My best friend just found out she is having a boy

[wytchywoman]

and I have no idea how to bring up intactivism to her. They are very mainstream and I have no doubt that they are probably pro-circ simply for the standard reasons. Daddy is circ'd, everyone else they know is circ'd, don't want him teased in the locker room, uncirc'd is dirty and too hard to care for, etc.... I think if do something like suggest the Penn and Teller video it was simply p!ss them off. Does anyone know of any relatively gentle resources to give them? I really want to have this discussion with her and her hubby in a way that will get them to really think about this decision, rather than offend them and have them dig their heels in about it. Any ideas?

[Fellow Traveler]

Originally Posted by wytchywoman

and I have no idea how to bring up intactivism to her. They are very mainstream and I have no doubt that they are probably pro-circ simply for the standard reasons. Daddy is circ'd, everyone else they know is circ'd, don't want him teased in the locker room, uncirc'd is dirty and too hard to care for, etc.... I think if do something like suggest the Penn and Teller video it was simply p!ss them off. Does anyone know of any relatively gentle resources to give them? I really want to have this discussion with her and her hubby in a way that will get them to really think about this decision, rather than offend them and have them dig their heels in about it. Any ideas?

Perhaps you can book end it by packaging it with other bet you didn't know information. Like when I had my son I looked into X, Y, Z and did you know that; oh and did you also know that circumcision is totally unnecessary....

[Night_Nurse]

What about something like this:

http://www.circumstitions.com/Itsaboy.html
or

http://oknocirc.blogspot.com/

And if you have intact sons you might want to mention that it's easy to take care of and clean intact boys and that they can ask you if they have questions.

[billikengirl]

There are organizations like Saving Penises and Peaceful Parenting/drmomma.org that have info packs for new parents at a very reasonable cost.

[wytchywoman]

Thank you ladies. I really liked the "circumstitions" website. I'll give that a try and hopefully they'll be open to the information.

[annablue]

Maybe when you email her that link, you can say something gentle like, "Have you thought about circumcision yet? I did a lot of research when I was pregnant, and discovered there's a lot of information I'd never heard before that's really eye-opening, and I'm glad I was able to learn more."

[PuppyFluffer]

I recently read a comment from the Saving Penises / peaceful parenting people that no parent that had read and reviewed the material in the info packet had circumcised their child.
I just got the info packet to send to a friend.

[Greg B]

You could simply give her something to read that you came across that was worthwhile and interesting you thought...

Here is something by doctors:

http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcisi...yStatement.pdf

Here is a short and sweet full disclosure pamphlet:

http://icgi.org/Downloads/FD2.pdf

Here is a one sheeter on the foreskin:

http://www.intactamerica.org/sites/d...kin%20care.pdf

But you really should customize it for her and you. How do you bring up other things? The Gulf Oil Spill for instance? Cant' you just say something like:

You know I was reading an came across....

I am on a forum that dicsusses _____ and recently saw this....

There is an important issue you should research....

Have you and your husban talked about circ? It is such an emotionally loaded subject and there is so much biased information out there....

Regards

[MamaChicken]

^this

I just had a conversation with my friend last night that started "one of the ladies on my forum...". I think it was the "locker room stories" thread and we talked about lots of things about circumcision. Neither of us has seen an adult male who is intact. We googled it She didn't see what the big deal was about the appearance.

I think there are ways to bring it up without being confrontational, maybe even a learning experience