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The International
Coalition for Genital Integrity is an alliance of
organizations dedicated to protecting the normal anatomy of
males, females and the intersexed, and supporter of the
Genital
Integrity Resolution. ICGI was formed to coalesce the many
activist organizations, each with a specific focus, into one, common
voice. Added to them are organizations and companies who also agree
that every human has a right to a whole and intact body.
Organizational members include healthcare professionals,
psychologists, researchers, attorneys, journalists, ethicists,
academicians, and citizen activists dedicated to ending unnecessary
genital cutting. |
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Guest Article... |
Male Circumcision
Trauma Survey
by
Dan Bollinger © 2006
Click on picture to take the survey
 Even
though infant male circumcision has been identified as an early
trauma having negative effects, and knowing that early traumas are
particularly devastating, no researcher has administered a
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Alexithymia (having no
words for feelings) checklist to men and compared results between
intact and circumcised men. For this reason I have put together an
online survey, which
MENSIGHT Magazine and TheMensCenter
(The internet home pages of The Men's Resource Network, Inc.) have graciously sponsored.
Childhood trauma is known to
have a lasting, negative effect on adult life. The earlier the
trauma occurs, the more devastating the effect, and the more
difficult to treat later. It is thought that if a trauma occurs
before the child learns language, then it is even more difficult to
treat using traditional talk-therapy methods.
Recent research is showing that
boys, not girls, are the ‘weaker sex’ in that they are more prone to
environmental harm. Boys are less likely to receive as much
holding, caressing, and attention from parents. Parents let boys cry
longer before coming to their assistance such as if they are hurt,
hungry, or have soiled diapers. Some parents intentionally let boys
cry longer employing the mistaken belief that doing so will somehow
prepare him for manhood. When born, both boys and girls express
themselves equally well with non-verbal communication, but by the
time they are three, boys are less communicative than girls are. As
long ago as 1986, researchers cautioned that the gender differences
being found in studies may be the effect of mass circumcision of
boys. Yet to this day few researchers control for penile status.
As one victim said about a
stressful event he believed was associated with his circumcision
trauma, “My physical reaction was so extreme, you can be sure I
didn't put myself in a position to have it happen more than once, or
at least not for another 10 years.”
Dan Bollinger, Executive
Director,
www.ICGI.org, Men’s workshop facilitator
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ICGI
Resolution for Genital Integrity
The genital integrity movement advances human
rights for infants and children, and hence for
society as well. Member organizations agree, in
whole or in part, with the human rights
principles outlined in this resolution. Please
join the growing number of concerned
organizations and help protect all children from
further harm.
We recognize the inherent right of all human
beings to an intact body.
Without sexual, racial, or religious prejudice, we
affirm this basic human right.
WHEREAS, over 2 million girls, 13 million
infant males and boys, tens of thousands of
intersexed children will undergo some form
of forced genital cutting this year alone;
and
WHEREAS, normal, natural
genitalia is not pathological and does not
require correction, amputation or
alteration; and
WHEREAS, every major
medical society in the world that has
studied non-therapeutic male or female
circumcision and other forms of genital
cutting has concluded these procedures to be
cosmetic and elective with no medical
justification or recommendation; and
WHEREAS, children who are
subjected to forced genital cutting are not
old enough to give informed consent to
invasive surgical and amputative procedures
without medical justification; and
WHEREAS, parents of
genitally altered children are rarely given
full and accurate information about the
inherent risks and harms involved in these
procedures; and
WHEREAS, parents do not
have the right to request the removal of
normal body parts for non-medical reasons;
and
WHEREAS, physicians do not
have the right to remove normal body parts
for non-medical reasons; and
WHEREAS, most adults, if
given the choice, would choose to keep their
genitals whole and intact as created by
natural design; and
WHEREAS, forced genital
cutting is a violation of basic human rights
to a whole body.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED
that we support the inherent rights of
children to enjoy complete, intact genitals
endowed to them by natural design without
the forced cutting or other forms of genital
alteration; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED
that we urge the society to cease all forms
of forced genital cutting for non-medical
reasons; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED
that we support the International Coalition
for Genital Integrity and their member
organizations in their struggle to end
medically unnecessary genital surgeries on
children.
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Copyright 2006 Dan
Bollinger, all rights reserved
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