Most Read of 2015


We've had a power-packed year at Saving Our Sons throughout 2015! With over 100 expos and events, reaching thousands of people in 27 U.S. States, Canada, and Australia, the number of babies saved this year has been greater than any other, and the ripple effect is powerful. We are seeing a shift toward an intact nation once again! If you'd like to become involved in local leadership, and have a passion for research-based advocacy and gentle education, find your Chapter, and email theINTACTnetwork@gmail.com to become involved. If you have a heart for supporting SOS and the work we do every day to advance genital autonomy for all, please join in our efforts: Savingsons.org/p/sponsor-son-waiting-list.html

Here at the SOS home page, these are the top 10 most read items of the year. Thank you for planting seeds, and saving babies and the adults they become. See you in 2016!

10. Neonatal Circumcision [A Video for Healthcare Professionals] - Savingsons.org/2011/01/neonatal-circumcision-video-for.html

9. Frail and Broken: Painful Memories of My Son's Circumcision - Savingsons.org/2014/01/frail-and-broken-painful-memories-of-my.html

8. If this Stained Circumstraint Could Talk - Savingsons.org/2012/06/if-this-stained-circumstraint-could.html

7. Cameron Diaz on Circumcision - Savingsons.org/2012/05/cameron-diaz-on-circumcision.html

6. Intact or Circumcised: A Significant Difference in the Adult Penis - Savingsons.org/2011/08/intact-or-circumcised-significant.html

5. The Plastibell Lie - Savingsons.org/2012/03/plastibell-lie.html

4. Painful Sex: How 8 Months of Foreskin Restoration Makes it Better! - Savingsons.org/2012/09/painful-sex-how-8-months-of-foreskin.html

3. Fine Touch Pressure Thresholds of the Human Penis - Savingsons.org/2014/06/fine-touch-pressure-thresholds-of-human.html

2. Should I Circumcise? The pros and cons of infant circumcision - Savingsons.org/2014/12/should-i-circumcise-pros-and-cons-of.html

1. U.S. Hospital Circumcision Rates by State - Savingsons.org/2012/11/us-hospital-circumcision-rates-by-state.html


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Twice Circumcised, Twice Hurt: Regrets surrounding my son's multiple circumcision attempts

By Katie Richards © 2015

Artwork by Shaky Leone. Find more from Leone at: Earthempress.com/products

My son was born perfect. I was 20 years old, and I asked my mom about circumcision. She said, matter of factly, "Everyone does it." The next day nurses took my son to be circumcised, and he was gone much longer than I expected.

When he came back, I could tell that something was very wrong. He had burst blood vessels on his face from screaming. I held him and cried. I went to change his diaper, and it was soaked in blood. I was terrified. I called the nurse back into the room, and she nonchalantly told me that he "was a bleeder" and they'd had to cauterize his penis for it to stop.

I held him again and cried -- immediately regretting my decision.

The healing process was hard. At times it looked like the head of his penis was going to fall off of his body. It was the color of liver. A nurse friend told me honestly, "I have never seen anything like that in my life."

Once he was 15 months old, I knew his body had not healed 'correctly.' There was an abundance of loose skin around the shaft, directly under the glans (head). I took him to a pediatrician who referred us to a pediatric urologist at children's hospital. The urologist scheduled a 'simple revision' surgery for the following month. He said my son would have 6 stitches and the healing would be easy.

Fast forward to the surgery: I was called back to a little room that had two chairs and a box of tissues sitting on a table. I was petrified. Luckily my son was stable, but the revision turned into a complete penile reconstruction.

They initially planned to remove the loose skin around the glans only. However, the previous circumcision was botched so badly that at the base of my son's penis, his remaining skin was far too tight. Because of this, doctors had to graft the skin from the glans/shaft of the penis onto the base. My 16 month old ended up with 40+ stitches in his penis by the end of surgery. The base of his penis split during the process, and had to heal from the inside out. The cost of this surgery ended up being approximately $11,000. All this money to repair a botched surgery that was unnecessary from the beginning.

In our photo below, we were laying in the bed during his recovery. They wanted us gone within an hour, but I demanded to stay in a private room until I could get him to calm down. He is 7 years old now, and very much has Asperger's syndrome. I have tried to ask if he has any sensation in his penis, but he doesn't really understand the question...

As a regret parent myself, I'm begging readers to research the benefits of keeping your son intact.


Additional stories from parents whose sons were circumcised: DrMomma.org/2010/05/i-circumcised-my-son-healing-from.html


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Genital Autonomy Filter for Profile Photos: Awareness Raising in Social Media


After countless requests for an easy overlay filter for profile photos on Facebook, the collaborative efforts of several leaders have resulted in an easy-to-use "Twibbon" to show support of genital autonomy.

The idea surfaced when Leanna Kirch had the idea of raising awareness of genital autonomy in this fashion after seeing pride event filters. Kirch says, "Something clicked in my mind; this could be a great way to get [intact] information out there, even to those who may not agree or accept the information. When I posted my own profile picture with the overlay, several people were very excited and wanted one as well. They thought it was great and wanted to take part in it."

Kirch had used the International Genital Autonomy Symbol (signed into the public domain for free use by all advocates), paired with the SavingSons.org site so that curious onlookers would have some place to go for more. The requests started rolling in to Saving Our Sons from people wanting an overlay of their own, and the demand was tough to keep up with.

Rally photos courtesy of Intact Michigan


We altered the overlay slightly - in both blue and red filters - so that it would fit well over any profile image - light or dark in background. Anthony Webster, Director of Intact Massachusetts, (above) volunteered to add the filter for anyone who desired to have one of their own, but the requests were coming into SOS by the hundreds (too many for any one person to handle). Instead, he found a quick and easy way that anyone can make a genital autonomy Twibbon (Facebook profile photo overlay) for their own profile, and has shared these with the community at large:

Blue Filter GA Symbol - http://twibbon.com/support/savingsonsorg 

Red Filter GA Symbol - http://twibbon.com/support/savingsonsorg-red

Deep Blue SOS Symbol - http://twibbon.com/support/saving-our-sons

White SOS Symbol - http://twibbon.com/support/saving-our-sons-2

Deep Blue SOS Up & Down: http://twibbon.com/Support/saving-our-sons-3

White SOS Up & Down: http://twibbon.com/Support/saving-our-sons-4

SOS 'Sunflower' light background top banner: https://twibbon.com/Support/sos-sunflower
(use if your profile photo has a light background)

SOS 'Sunflower' dark background top banner: https://twibbon.com/Support/sos-sunflower-2
(use if your profile photo has a dark background)

**

Genital Integrity Awareness Week (white): https://twibbon.com/Support/giaw-2

Genital Integrity Awareness Week 2017 (colored): https://twibbon.com/Support/giaw-2017

Worldwide Week of Genital Autonomy (white): http://twibbon.com/Support/WWWGA

Worldwide Week of Genital Autonomy (2016, colored): http://twibbon.com/Support/WWWGA-2016

Intact Pride (rainbow): https://twibbon.com/Support/intact-pride

**

ACOG: Stop Cutting Babies! (white): http://twibbon.com/Support/ACOG-stop-cutting-babies-2

ACOG: Stop Cutting Babies! (2016, colored): http://twibbon.com/Support/ACOG-stop-cutting-babies-3

"With the strength of social media, showing your support for genital autonomy couldn’t be easier than with the help of a Twibbon," says Webster. "It only takes a second and a few clicks. It’s a great conversation starter that will open doors for you to help enlighten others."

With his creation, Webster paved the way for every advocate to take part in Kirch's desire for the GA filter. She writes, "I really hope the genital autonomy overlays will help to spread the message, and maybe even be a big contributing factor in the fight to end routine infant circumcision. As more and more people decide to use the overlay, it shows increased support for the cause, and hopefully information will spread rapidly."

State #i2 Filters

Florida:
Horizontal: http://twibbon.com/Support/intact-florida
Vertical: http://twibbon.com/Support/intact-florida-vertical

Idaho:
Horizontal: http://twibbon.com/Support/intact-idaho-horizontal
Vertical: http://twibbon.com/Support/intact-idaho-vertical

Illinois: 
Horizontal: http://twibbon.com/Support/intact-illinois
Vertical: http://twibbon.com/Support/intact-illinois-vertical

Indiana:
Horizontal: http://twibbon.com/Support/intact-indiana
Vertical: http://twibbon.com/Support/intact-indiana-vertical

Michigan:
Horizontal: http://twibbon.com/Support/intact-michigan
Vertical: http://twibbon.com/Support/intact-michigan-vertical

New York:
Horizontal: http://twibbon.com/Support/intact-new-york
Vertical: http://twibbon.com/Support/intact-new-york-vertical 

Tennessee:
Horizontal: http://twibbon.com/Support/intact-tennessee
Vertical: http://twibbon.com/Support/intact-tennessee-vertical

Texas:
Horizontal: http://twibbon.com/Support/intact-texas-2
Vertical: http://twibbon.com/Support/intact-texas-vertical

Utah:
Horizontal: http://twibbon.com/Support/intact-utah
Vertical: http://twibbon.com/Support/intact-utah-2

Canada:
Horizontal: http://twibbon.com/Support/intact-canada
Vertical: http://twibbon.com/Support/intact-canada-vertical

Email SavingSons@gmail.com to request your state be added, or for any specific filter requests.

Photo from Melanie at Intact New Hampshire

 Photo from Angela at Intact Kentucky

SOS 'Sunflower' Filter (light background)
Photo from Danelle at Intact Virginia

Photo from Nancy at Intact Kentucky

Photo from Missy at Intact Michigan

Photo from Sarah at Intact Idaho

Photo from Brian at Intact Connecticut

Photo from Missy at Intact Michigan












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10 Circumcision Myths: Let's Get the Facts Straight

By Joel Edwards for Organic Lifestyle Magazine
Full Text



In an effort to sell you medical services that are not needed, hospitals have continued a practice that was adopted as a preventative measure against masturbation. Instead of abandoning the practice once Americans became more sexually liberated, doctors and nurses have begun spreading a number of falsehoods and half-truths in order to justify the amputation a fully functioning organ immediately upon birth. Yes the foreskin is an organ, it has known immunological, sexual and protective functions.

Read about the realities of these 10 myths at Organic Lifestyle Magazine:

*Easier to Clean [Intact Care Resource Page]
*Prevents HIV [HIV Resource Page]
*Prevents Cancer [Penile Cancer facts]
*Babies Don’t Feel [Effectiveness of Anesthesia]
*Women Find it More Attractive [Intact Celebs]
*Prevents Urinary Tract Infections [UTI Resource Page]
*Doesn’t Affect Your Sex Life [Many ways it does]
*Useless Piece of Skin [It's not 'just skin']
*FGM is Different and/or Worse [All genital cutting harms]
*Phimosis is a Common Affliction that Must be Corrected with Circumcision [Phony Phimosis Diagnosis]



Happy Holidays!


☃ In years past we have loved hearing from families who have found Saving Our Sons and had their lives positively impacted in one fashion or another. It has been a blessing to correspond with many of you, to work in unison together in a genital autonomy effort, and we always look forward to hearing from you.

If you are sending greetings at this time of year, we would love to meet your family and hear of the ways in which SOS has intersected with your life. ❤

We invite you to write to:

Saving Our Sons
P.O. Box 1302
Virginia Beach, VA 23451 

We will write back. :)

❄ Have a blessed holiday season. ❄

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Tiffany's Story: Circumcision and its Impact on My Son

By Tiffany Becker © 2015


I am a regret mom.

I allowed my doctor to torture my son so that he could make a profit, and I will never forgive myself.

I 'researched' circumcision when I was pregnant. I saw the claims that it was cleaner, prevented urinary tract infections (UTIs) and cancer, and I believed them. I thought, "I don't know any men who are intact. I don't know any men that get UTIs or have penile cancer, so this must work. And doctors take an oath to do no harm so if my doctor is this adamant that it's necessary, it must be..."

My mom has been a nurse for 40 years and has assisted on dozens of circumcision surgeries. She says it's necessary and isn't so bad. My husband wants to prevent cancer/UTIs and doesn't want our son teased in the locker room. My babysitter wouldn't watch him if he was intact because she's heard it's 'dirty,' and there are zero other daycare openings for newborns in our area.

My gut said no but everyone and everything else said yes.

My son was born and we had to stay more than 24 hours because he was born at 10 pm. When he was almost 24 hours old my husband asked when they would circumcise him, and they said not until right before we were discharged. I asked why. No one gave me an answer and my stomach churned.

The next day as they were preparing our discharge paperwork, my doctor came to get my son. I felt panic and looked around the room to tell my husband I couldn't do it, but he was gone to eat lunch.

My doctor told me again how necessary it was to do, and I reluctantly let him take my son away.

When he was brought back he was an entirely different baby. The light in his eyes was gone. 15 minutes later they came in to say that they forgot to weigh him while he was naked so I needed to undress him and remove his diaper so they could weigh him now. I did and the gauze came off, too. It was a horrific sight. His penis was purple, swollen, raw and bleeding. It was bleeding so much. I was already crying and at that point it turned into sobbing. I was devastated at what I had allowed them to do to my baby.

He was screaming an awful, distressed scream. In fact, the word 'scream' doesn't even describe the noise coming out of my son's mouth. It was a sound of pure agony.

The nurse said all the blood was normal. I asked what I could do to help him and she said nothing. NOTHING! This was insanity. Horror. Surely I was just having a nightmare. I am a good mom. I am a crunchy, gentle attachment parent. I breastfeed, I don't allow my children to cry unnecessarily. I protect my children. I spend every moment possible with my children. I put them before my needs. Always. Surely I couldn't have signed papers and let them do this to my baby.

He stopped breastfeeding.

He was agitated.

His sleep was restless and broken.

They sent us home with my son in shock and distress and told us we could do nothing to help him. 18 hours later he still wasn't breastfeeding. He hadn't peed or pooped, and he was now so jaundiced. We ended up in the emergency room. The nurse looked at me like I was crazy, said he was fine and asked, "Do you really want me to call the doctor in for this?"

My newborn baby hadn't eaten, peed or pooped in 18 hours and she acted like I was crazy for being so concerned. I was shocked and disgusted. I knew we had made the wrong decision and nobody would help my child.

A few weeks later the daycare lady who had told me she wouldn't watch an intact baby boy called me to say she was closing her daycare.

A year later I found out that nursing school had not taught my mom, a practicing nurse for 40 years, anything about the intact penis and its care. She had no idea that the foreskin was fused to the head of the penis at birth. I had to find reputable resources just for her to believe me.

Then I found Saving Our Sons and my world came crashing down.

I found that the reasons my doctor and husband said I needed to circumcise my son were all lies.

How had I let this happen? How was I bullied into not protecting my brand new son? Everything I knew, except my gut, said this was the right thing to do -- and I found out that every last shred of that information was wrong.

Fast forwarding to a few days ago:  I ripped a TINY piece of my nail off the nail bed. It is raw, swollen and so, so excruciating every time the tiniest thing touches it. The foreskin is fused to the glans (head) of the penis the same way my fingernail was fused to my finger. This pain is a tiny fraction of what my son experienced. I bumped my finger on the corner of the counter and nearly blacked out. Yet I was instructed to pull the remaining skin back from my son's circumcised penis and scrub poop and urine off his raw wound. Oh. My. God. I nearly can't handle this pain and it doesn't begin to compare to what my brand new baby experienced.

HOW DID I LET THAT HAPPEN TO HIM?!

I signed the papers and handed him over. I  know I can't take this back. I will feel guilty for the rest of my life. Hands down, this was the worst mistake I have made as a parent. This will never happen to another of my children, and I hope I can help prevent it from happening to other children.

I wish someone had told me the truth. I wish someone had educated me beyond the lies that I found and was fed. I wish someone had done more to help me save my son.





Read more from parents who circumcised their son and will be keeping future sons intact: Drmomma.org/2010/05/i-circumcised-my-son-healing-from.html

Know an expecting family? Always speak up. Here is one good resource list to share: Savingsons.org/2014/12/should-i-circumcise-pros-and-cons-of.html 

If you'd like to get materials into the hands of your friends/family, but don't feel comfortable doing so yourself, we will mail a small anonymous Expecting Pack filled with information directly to them, and connect them with local leaders who can further answer questions or dialog. You may also include a personalized note if you wish. Find details at: Savingsons.org/p/info-pack.html There are also breastfeeding packs with intact information for mothers who plan to nurse their babies; and full info packs to use as lending resources with clients (or those who'd watch videos and read full articles).

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