Re: Why did you harm me?
From: Brian Hackman (brianhackman@easynet.co.uk)
Sun Jul 27 14:48:27 1997
I do not understand this either. In the twenty five years of consultant
practice in Peterborough, where we deliver 3600 or so women each year,
there have only been a few male children circumcised. Those circumcised
for religious reasons usually go home before the operation is carried out
and are attended to by their own folk, almost all of the others have been
the sons of American service men. Even among this group there are a number
of parents that our paediatricians have managed to talk out of this
completely unnecessary operation. I have never circumcised anyone. We
have to call in the general surgeons who co-operate with great reluctance
and demand a general anaesthetic for the babies.
Not guilty m'lord.
--
Brian Hackman
>Dear member of the medical profession:
>
>I wanted to ask you this on behalf of the infants/children under your
>care, because I would like to ask it of the doctor who operated on me:
>
>Why did you circumcise me?
>
>Why did you cut a healthy, undiseased part of my body off of me?
>
>Why didn't you look for less-invasive alternatives?
>
>Why did you compare the percentage of various diseases in the
>circumcised male to the percentage of the same diseases in the
>uncircumcised male and use that as an excuse to circumcise me?
>
>Why did you put the full blame for the psychological harm that I feel
>today on my parents instead of accepting your share in the blame?
>
>Why didn't you live up to the ethical standard of your institution to do
>NO harm?
>
>Here is a list of alternatives to circumcision:
>
>Have the mother and baby room-in to prevent UTI. (1)
>
>Encourage breastfeeding to prevent UTI. (2)
>
>Never forcefully retract the foreskin. Topical cleansing is sufficient.
>When the child can
>comfortably retract his foreskin, foreskin retraction and cleansing
>underneath should be
>encouraged. (3)
>
>If the uncircumcised male pulls on his foreskin, this will help to
>loosen the foreskin. (4)
>
>Preputial plasty may be used to cure true cases of phimosis. (5)
>
>Although not recognized by all, balloon dilation is another cure for
>phimosis. (6)
>
>According to the British Medical Journal (Jan. 2, 1993), no more than 1
>to 2 percent of
>boys need circumcision for medical reasons. Please, reconsider your
>policies regarding
>infant male circumcision and respect the individual’s body integrity so
>that fewer
>individuals will live with the harm that I and a number of others live
>with.
>
>Reference footnotes:
>
>1. Jan Winberg, et. al, "The Prepuce: A Mistake of Nature?" The Lancet,
>March 18, 1989
>
>2. Alfredo Pisacane, et. al, "Breastfeeding and urinary tract
>infection", The Lancet, July 7, 1990, p. 50
>
>3. American Academy of Pediatrics, "Care of the Uncircumcised Penis"
>brochure, 1984
>
>4. Catzel P., “The normal foreskin in the young child”, S Afr Mediense
>Tysskrif,
>13 November 1982; 62:751
>
>5. Cuckow PM, Rix G, Mouriquand PD. Preputial plasty: a good alternative
>to circumcision. J Pediatr
>Surg 1994; 29: 561-3
>
>6. He Ying and Zhou Xiu-hua, "Balloon Dilation Treatment of Phimosis in
>Boys: Report of 512 Cases",
>Chinese Medical Journal, 1991, 104: 491-493
Brian Hackman,
Butts House,
Church Road,
Glatton,
Cambridgeshire, PE17 5RR.
U.K.
Tel.(+)1487830645
Fax.(+)1487832949
