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NOCIRC Annual NEWSLETTER NOCIRC AnnUAL NEWSLETTER 2007 ISSN 1070-3721 Volume 21 Circumcision Reduces Sexual Judges Protect Boys’ Rights Satisfaction Circuit Judge Jordan Kaplan issued an injunction on October 24 against circumcision for a 9-year-old Chicago A South Korean research team found that there is decreased th masturbatory pleasure and sexual enjoyment after circumci- boy, valid until the boy’s 18 birthday. While the mother sion, indicating that adult circumcision adversely affects wanted her son circumcised, the father did not. “The sexual function in many men (see page 4). injury to the child as a result of an unnecessary cir- cumcision would be irreversible,” Judge Kaplan wrote. Penile Touch-Test Sensitivity Study California judges protected the genital integrity rights of a 24-month-old and an unborn boy after their fathers filed The recently-conducted Penile Touch-Test Sensitivity Study suit in their son’s behalf. has been accepted for publication by a peer-review journal. Publication of the important findings will be announced at Atlanta Father Found Guilty of www.nocirc.org. Daughter’s FGM Male Circumcision May Not Protect Khalid Adem was found guilty on 11/1 of aggravated bat- Against HIV tery and cruelty for the 2001 cutting of the genitals of his 2-year-old daughter. He received a 10-year-prison sen- A study presented at the 16th International AIDS Conference tence and 5 years probation. Arrested in 2003, his is the examined male circumcision and HIV rates in eight first documented case of FGM on a minor in the US. A law Sub-Saharan African countries and contradicts research against FGM was passed after Adem was arrested. that suggests male circumcision protects against HIV. “The evidence is inconclusive,” said Dr. Vinod Mishra. “We’re just Finland Court Charges Mother for questioning that push,” he said of the optimism expressed by pro-circumcision researchers. “If anything, the correla- Circumcision of Son tion goes the other way.” In Lesotho, for example, 23.4% Finland’s first court ruling on male circumcision was circumcised and 15.4% intact men were HIV positive. When handed down for a Muslim mother who had her 4-year-old adjusted for sociodemographic and behavioral factors, a son circumcised. Local prosecutor Jouko Nurminen said, protective effect was not statistically significant in any “There is a perception in Finland that only girls’ circumci- country. sions are banned by law. There is no specific legislation about them; both types are illegal under the same criminal Ugandan President Denounces HIV law. After all, in both procedures, part of healthy genitalia Study is removed without medical foundation or competent con- sent.” The court noted that even a long religious tradition Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni condemned the Kenya does not justify protecting the bodily inviolability of boys and Uganda study that allegedly shows male circumci- to a lesser degree than that of girls and found the mother’s sion reduces HIV risk. He told medical students that there action illegal. are many confusing messages. “One of them is that, if you are circumcised, you are less likely to catch AIDS, even if Canadian Government Stopped you behave recklessly. Now what sort of message is that?” Uganda’s success in curbing the spread of AIDS from 30% to Reimbursing Routine Circumcision 6% in the 1990s was done by promoting abstinence, safe sex, Public Service Health Care Plan, Canada’s largest fed- and condom use. Recent failure of the program is blamed on eral employee health plan, stopped reimbursing routine right-wing Christian groups, most from the US, promoting circumcision of newborns, effective 9/05/06. Payments abstinence at the expense of condoms. Museveni said the ended because no provincial/territorial health plan covers news is irresponsible and safe sex is the way the situation the procedure. In 2005, Canada’s circumcision rate, down should be handled. 60% since 1996, is 9.2%. NY Fails to Protect Babies’ Health BC Health Pays to Restore Man’s New York health officials and orthodox rabbis reached an Foreskin agreement on a controversial procedure, in which a circum- Dr. Paul Tinari is the first Canadian to have healthcare- ciser sucks blood from a baby’s penis. The controversy began funded foreskin restoration. Tinari describes being held after a mohel’s mouth led to herpes contamination of four down by Catholic priests when he was 8-years-old and infants, one died. Mohels who perform “metzitzah b’peh” circumcised, “a routine form of punishment” for mastur- must swab their mouths with an alcohol wipe and rinse with bation. Tinari considers the restorative surgery a success, mouthwash that contains at least 25% alcohol, a regime that ending the problems caused by circumcision. experts say will not protect infants. Additional babies alleg- edly contracted herpes since the controversy began. Letter from the Editor t’s been an exciting and eventful year! The 9th International effective in AIDS prevention, including education, condom Symposium on Circumcision, Genital Integrity, and Human use, and aggressive research toward vaccine development. At IRights, held at the beautiful University of Washington in the AIDS Vaccine 2006 Conference, reports were promising. A Seattle, brought together presenters and participants from Swedish HIV vaccine study produced good results. More than more than a dozen countries. Various harmful traditional prac- 90% of the subjects in Phase I trials developed an immune tices were addressed, as was the work being done worldwide to response to HIV. The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative is eradicate them. tracking the progress of 32 clinical trials at www.iavi.org. Our symposium was held shortly after the AIDS conference Our Padua symposium book, Bodily Integrity and the Politics of in Toronto, and we addressed the issue, too. While circumci- Circumcision: Culture, Controversy, and Change, was published sion is being touted as a way to stop the spread of AIDS in in 2006 by Springer Publishing Company. It is available from Africa, HIV/AIDS has successfully been curbed in Thailand, NOCIRC (see page 7). Senegal, and Eastern Uganda with aggressive educational cam- NOCIRC’s booth at the American Academy of Pediatrics allowed paigns about the danger of AIDS, the need for safe sex, and us to put information into the hands of pediatricians and the importance of condom use. In Thailand, the government’s gave us an opportunity to talk with them. Many physicians program of “100% condom use, 100% of the time,” providing from both inside and outside the US are horrified that a free condoms for everyone, has been successful without cir- “civilized” country routinely circumcises babies, and they cumcision, which is not cost-effective and has known risks. promised to speak to their colleagues in defense of babies. Reduced penile sensation and a false sense of security after Mexican pediatricians, working to end circumcision in their circumcision could easily exacerbate the spread of HIV/AIDS country, were eager to have our Spanish pamphlets. Pediatric by decreasing condom use. Circumcision hasn’t prevented HIV urologists, who see botched results, seemed unanimously in the USA, Israel, or Muslim countries. Circumcision is not against circumcision. promoted in Scandinavia because education is enough; so why isn’t it enough in Africa? HIV policy should focus on what’s Our American Baby ad brings thousands of visitors to our been shown to work. website each time it’s published, and those without access to the Internet order information by telephone. The ad reflects Daniel Halperin, an HIV specialist at Harvard’s Center for our 30-second Public Service Announcement (see page 6). If Population and Development, in a recent interview, said it’s not being aired on your public access station, please ask about circumcision, “It prevents STDs, it’s seen as cleaner, us about getting a copy for that purpose. sex is better, women like it...” In truth, circumcised men are at greater risk of some STDs. Cleaner than what? What makes Several court cases served children well this year, and a Halperin think sex is better with or that women prefer cir- number of wrongful circumcision lawsuits were settled out of cumcised partners? Personal bias has no place in scientific court. Ethical judges now are acknowledging the child’s right discussion. Fortunately, there is a growing tide of skepticism to his own body, and physicians and parents are being held to to recent research findings and seemingly biased researchers this human rights standard. who promote circumcision. The UN warns that male circum- Thank you for helping support our projects and making 2006 cision should never pre-empt other preventive measures. such a successful year. We couldn’t have done it without you! Sadly, Africans, coerced to circumcise, ultimately will learn Your tax-deductible donations are greatly appreciated! circumcision does not prevent HIV/AIDS. See the Doctors Opposing Circumcision HIV Statement: www.doctorsopposing circumcision.org/info/HIVStatement.html. Symposium participants signed a petition encouraging the Gates Foundation to support public health efforts that have proven 9th International Symposium on Circumcision, Genital Integrity and Human Rights presented ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS Robert Darby, PhD Leonard B. Glick, MD, PhD HUMAN RIGHTS AWARDS Gary Burlingame W. Keith C. Morgan, MD John Sawkey ACHEIVEMENT AWARDS Dan Bollinger John Geisheker George Hill 2 2007 NOCIRC ANNUAL NEWSLetter Laws, Lawsuits, and Legislation Cultural and religious bias should not supersede the Hippocratic Oath or the law. MOROCCO – David Smith, Manager, Norm-UK Fez – The Court of First Instance of Fez sentenced a medical AFRICA staff to one year imprisonment for the circumcision death of 22-year-old Bogui Nimba Josue Arthur Privat, who wanted Dakar – Women representing 52 Senegalese and seven Malian to convert to Islam. He allegedly was required to be circum- villages have issued a public declaration to stop female genital cised.
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