Timeline banners made with your chalkings! 

First Entries by State

(if you are first to submit in your state, drop us an email with the bracelet of your choice or info cards of your choice and your mailing address: DrMomma.org@gmail.com) 

Alabama -- Megan W.
Alaska
Arizona -- Meghan S. and Kelaiah L.
Arkansas
California -- Erynn B.
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida -- Jen B.
Georgia
Hawaii -- Anna L. and Shannon W.
Idaho - Brittany C.
Illinois
Indiana -- Sarah T.
Iowa -- Christina K.
Kansas -- Lacey B.
Kentucky -- Kimberly M.
Louisiana
Maine -- Brandy M.
Maryland -- Morgan P.
Massachusetts -- Beth S.
Michigan -- Morgan S.
Minnesota -- Patti R.
Mississippi
Missouri -- Anna B.
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada -- Kelli P.
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York - Amiee S.
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio -- Lindsey S.
Oklahoma -- Sandra G.
Oregon -- Kelly L.
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas -- Amy E.
Utah -- Daniel M.
Vermont
Virginia
Washington -- Ayn T.
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

International Locations:

Ontario -- Amanda P.

UK -- Ruth S.

WE HAVE WINNERS! 

Winners were tough to select - almost impossible - because you guys have talent, creativity and spirit!

If your chalk drawing was one selected as a winner in one of the following categories, write to DrMomma.org@gmail.com with your name and mailing address and tell us if you'd prefer the Intact Advocate prize pack, the Breastfeeding Advocate prize pack, the general Peaceful Parenting prize pack, or a combo of any of the three. Winners who may have images selected in more than one category can only win once so there's more love to go around.

'Most Creative'

From Sarah and her kids (first time we've seen the picnic table idea!) 

Megan in Omaha, NE - first we've seen a message on the steps
And with a chubby baby who is oh-so-cute!

From an unknown winner (please email us with your info) - first we've seen a fantastic fence chalking like this! 

'Most Artistic'

Anna's original design (note the mom and baby in 'Birth') for a beloved phrase:

Jen and her boys have such beautiful symmetry and design: 

Lovely portrayal of gentle mothering from an unknown winner (please email us with your info):

'Most Catchy Phrase'

Jennifer's  'Mom, Not Moo!' made us smile.

Melissa, Gabriella and Caleb had these phrases among many other designs:

From an unknown winner (please email us your info):

'Biggest / Most Public'

Daniel and a friend in UT submitted in video format rather than image: 



Shannon and her kids in Hawaii covered an entire intersection. 
The following day they saw more than one person taking photos of the messages left on the busy street.

'Most Beautiful'

Beth and her daughter who celebrates 1 year breastfeeding this week! 

Got Milk? A gorgeous chalk image (with momma milk included!) from Ruth and her little one: 

'Most Childlike'

Amy in Texas: 

Kelly in Oregon: 

Jen in Florida: 

Kimberly in Kentucky: 

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$700,000 Infant Circumcision Settlement

via Attorneys for the Rights of the Child

Infant sustains partial amputation during bris

Parents say they suffered severe emotional distress; $700,000 settlement

Published: 9:25 am Thu, June 21, 2012     

By Mass. Lawyers Weekly Staff

An 8-day-old Massachusetts baby suffered an amputation of a portion of the ventral glans of his penis at a Jewish brit milah circumcision ceremony (bris) at a private residence. The plaintiffs maintained that the doctor/mohel was negligent in his performance of the procedure.

The doctor/mohel allegedly failed to re-examine the child between the ceremony and the time that the child left for the hospital. Upon arrival, the child was rushed to an operating room for emergency surgery as a result of an amputation of his ventral glans and a traumatic hypospadias, or damage to the opening of the urethra.

The child was released from the hospital the following day with a catheter inserted into his penis, only to return to the hospital later that night because the catheter had fallen out. After a lengthy effort to re-insert the catheter, during which time the child screamed in agony, a decision was made to have family members insert a tube into the child’s penis numerous times a day over a 10-day period.

The child suffers from a permanently disfigured penis, hypospadias and remaining foreskin. He has experienced night terrors and may require further surgery for medical and/or cosmetic reasons.

His parents, who claimed to have suffered severe emotional distress, fear the emotional difficulties the child will face as he matures and deals with, among other things, school locker rooms and/or romantic relationships.

Action: Medical malpractice

Injuries alleged: Amputation of portion of ventral glans, emotional damage

Case name: Withheld

Court/case no.: Withheld

Jury and/or judge: N/A (mediated)

Amount: $700,000.00

Date: March 2012

Most helpful experts: Henry E. Simkin, M.D., and John P. Gearhart, M.D

Attorneys: Paul J. Klehm, James B. Krasnoo and Benjamin L. Falkner, of Krasnoo|Klehm, Andover (for the plaintiffs)

Related Reading: 

Intact vs. Circumcised Outcome Statistics

Death From Circumcision

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Circumcision to Reduce Men's Sexual Pleasure

The complete amputation of the prepuce organ (as performed in North American style infant circumcision) initially began in an effort to curtail masturbation and 'promiscuous' behavior among boys and men. The prepuce ('foreskin') was well known to be the key organ at play in whole sexual health, and the theory was that if the prepuce was removed, men's pleasure and sexual drive would also be hampered as well.

The reason this genital surgery started to be performed on infants without anesthesia is twofold:

(1) It was commonly believed that babies 'do not feel pain' the same way adults do. Today, we know this is entirely false - newborn babies actually have a heightened sense of touch/feeling/pain so that they are able to feel their way around their mother's body in the early days/weeks of life.

(2) It was believed (and heavily promoted by key physicians at the time) that if this intense - almost unbearable - pain of genital cutting was connected with sexuality, it would further reduce a boy's desire to touch himself or use his penis 'inappropriately' as he grew older. Connect pain with sexuality right from the beginning of life, proponents taught at the time, and sexuality would take a back seat to more 'righteous' endeavors in boys' and men's later lives.

The plan to end masturbation and sexual behaviors did not work -- boys and men masturbate and have sex whether they are intact or not -- but men's sexual health in North America was impacted by this early push, and many of the myths fired up at the time still haunt and hurt us today.

What follows are several quotes from influential practitioners at the beginning of the North American push to circumcise, to offer up an example of where and why such madness began in our culture. To dismantle such pervasive myths, we must first understand where their roots lie. It is very clear when reviewing early materials on the foreskin and circumcision that physicians knew this organ played a key role in men's sexuality, normal functioning and pleasure, and that its amputation would impair each of these components of men's lives to one degree or another; a desirable outcome at the time.

"[The foreskin] is a source of serious mischief." ~William Acton, physician and venereologist (1814-1875)

"Circumcision, when performed in early life, generally lessens the voluptuous sensations of sexual intercourse." ~William Alexander Hammond, NYU physician and professor (1828-1900)

"[The physiological benefit of the foreskin] is that of maintaining the penis in a condition susceptible to more acute sensation than would otherwise exist. It may increase the pleasure of coition and the impulse to it. [...] One should be thankful [for the reduced pleasure due to circumcision and increased self-control]." ~Jonathan Hutchinson, physician, surgeon, pathologist (1828-1913)

"A remedy which is almost always successful [to stop masturbation] in small boys is circumcision, especially when there is any degree of phimosis. The operation should be performed by a surgeon without administering an anesthetic, as the brief pain attending the operation will have a salutary effect upon the mind, especially if it be connected with the idea of punishment. The soreness which continues for several weeks interrupts the practice, and if it had not previously become too firmly fixed, it may be forgotten and not resumed. If any attempt is made to watch the child, he should be so carefully surrounded by vigilance that he cannot possibly transgress without detection. If he is only partially watched, he soon learns to elude observation, and thus the effect is only to make him cunning in his vice." ~John Harvey Kellogg, physician (1852-1943)

"I suggest that all male children should be circumcised. This is ‘against nature’ but that is exactly the reason why it should be done. Nature intends that the adolescent male shall copulate as often and as promiscuously as possible, and to that end covers the sensitive glans so that it shall be ever ready to receive stimuli. Civilization, on the contrary, requires chastity, and the glans of the circumcised rapidly assumes a leathery texture less sensitive than skin. Thus the adolescent has his attention drawn to his penis much less often. I am convinced that masturbation is much less common in the circumcised. With these considerations in view it does not seem apt to argue that ‘God knows best how to make little boys.’" ~R. W. Cockshut, Circumcision, British Medical Journal, Vol. 2 (1935): 764.

Meme of original Kellogg's Corn Flakes advertisement. Kellogg's Corn Flakes and other 'bland' foods, as well as circumcision, were touted as being good for the reduction of men's sexual pleasure, masturbation and 'extramarital sexual relations' (especially during war times) which would, in turn, build strong men.

Related Reading:

Marked in Your Flesh: Circumcision from Ancient Judea to Modern America (book)

Circumcision: A History of the World's Most Controversial Surgery (book)

Circumcision: An American Health Fallacy (book)

History of Circumcision (website)

History of Circumcision (CIRP.org)

Edward Wallerstein, "Circumcision: The Uniquely American Medical Enigma," Urologic Clinics of North America, Vol. 12, 1985, p. 123-32.

Circumcision in Canada: A Short Chronology of Events

The Rise and Fall of Circumcision in New Zealand

Intact vs. Circumcised: A Significant Difference in the Adult Penis

Functions of the Foreskin; Purposes of the Prepuce

Additional books on circumcision.

Are You Fully Informed? (websites, articles, books)

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HIV Higher Among Circumcised Men in Zimbabwe

By Shamiso Yikoniko
for The Sunday Mail, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe Circumcision Poster

See more propaganda in Africa here. 

The HIV prevalence rate among circumcised males between the ages of 15 and 49 in Zimbabwe is higher than that of intact males owing to the misconception that circumcision completely shields people from HIV infection.

According to the latest Zimbabwe Health Demographic Survey (ZHDS 2010/2011), the prevalence rate among the circumcised is 14% while that of the intact is 12%. The circumcision status of participants was established during pre-test counseling. However, the country’s overall prevalence rate for the same age group declined to 15 from 18%, according to the same survey.

National Aids Council (Nac) public health officer, Dr. Blessing Mutede, said authorities were concerned about the high rate of infection among the circumcised. He said it was largely a result of “risk compensation behaviors.” Most men, after circumcision, harbour the false impression that they have been equipped with an invisible condom, he added. “It is a worrying development that at a time when we are promoting male circumcision as a preventive measure to combat HIV, we are recording a high prevalence rate amongst the group that has been circumcised largely due to uninformed risky compensation behaviors." He continued, “Most people forget that being circumcised will only safeguard a person from contracting HIV up to a certain percentage and they are still at a 40 percent risk of contracting the virus. What we encourage everyone, circumcised or [intact], is to practise safe sex all the time.”

During the survey, a sample of 5,650 men ages 15 and 49 were tested for HIV. They were also asked about their circumcision status. The information was, thereafter, used to determine the relationship between HIV prevalence and circumcision. The World Health Organization recommends adult male circumcision for HIV prevention in “generalised epidemic settings” where prevalence of the virus is high and male circumcision is low. Zimbabwe embraced this recommendation and anticipates that it will prevent 42 percent of all new infections between 2015 and 2025 if 80% of males in the country are circumcised. The country also hopes to reduce HIV prevalence to about 7 percent, in addition to other benefits. The country has carried out about 70,000 circumcisions since the program began in 2009.

Original report here.

Related Reading:

AIDSCirc.org

The Circumcision Song

African AIDS / Circumcision Propaganda Posters

Dr. Dean Edell: AIDS Circumcision Fallacy

Doctors Reject Circumcision as HIV Prevention

HIV/AIDS Rates Continue to Climb in Africa

HIV Increases in Africa Where Men Circumcised

Sub-Saharan African randomized clinical trials into male circumcision and HIV transmission: Methodology, ethical and legal concerns[pdf]

Circumcision and HIV: Harm Outweighs Benefit< ABC: Not Circumcision

South African Doctor Warns Against Using Circumcision to Fight HIV

African HIV/Circumcision Study Ends Early: Too many women becoming infected

Uganda Woman Divorces Husband for Getting Circumcised

African Healer Sees Higher HIV Rates, Lower Condom Use After Circumcision 

Two Boys, One Man Die From Circumcision in Eastern Cape

Malawi rules out circumcision as AIDS-prevention: No evidence that it works 

The Nuts and Bolts of HIV in the USA and why Circumcision Won't Protect Men

Flawed Studies Used to Claim Circumcision Reduces HIV

Why is Circumcision so Prevalent in Africa?

Political determinants of variable etiology resonance: Explaining the African AIDS epidemic [abstract]

Double standards in research ethics, healthcare safety, and scientific rigour allowed Africa's HIV/AIDS epidemic disasters

Male Circumcision and HIV Prevention: Insufficient Evidence and Neglected External Validity [pdf]

Male circumcision and its relationship to HIV infection in South Africa: Results of a national survey in 2002

How the Circumcision Solution in Africa Will Increase Infections [abstract]

Male Circumcision is NOT the HIV Vaccine We've Been Waiting For

Circumcision is Not a Cure-all for AIDS

The Use of Male Circumcision to Limit HIV Infection [NOCIRC]
The Use of Male Circumcision to Limit HIV Infection [Doctors Opposing Circumcision]

The Cost to Circumcise Africa [pdf]

The Truth About Circumcision and HIV

Norm Cohen [video interview] on HIV and Circumcision

A Myth that Kills: AIDS Industry Feeds on Fear

Uganda: Mad Rush for Male Circumcision

Circumcision: Already Illegal?

Here we go again: New York Times publishes headline on HIV and Circumcision

Male Circumcision and HIV [website]

FGM/MGM: Similar Attitudes and Misperceptions

Male and Female Circumcision Female Circumcision and HIV Infection in Tanzania [slides]

The Cut: FGM in Africa

History of Female Circumcision in the U.S.

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