I'm speechless

[bnhmama]

http://www.newser.com/story/89927/us...male-nick.html

"The American Academy of Pediatrics is considering allowing doctors to perform female genital "nicks" in order to be "culturally sensitive" and satisfy parents seeking female circumcision."

[QueenOfTheMeadow]

Just a couple of reminders for the thread:

Members may discuss news items in appropriate parenting forums such as breastfeeding items in lactivism, birth related items in the birth forums or chickenpox outbreaks in Health & Healing. However, keep in mind that threads still need to remain on-topic for the forum and should not be about individuals but about the general topic.

and

Advocacy threads requesting members take action should be submitted to the Activism forum for approval.

Thanks!

[SleeplessMommy]

There are people in Europe shocked that USA has such a high (male) circ rate. What will they think of us NOW? The AAP is possibly going to lobby congress to make female genital "cutting" legal.

[QueenOfTheMeadow]

It makes me sick to my stomach.

[dianakaye]

I think aside from the fact that this means little girls in our country may be more at risk someday, the saddest part for me is what a set back it is for the genital integrity movement. My fear is that people will think "well, I guess we circ boys, so a little cutting of girls can't be too bad". I just hope that most people will be outraged and disgusted and use it as an opportunity to realize just how wrong routine male infant circumcision is.

[PuppyFluffer]

I think this is a general movement to equalize circumcision as a precoursor to the AAP and CDC recommending male infant circ for it's HIV protective benefits, which we all know is totally bogus science.

I heard a book reviewer yesterday morning on National Public Radio's Morning Edition show. She reviewed three books, the last one:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...ryId=127095788

Book review by Tina Brown of 'Nomad: From Islam To America: A Personal Journey Through The Clash Of Civilizations' by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali refugee and former member of the Dutch Parliament.

The printed version online says this:
"She has really risked her life by allowing people to look into her life," Brown says. Hirsi Ali has recently been drawing attention to an American Academy of Pediatrics proposal that would allow doctors to assist with "nicking" — a mostly ceremonial version of the female circumcision ritual.
"But she feels she must do it in order to open people's eyes to what these practices mean."

But the on air version said more. It strongly condemned the AAP. It was a refreshing thing to hear!

[PuppyFluffer]

I also want to say that now, more than ever, I think places like this forum are so important. We need to get facts out to individuals because the medical establishment is not a reliable source. For as long as they are seen as people of power and to be listened to, and as long as they continue to mislead parents into circumcision, children will be continue to be harmed in the US. It used to be that I would have typed "boyes will continue to be harmed..." but now it seems I need to be inclusive of both genders. It's maddening and all so sad.

It's educated parents who refuse circumcision who will be the ones to counter act this madness.

[Fyrestorm]

I think many people are outraged about the new AAP stance. Many I've heard from think it's an okay solution to more drastic cutting.

Unfortunately there is still a HUGE disconnect in this country when it comes to boys vs. girls genital integrity. No one that I know IRL is anywhere near making a connection - even when it's pointed out that the AAP in their statement actually says that what they are proposing is far less invasive than what we already do to boys.

Sometimes I just want to play ostrich and place my head firmly into the sand and pretend that I don't know anything about what is done to children in this (and other) countries in the name of culture.

[Crunchy Frog]

I think that it is a more consistent position and has less hypocrisy to it than their previous stance. I also think that the discussion that's being generated by this is a healthy thing for our society since it really throws our own cultural double standard into sharp relief.

I also think that this is giving the AAP a bit of a black eye, which is not a bad thing IMO. Especially if they end up actually endorsing male circ, I think that a general decline in their overall credibility will make them less influential in that area.