Stern on RIC

[Mandynee22]

So on yesterday's show, Robin did a story on how the US has the highest rate and that the WHO and the UN now support circ because of the whole AIDS thing

Howard said "why don't we just stop all STD's and cut off their penises" (OK... So he said a different word for "penis") Or stop colds by cutting off noses.

Howard's always been anti-circ but he also said that if he had a boy he wonders if he might circ just because he's so brainwashed now. Don't worry though- he and Beth have no baby plans :-)

Anyway, I don't know if the show will play again today. It was the one that Ryan Phillepe (sp) was on.

[LavenderMae]

Did Ryan Phillipe say anything about circ? Doesn't he have a son?

How is he brainwashed for circ though if he's against it? :

[Mandynee22]

No. It was during the news so Ryan had already left.
I think Howard was being sarcastic about (hypothetically) doing it. It seemed he was making the point like because it's so mainstream and there's so much said about it being good.
When he talks about it though, he says its disgusting and stupid.

[InDaPhunk]

I heard this yesterday. I totally Howard.

I think he was speaking more about the fact that this country does brainwash people into thinking RIC is a good idea....making the point that that's the only way to explain the continuation of such an illogical and damaging practice. There's no way that Howard would ever let a son of his be circumcised. He's totally against it.

edited to add:
The article Robin read from was linked on Howard's website as being this one:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/...=mostpop_story

The part referred to barely had anything to do with the WHO recommendation. It's entitled "Most Penises in the World Are Uncut".

[RoseDuperre]

I heard the same thing on Howard and came here looking for info on the WHO recommendation - are there any threads discussing this? I have a hard time grasping that they REALLY recommend routine circing of all baby boys!

[rmzbm]

Originally Posted by Mandynee22

Howard said "why don't we just stop all STD's and cut off their penises" (OK... So he said a different word for "penis") Or stop colds by cutting off noses.

But, seriously, I wouldn't give them any ideas...

[Fellow Traveler]

Originally Posted by RoseDuperre

I heard the same thing on Howard and came here looking for info on the WHO recommendation - are there any threads discussing this? I have a hard time grasping that they REALLY recommend routine circing of all baby boys!

For what it's worth, the WHO did make a recommendation that men in areas of high HIV prevalence be offered circumcision as an 'additional' method of prevention. Of course it is unclear how this might help for several reasons:

1. Nobody has been able to demonstrate why the US has both the highest prevalence of HIV while at the same time having one of the highest rates of male circumcision amongst industrialized countries.
2. Countries that have take this advice, such as Rwanda and Ghana, are also countries where recent demographic information suggests that the rate of HIV in intact populations is less than circumcised populations.
3. It is difficult to envision a public health campaign that encourages circumcision but then still requires condoms. -- Why bother going through with circumcision if the man's responsibilities don't change? A recent article from rawanda illustrates this point. The golden quote is:
   

   Mister, these Aids people have spoken for long about fighting the disease, but they had never come up with a practical solution as good as this one. Don’t have sex, don’t do this, don’t do that. Eh, man, how can a young man such as I forfeit sex, eh? And the condoms – where is the sense in putting on a condom when you are having sex? Sex is about feeling, and so no young person likes them!

At best the impact will be negligible but they will be lucky if they don't make the problem worse as this might promote dis inhibition, like what the man in the Rwandan article demonstrated. In any event there are those who have twisted, or are trying to twist this (think the usual suspects), into a recommendation for infant circumcision.

[bugmenot]

I had heard that too. As with all Stern shows, it gets aired live, then three hours later, then there's another replay starting a bit after noon ET. Follow that up with a show starting between 5 and 6 PM ET (times vary due to length of original show and other factors), then there is usually another replay starting around midnight ET.

This segment was about 4 hours, 15 minutes into the show.

End that with at least 2, if not 4 replays on the weekends.

Read through my posts to see the last time Stern talked about circumcision. Some of his (ok, all of his) viewpoints are controversial, but he certainly leaves no doubt as to his viewpoint on circumcision.

[sanity rules]

Gross as he can often be, I'm grateful to Howard Stern for his stance on circumcision.

As for the UN Aids/Circumcision study....

I don't know how many times in the last year I've had to point out that if the UN study about circumcision is correct, then why does the US, with its high rate of circumcision, also have a tragically high rate of AIDS, while nations that have almost zero circumcision in their cultures---even nations known for their sexual liberalism, such as Sweden---have an encouragingly low number of people suffering from the disease?

Sure statistics can be quoted, but if you're caught in a spur of the moment conversation and the topic of the UN study comes up (usually brought up by someone on the offensive) that simple message seems to make people stop long enough to think, and if you can just get someone thinking, the door opens a crack.

[Fi.]

I don't know how many times in the last year I've had to point out that if the UN study about circumcision is correct, then why does the US, with its high rate of circumcision, also have a tragically high rate of AIDS, while nations that have almost zero circumcision in their cultures---even nations known for their sexual liberalism, such as Sweden---have an encouragingly low number of people suffering from the disease?

Same and amazingly enough they either don't have an answer or "IT'S DIFFERENT!"

[Sopranos]

[QUOTE=sanity rules;10838994]Gross as he can often be, I'm grateful to Howard Stern for his stance on circumcision.

/QUOTE]


how is he gross?
only a person who doesn't listen to his show would say such a thing.

[bugmenot]

On Friday, March 28th, we heard a replay from 7/28/1999. (His show is off on Fridays. During this time, a show from 1985-2005 is played in its entireity.)

Anyway, he was interviewing someone about vibrators, and he brought up the topic of infant circumcision. Both the doctor and Stern are against circumcision. Stern even said he was "furious" he was circumcised and believes "that it should be the infant's choice" to be circumcised.


"The nerve ending in foreskins", "it's barbaric" "god put it there" "I swear to god, I feel I have been violated"

Those were all quotes from Stern.

[Greg B]

I wonder if Stern has considered restoring....

Regards

[Tinker]

Just when I thought there was nothing that would ever make me like Howard Stern.