The WHOLE Network received a copy of this email sent to Planned Parenthood and we're posting it to keep track of the progress seen by this well-meaning member of the Intactivist community:
"Dear Dr. Cullins,
I have recently reviewed your notice on the Planned Parenthood Federation of America website here:
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/ask-dr-cullins/cullins-body-5376.htm
I would like to commend you on all your excellent work supporting Planned Parenthood in North America. It is an invaluable public service to us all! :-)
Nonetheless, I would appreciate it if you might take a moment to consider a revision of your statement regarding neonatal circumcision, since the material currently on the website appears to have been updated in a piecemeal fashion. In aid of supporting your busy schedule and the cause of Planned Parenthood, generally, I have researched this topic extensively, and provided an edited draft text, immediately following the existing text, in the attached .PDF file, for your convenience.
Please let me know if my editorial work is appreciated"
______________________________________________
That email was sent on 12 February 2011, to [email protected] [BCC'd to The Whole Network] to which there has only been a non-specific automated-out-of-office-reply-notice since:
"I am currently out of the office and unavailable. If this is a matter that requires Medical Affairs attention, contact Kimberli Owens at 212-261-4702."
"Dear Dr. Cullins,
I have recently reviewed your notice on the Planned Parenthood Federation of America website here:
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/ask-dr-cullins/cullins-body-5376.htm
I would like to commend you on all your excellent work supporting Planned Parenthood in North America. It is an invaluable public service to us all! :-)
Nonetheless, I would appreciate it if you might take a moment to consider a revision of your statement regarding neonatal circumcision, since the material currently on the website appears to have been updated in a piecemeal fashion. In aid of supporting your busy schedule and the cause of Planned Parenthood, generally, I have researched this topic extensively, and provided an edited draft text, immediately following the existing text, in the attached .PDF file, for your convenience.
Please let me know if my editorial work is appreciated"
______________________________________________
That email was sent on 12 February 2011, to [email protected] [BCC'd to The Whole Network] to which there has only been a non-specific automated-out-of-office-reply-notice since:
"I am currently out of the office and unavailable. If this is a matter that requires Medical Affairs attention, contact Kimberli Owens at 212-261-4702."
| Planned Parenthood: Suggested Revisions |
PLANNED PARENTHOOD OFFICIAL POSITION:
I will be giving birth to a boy next month. Should I get him circumcised?
We can't advise you what to do. This is a very personal decision for parents to make. Circumcision today is most often performed for religious or cultural reasons or to make the boy's penis resemble his father's. For many years in the U.S., it was considered important for good sexual hygiene. Today, routine circumcision is considered elective surgery without medical benefits. Although recent studies in Africa have suggested that circumcision may offer protection against HIV, other studies need to be done to confirm those results.
Like all surgery, circumcision is not without risks. Although rare, complications include excessive bleeding, infection, scarring, and damage to the penis. Many parents and authorities are also concerned that the procedure is quite painful for the child. In any case, the rate of circumcision in the U.S. has dropped from 95 percent in the 1960s to 65 percent today.
Penises with foreskins require a little extra care. After a boy is three to five years old his foreskin will most likely become retractable, and he must be taught to pull back and wash under the foreskin. Until he can do this for himself, you can gently pull back the foreskin for him and wash under it during bathing. Never try to pull back the foreskin of an infant or boys for whom the foreskin remains to too tight to be pulled back. For some boys it takes much longer for the foreskin to become retractable. And for a few, circumcision may become necessary.
RECOMMENDED REVISION:
I will be giving birth to a boy next month. Should I get him circumcised?
We will not tell you what to do, but offer these facts: According to statements published by the American Academy of Pedatrics, there is generally no need to circumcise a newborn boy's penis; however, it remains a critical option for parents to consider. Circumcision today is most often performed for religious or cultural reasons that have no scientific basis. For many years in the U.S., it was thought to be important for good sexual hygiene. Today, routine circumcision is considered elective cosmetic surgery. Although recent studies in Africa have suggested that circumcision may offer some protection against HIV transmission, the advantage is slight, compared to regular condom use.
Like all surgery, circumcision is not without risks. Although rare, complications include scarring, infection, excessive bleeding, and sometimes death. Many parents and authorities are also concerned that the procedure is quite painful for the child even when anesthetics are used. In any case, the rate of circumcision in the U.S. has dropped from 95 percent in the 1960s to less than 65 percent today[ *].
Penises with foreskins require no extra care, while circumcision surgery leaves a wound to heal. The foreskin will naturally loosen and separate from the tip of his penis, incrementally, as the boy approaches puberty. A normal boy's foreskin may remain partially or completely fused to the tip of his penis until after he is 10 years old; therefore, to guard against injury, retraction should not be initiated by anyone but the boy himself. Never try to forcefully pull back the foreskin of an infant, or an older boy whose foreskin is still developing this way. Each boy should be taught to pull back his foreskin, only to the degree that it is comfortable, and wash underneath it when bathing. Until he can do this for himself, a parent may elect to gently slide back the foreskin for their son in the bath[, which is not necessary.**] In the rare case that a boy's foreskin remains fused to the tip of his penis after he is mature enough to make informed health decisions for himself, he may choose to have a circumcision, or elect to undergo non-surgical correction [if he feels disadvantaged by this condition called, phimosis, which is neither life-threatening nor unconditionally debilitating.***]
TWN's Editorial Notes:
* In 2009, the CDC released a new study saying the rates of hospital circumcisions dropped to 32.5%.
** The foreskin should only be retracted by the boy himself, so we encourage parents to leave it alone unless he can retract it himself.
*** Phimosis is a rare condition in which the foreskin cannot fully retract. Circumcision is no longer the only option for this condition, as there are many non-surgical methods to treat it.
I will be giving birth to a boy next month. Should I get him circumcised?
We can't advise you what to do. This is a very personal decision for parents to make. Circumcision today is most often performed for religious or cultural reasons or to make the boy's penis resemble his father's. For many years in the U.S., it was considered important for good sexual hygiene. Today, routine circumcision is considered elective surgery without medical benefits. Although recent studies in Africa have suggested that circumcision may offer protection against HIV, other studies need to be done to confirm those results.
Like all surgery, circumcision is not without risks. Although rare, complications include excessive bleeding, infection, scarring, and damage to the penis. Many parents and authorities are also concerned that the procedure is quite painful for the child. In any case, the rate of circumcision in the U.S. has dropped from 95 percent in the 1960s to 65 percent today.
Penises with foreskins require a little extra care. After a boy is three to five years old his foreskin will most likely become retractable, and he must be taught to pull back and wash under the foreskin. Until he can do this for himself, you can gently pull back the foreskin for him and wash under it during bathing. Never try to pull back the foreskin of an infant or boys for whom the foreskin remains to too tight to be pulled back. For some boys it takes much longer for the foreskin to become retractable. And for a few, circumcision may become necessary.
RECOMMENDED REVISION:
I will be giving birth to a boy next month. Should I get him circumcised?
We will not tell you what to do, but offer these facts: According to statements published by the American Academy of Pedatrics, there is generally no need to circumcise a newborn boy's penis; however, it remains a critical option for parents to consider. Circumcision today is most often performed for religious or cultural reasons that have no scientific basis. For many years in the U.S., it was thought to be important for good sexual hygiene. Today, routine circumcision is considered elective cosmetic surgery. Although recent studies in Africa have suggested that circumcision may offer some protection against HIV transmission, the advantage is slight, compared to regular condom use.
Like all surgery, circumcision is not without risks. Although rare, complications include scarring, infection, excessive bleeding, and sometimes death. Many parents and authorities are also concerned that the procedure is quite painful for the child even when anesthetics are used. In any case, the rate of circumcision in the U.S. has dropped from 95 percent in the 1960s to less than 65 percent today[ *].
Penises with foreskins require no extra care, while circumcision surgery leaves a wound to heal. The foreskin will naturally loosen and separate from the tip of his penis, incrementally, as the boy approaches puberty. A normal boy's foreskin may remain partially or completely fused to the tip of his penis until after he is 10 years old; therefore, to guard against injury, retraction should not be initiated by anyone but the boy himself. Never try to forcefully pull back the foreskin of an infant, or an older boy whose foreskin is still developing this way. Each boy should be taught to pull back his foreskin, only to the degree that it is comfortable, and wash underneath it when bathing. Until he can do this for himself, a parent may elect to gently slide back the foreskin for their son in the bath[, which is not necessary.**] In the rare case that a boy's foreskin remains fused to the tip of his penis after he is mature enough to make informed health decisions for himself, he may choose to have a circumcision, or elect to undergo non-surgical correction [if he feels disadvantaged by this condition called, phimosis, which is neither life-threatening nor unconditionally debilitating.***]
TWN's Editorial Notes:
* In 2009, the CDC released a new study saying the rates of hospital circumcisions dropped to 32.5%.
** The foreskin should only be retracted by the boy himself, so we encourage parents to leave it alone unless he can retract it himself.
*** Phimosis is a rare condition in which the foreskin cannot fully retract. Circumcision is no longer the only option for this condition, as there are many non-surgical methods to treat it.
