Weigh In: What should we do with threads about intact care?

[To-Fu]

Hi, TCACers!  Someone recently mentioned that having questions related to intact care in the regular TCAC forum was maybe not the best placement, mainly because new folks in the throes of decision making may be put off or overwhelmed when reading about lots of intact problems. 

I brought the issue up with the admin and they recommended we do a poll to see what everyone would feel is the best solution.  

The options, plus some initial pros/cons are listed below (we're sure there are more--this was just to get us talking/thinking).  We encourage you to vote in the poll, but also to leave your thoughts and comments here in the thread, too. 

1.  Change nothing.  Questions on intact care are asked and answered in TCAC.

Pros

• Some have argued that there is a pool of expertise here that is unique to TCAC.  Questions about intact care are best left as they are, in the main TCAC forum, where they get the best exposure and answers.
• TCAC is a safe place to talk about intact care where pro-circ commentary would be unwelcome.

Cons

• Folks in the midst of circ-related decision making will see the many problem posts and become more reticent to leave their babies intact.  Due to the lack of problems listed related to circumcised penises and the lack of posts about problem-free intact boys, there seems to be an imbalanced view about intact care that could unnecessarily nudge folks toward circumcising. 
• Topically, intact care doesn't seem to be a great fit in the general TCAC forum.

2.  Send intact care questions to Health & Healing.

Pros

• Questions about caring for our children's vulvas and vaginas go in H&H, so it is a logical place for questions about caring for penises.  Doing this will put intact care in a larger context and won't seem so overwhelming to TCAC newcomers. 
• Questions about caring for circumcised penises will also be in H&H, so there may be a more balanced view of problems.

Cons

• Housing intact care questions outside of TCAC will force those who wish to contribute on the topic to ferret out the questions in H&H.
• Many TCACers who are passionate about intact care may not wish to do the above, and that would be a huge loss of expertise on the topic for those in need of answers/help/support.
• Moving intact care threads to H&H would technically open them up for commentary from those who circumcise.  Because H&H is not a "safe space" as it were, folks who circ, or are pro-circ will have just as much ability/right to comment on those threads as anyone.

3.  Create a subforum in TCAC called "Intact Care."

Pros

• Newcomers to TCAC would not have to take in a glut of intact problem posts when spending time in TCAC.
• Those who are most interested in offering answers/support on questions of intact care will have an easy way to find these topics.
• Intact care questions will still be in TCAC (although as a subforum), so folks get the benefit of TCAC expertise for their intact care questions.
• A subforum in TCAC would still be a safe place to talk about intact care where pro-circ commentary would be unwelcome.

Cons

• While intact care questions would be gone from the main TCAC forum, they would still be easily apprehended in their subforum; any newcomers would easily find a whole forum that would appear full of problems with intact penises
• Questions about intact care might not get the same exposure if they are in a subforum of TCAC instead.

Please feel free to add/subtract/edit the pros and cons above.  If there are other options aside from the three we identified, we'd love to hear those, too. 

Cheers,

To-Fu and Queen of the Meadow

Your TCAC Mods

[tropicana]

while we are at it, what does "The Case Against" Circumcision really mean? the "case"? 

i totally get and am on board with the fact that it is an anti-circumcision forum. but if we are talking semantics, and logic in organizing, is this the best wording? 

while it makes logical sense to handle questions about penises alongside vulvas and circumcised penises, i fear *greatly* that these questions will be "lost" in a switch over to a "new" forum. and i do think that these questions and answers are valuable, if one reads them, to illustrating how caring for an intact baby/young boy is easy and -- ultimately -- problem-free.

therefore, i would vote for creating a sublink in the TCAC forum... and would argue that the questions about intact care seem to almost invariably go like this:

Q: my son is intact, but we are worried because XXXX and (possibly) the doctor / husband / other party is recommending circumcision as a "cure".

A: why go to surgical amputation when a simple XXXX would solve the problem? here's what to do...'

[littlest birds]

I agree 100% with tropicana.  Keep it with anti-circ so people can find it easily.  I understand that logically it goes under health because it is a perfectly normal penis like all of the other body parts in health.  But it is more important for people to find the subject where they need it most.   

The only reason intact care needs a special spot at all is because of circing.  One of the reasons it is a big deal is because doctors propose circ for the weakest reasons to cure anything and everything that affects the intact penis--this also is only an issue because of circing.  And parents often worry that they may do or have done the wrong thing by not circing, so when they worry about intact care a lot of them are also worrying about the circ question as well.  Care of the penis belongs by nature in health and healing.  But because of the unnatural prevalence of circing in our society it ends up actually belonging-- due to our cultural problems-- in this anti-circ forum instead.

[Marnica]

I voted for subforum too.....makes it much easier to find for folks with specific questions.

[LiLStar]

I hesitate to think "intact care" is a good subforum title. I think perpetuating that intact penises need "care" hurt the cause a little bit. I'm thinking about all those articles on websites that say "care of the intact penis" and includes stuff like, "wipe like a finger, base to tip" and "never retract, or allow anyone to retract".. you know, finding a million different ways to say and clarify "Do nothing, leave it alone!" Well, from the point of view of someone who is maybe... not quite on the fence but "peeking over the fence" simply seeing an article with that title (on a facebook posting, for example) might give them a visceral response of "ugh.. i'd rather just circumcise so i don't have to deal with 'caring for it'" even if they don't read it. Likewise, mdc members who may be pro-circ and have not yet done any research on the other side, could scroll through the forum titles and see "intact care" and think, "and thats why we're circing, there's a whole forum section for how to care for the thing if we don't!" Basically, I think people see the words "intact care" or "caring for the intact penis" and don't read any further because they don't want to hear it.. the imagination kicks in.. ya know?

So what about "Raising intact children"? Sounds more positive and inclusive.

[mama24-7]

I voted other.  I agree w/ what a few people have said about a separate forum looking like there are all kinds of problems w/ intact penises.  Perhaps calling it, "Common concerns in intact penises," or something along those lines?  That way, it's not that intact penises (is penises even the plural of penis?) need special "care."  And, the common concerns are seen, hopefully, as just that: concerns that can usually easily be alleviated.

Oh, how about, "Common concerns w/ intact genitalia."  Although, then, that may seem like it's the place to put concerns about female genitalia.  

Okay, that's my two cents ;-).  I'd better stop here.  Too tired to think, I think.  

Sus

[To-Fu]

BUMP!

Just bumping this up.  We'll close the poll on 3/9, so please share your thoughts in the next few days. :)

[mama24-7]

What was the decision?  

Thanks,

Sus

[LiLStar]

I'm still in favor of a "raising intact children" subcategory :) positive, inclusive, and to the passive scroller doesn't invoke feelings of "EEK! I don't want to have to worry about "caring" for an intact penis!" 

[To-Fu]

We're still having a look a the poll results and thinking it through.  I'll be back with an update when the dust has settled.  

Thanks again for chiming in!

[Frankly Speaking]

I just realized today I've been a member here for 10 YEARS!  I've gone through several "remodeling projects" with this forum.  I can even remember back when you could post positive comments about circumcision.  It was a debate board!

The present format is what made this forum so successful.  It is known around the internet community as the "go to" place for information.  We need to keep it like that, a "one stop" place for information.

Yes, there are problems that come up but let's don't deny them, let's embrace them.  To my knowledge, there has never been a problem that could not be easily resolved and as far as I know, no child has been circumcised as a result of not being able to address the issue here and get successful results.

The vast majority (almost all) are addressed with simple homeopathic remedies available at virtually any drug store, discount store, grocery store or natural living store.  These are simple solutions to what seem like complex problems.

I think moving this away from the forum will do more damage than it will do good.  Let's keep the information simple and easy to find.  Or even more so, let's leave it here where it is almost impossible to NOT find.

Frank