Saving Our Sons

Top 20 of 2020

It's been quite the year of challenges, and we have dearly missed seeing you all in person. First our early 2020 expos were postponed, and then Genital Integrity Awareness Week was put on hold, followed by the need to delay our next SOS Odyssey (traveling pro-intact rallies across the nation), and so many more expos, fairs, community baby showers, and the hundreds of events we host booths at in a typical year. We miss you! And we miss the in-person baby-saving!

But through the challenges, we have persevered and looked for new ways we could meet people where they are at, get materials into the hands of as many families expecting babies as possible this year, and continue the life-change going forward. We know that despite the hiccups of 2020 -- and sometimes even because of them -- thousands more families have been reached, and babies have been born this year who will remain happily intact for a lifetime. Cycles are breaking. Minds are changing. Hearts are opening. And we're becoming an intact nation once again. Thank YOU for being a part of this important work we do.

We cannot wait until we can serve together again side by side in person - at the expos and on the streets! 'Till then, we have gathered the Top 20 Most Read items at Saving Our Sons during 2020. Check out those you missed, share your favorites, and pass on the love we pray comes through in our intact advocacy and education. 💜 If you'd like to write for SavingSons, or contribute a piece that you've previously written, email SavingSons@gmail.com with a copy or link to your article. We welcome new voices in the movement, and value a diverse range of collaboration for the cause.

Year-end family photos on this page were shared with Saving Our Sons in celebration of an intact future!

If you have a photo you'd like to share for future use with pro-intact messages, graphics, or articles, email SavingSons@gmail.com or via Messenger to the Saving Our Sons page.

Top 20 of 2020

20. Why Intact Men Have Bigger Penises: http://www.savingsons.org/2010/01/why-intact-men-have-bigger-penises.html

19. Circumcision to Reduce Men's Sexual Pleasure: http://www.savingsons.org/2012/07/circumcision-to-reduce-mens-sexual.html

18. Saturday Evening Post December 1981 Circumcision Publication: http://www.savingsons.org/2008/08/saturday-evening-post-december-1981.html

17. Foreskin Restoration: http://www.savingsons.org/2009/10/foreskin-restoration.html

16. Rosemary Romberg (with love and respect for a dear friend and fellow baby-saver taken too soon): http://www.savingsons.org/2020/02/rosemary-romberg.html

15. Do Not Retract Information Pack - Medical Professionals for Genital Autonomy: http://www.savingsons.org/2015/07/retracting-clinician-information-pack.html

14. How to Put a Condom on an Intact Penis: http://www.savingsons.org/2017/09/how-to-put-condom-on-intact-penis.html

13. Ear Drum Rupture During Circumcision: http://www.savingsons.org/2017/08/ear-drum-rupture-during-circumcision.html

12. Fine Touch Pressure Thresholds of the Human Penis: Intact and Circumcised: http://www.savingsons.org/2014/06/fine-touch-pressure-thresholds-of-human.html

11. My Son Committed Suicide Due to Circumcision: http://www.savingsons.org/2019/04/my-son-committed-suicide-due-to.html

10. If This Stained Circumstraint Could Talk: http://www.savingsons.org/2012/06/if-this-stained-circumstraint-could.html

9. The Plastibell Lie: http://www.savingsons.org/2012/03/plastibell-lie.html

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

7. Painful Sex: How 8 Months of Foreskin Restoration Makes it Better: http://www.savingsons.org/2012/09/painful-sex-how-8-months-of-foreskin.html

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

5. U.S. Hospital Circumcision Rates by State: http://www.savingsons.org/2012/11/us-hospital-circumcision-rates-by-state.html

4. Neonatal Foreskin Used In dōTERRA Research: http://www.savingsons.org/2018/12/neonatal-foreskin-used-in-doterra.html

3. Should I Circumcise? The pros and cons of infant circumcision: http://www.savingsons.org/2014/12/should-i-circumcise-pros-and-cons-of.html

2. Foreskin and Its 16+ Functions: http://www.savingsons.org/2015/09/foreskin-and-its-16-functions-not-just.html

#1 Most Read item at SavingSons in 2020:

Neonatal Circumcision [A video for healthcare professionals] - Gomco circumcision: http://www.savingsons.org/2011/01/neonatal-circumcision-video-for.html

Year-end family photos on this page were shared with Saving Our Sons in celebration of an intact future!

If you have a photo you'd like to share for future use with pro-intact messages, graphics, or articles, email SavingSons@gmail.com or via Messenger to the Saving Our Sons page.

Saving Our Sons Community

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If Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were an Intact Advocate Alive Today...

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. today - a leader who shared countless wise thoughts, and led a revolution in social change.

What would he say if he were alive today to witness the treatment of so many newborn babies,
born of all skin colors in the United States?

Would he have thoughts on the continued lies pushed upon African men and women today? Or the myths that surround Black American families -- with pressures to cut their baby boys.

We can only speculate, but his words lend insight.

Photo: Nicholas B. of Saving Our Sons

U.S. Flags with Intact Info Needed for GIAW, Washington D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival

1500 hand-held U.S. flags are needed to pass out during Genital Integrity Awareness Week in Washington D.C. this year. Each flag has 2 patriotic-themed intact information sticker stapled to it (one per side) for awareness raising during this week. This year we will have "Defend HIS Freedom" on one side and "Watch American Circumcision on Netflix" on the other side of each individual flag.

Flags are *very* popular in Washington D.C. during the Cherry Blossom Festival, National Kite Festival, at the U.S. Capitol lawn, and at the White House where we march to on Saturday. We could pass out far more than 200 flags per day, but this is our goal to raise funding for, along with an extra 100 for the GIAW March (1500 total).

Frequently, chaperoned groups who will not allow students to take other intact materials from GIAW leaders will allow them to accept and take home flags (getting intact info into their hands)! It is very important to have enough of these U.S. flags (with stickers attached to each one) for every day during GIAW, and for use during the march.

At Amazon, flags are approximately $29 per set of 100. If you are able to sponsor one full day ($58), or one 1/2 day ($28) worth of flags OR any number of flags, small or large, we THANK YOU for your involvement and support of these pivotal GIAW items! To chip in here: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=CA3SNG55J4MDU&source=url

Or via mail to:

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

Sponsors will be listed here and at the permanent GIAW site by first name / last initial only, for privacy, or with your business name and link if you'd like to include this. If you would like to cover one specific day, the march, or stickers, please mention this in a note.

GIAW FLAG SPONSORS

MONDAY (GIAW Kick-off, 200 flags):
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TUESDAY (200 flags):
🇺🇸

WEDNESDAY (first day of Child Abuse Prevention Month, 200 flags):
🇺🇸

THURSDAY (200 flags):
🇺🇸

FRIDAY (and the Silent Survivors Stand, 200 flags):
🇺🇸

SATURDAY (and the March to the White House 200 flags):
🇺🇸

WHITE HOUSE (+100 flags):
🇺🇸

SUNDAY (and the GA Clothesline, 200 flags):
🇺🇸

FLAG STICKER SPONSORS

(3,000 vinyl, waterproof stickers for all flags needed)
🇺🇸
🇺🇸
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THANK YOU!!

Intact Info Flags for tourists headed to the U.S. Capitol

Virtually ALL passerbys request a flag or two to take home with them -- until we run out of supplies.

GIAW Intact Info Flags

Kids love to hand out flags during GIAW too!

Group of students takes home flags, bracelets, and cards from the U.S. Capitol during Genital Integrity Awareness Week 2019.

Many tourists stop to talk at the U.S. Capitol and take home a flag and information.

U.S. Flags with intact information attached are the perfect item to take home from a visit to the Capitol during Genital Integrity Awareness Week!

During GIAW at the Capitol we repeatedly hear, "I didn't know that..." while sharing information respectfully and providing materials for tourists to take home with them.

Even if someone is too timid to come up and chat, they can grab a flag with intact info to take along and read on their bus...

GIAW Leaders handing out flags at White House

Watch American Circumcision on Netflix stickers

Defend HIS Freedom stickers

Men at GIAW march to the White House: Shane, Brian, Glen, Andrew

Most Read of 2019

Taking a look back on this first day of 2020 to the Most Read items at Saving Our Sons throughout the past year.

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Here's to a GREAT New Year of planting seeds, changing lives, empowering parents, and saving babies.

Saving Our Sons Community

(advocates group, venting allowed)

Intact: Healthy Happy Whole

(educational group, no venting/screenshots)

Peaceful Intact Education

(compassionate education)

Raising Boys

(mainstream general group)

Peaceful Parenting Community

(holistic/natural family living)

Why can’t you just mind your own business (on circumcision)?

Genital Autonomy Advocates at the White House in Washington D.C. during Genital Integrity Awareness Week.

“Why can’t you just mind your own business?”

Are you kidding? That’s the main reason I’m an intactivist in the first place. Males are generally much happier and healthier when they’re empowered, encouraged and informed on how to make their own personal healthcare choices. The exact same thing can be said about females, and it applies to all age groups, across all genders.

If you’re asking me, “Why can’t you stop bashing circumcision?” The answer is simple, because circumcision advocates have forced my hand in numerous ways:

1. I’m sick and tired of misinformation peddled by news and entertainment media that depicts or describes intact penises as dangerous, ugly, and uncivilized in such a way that it actively shames boys and men who aren’t cut. It has led to all manner of bullying, sexual harassment and humiliation when the guilty party has no idea what the foreskin even is in the first place.

Difference between the intact and circumcised glans (head) of the male genitals.

2. I’m sick and tired of healthcare workers bullying parents to circumcise after they already said no, or even the parents who only want more time to think carefully and make a decision. Forget about the circumcision controversy for a second... It is absolutely unethical and completely unprofessional for doctors and nurses to put pressure on the parents to make a choice. It’s even worse for the mom after she just gave birth, is still in pain and is not thinking clearly like normal.

Medical Professionals for Genital Autonomy present reasons for fellow physicians in practice to not participate in infant circumcision. Informational cards for sharing available at Etsy.

3. I’m sick and tired of these same healthcare workers who will prematurely attempt to retract the foreskin after being explicitly instructed by informed parents not to do so and the results can be devastating in some cases. The forced retraction epidemic is so bad that even the American Academy of Pediatrics had to issue intact care instructions, but clearly not all doctors got the memo. Both circumcision and forced retraction are iatrogenic injuries; the “experts” responsible need to be held to account for improper care.

Circumcision and retraction are iatrogenic injuries to non-consenting human beings.

4. I’m sick and tired of sex education curriculums around this country failing to accurately inform our young people about many things regarding sex, even the most basic facts about sexual anatomy and physiology. Children and teens are going to make mistakes as they grow up, but most of them aren’t stupid. More and more, they’re starting to realize that circumcision really is a completely obsolete hygiene measure and they’re gradually rejecting the practice altogether.

Functions of the Foreskin.

5. I’m sick and tired of the pseudoscience being put out by circumcision advocates. The foreskin is not a disease or a defect. There is no guarantee that circumcision will protect males from any known pathogenic microorganism. Essentially every health problem pertaining to the foreskin or the intact penis as a whole can be prevented/treated by evidence-based medicine/health practice and without circumcision.

Circumcision always results in at least some measure of damage to the penis regardless of the technique or intent of the circumciser. No man should ever have to spend years of his life tugging on his penis to get back something should never have been removed to begin with, thankfully foreskin restoration is known to deliver effective results.

Admittedly, circumcision proponents have also made me literally laugh out loud many times over the years by saying the most ridiculous things one could imagine as a token of their ignorance:

“Babies can’t feel pain.”

“Cut it off or it’ll fall off.”

“He’ll have trouble putting on condoms.”

“He’ll never have any children.”

“He can’t even go to the bathroom.”

By this point however, such rhetoric has long since outlived its amusement and now we’ve had enough. We will never remain silent until this horrible injustice has been eradicated from the world forever, along with all other forms of human genital mutilation.

Foreskin is Fabulous! Nobody wants less penis... Scott raises awareness in Washington D.C. during Genital Integrity Awareness Week. Professionally made, all-weather rally signs available at Etsy.

Baby Hospitalized with Life-Threatening Risk After Circumcision Contracted Herpes

As reported by NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews

photo via the Intact Jewish Network

New York City health officials are reporting a case of a baby with neonatal herpes following direct orogenital suction (DOS) during ritual Jewish circumcision. This is the first case of neonatal herpes related to DOS during ritual Jewish circumcision reported to the Health Department since March 2017.

Direct orogenital suction (DOS) during ritual Jewish circumcision (also known as metzitzah b’peh) is a practice during which a mohel uses his mouth to suck blood away from the penile circumcision wound. DOS can transmit herpes simplex virus (HSV) to newborn males which can cause severe infection, resulting in brain damage, and death.

According to health officials, the infant was circumcised on the eighth day of life by a mohel who performed DOS. Ten days later, the infant developed a rash on his genitals, groin, and buttocks. A specimen taken from one of the child’s lesions tested positive for herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The infant was hospitalized to complete a 14-day course of intravenous acyclovir and is now doing well.

In this case, the child’s caretakers were not aware of the signs and symptoms of neonatal herpes nor the risk of herpes transmission associated with DOS, resulting in a delay in the child presenting for care.

Signs and symptoms may include: a vesicular or pustular rash (following DOS, these lesions typically appear on the genitals, groin, buttocks and ankle (related dermatomes)); fever; poor feeding; irritability; and lethargy. Fever and rash are not always present so, a historical exposure such as DOS should raise suspicion for an atypical presentation of neonatal herpes.

Since April 2006 (when neonatal herpes reporting became mandatory in NYC), there have been a total of 164 laboratory-confirmed babies with neonatal herpes. Of these cases, 19 (12%) developed their infections following ritual Jewish circumcision.

Related Reading:

New case of herpes caused by oral suction: https://www.facebook.com/SavingOurSons/photos/a.1067644796587974/1489506341068482/?type=1&theater

18 Day Old Baby Dies from Oral Herpes: http://www.DrMomma.org/2017/07/18-day-old-baby-dies-from-cold-sore.html

Week-Old Baby on Life Support from Oral Herpes: http://www.drmomma.org/2017/07/week-old-baby-on-life-support-with.html

Oral Herpes (Cold Sore) Prevention & Treatment in Kids: http://www.drmomma.org/2012/02/cold-sore-prevention-and-treatment-for.html

Questioning Circumcision: A Jewish Perspective: https://amzn.to/2ldE8px

Celebrating Brit Shalom: https://amzn.to/2mKBVT0

Intact Jewish Network: FB.com/JewishNetwork | FB.com/groups/IntactJewishNetwork

Resources by/for Jewish families: http://www.DrMomma.org/2009/06/circumcision-jewish-fathers-making.html

Brit Shalom bracelets via Etsy

Banning the Declawing of Cats in New York - Human Babies Deserve Better Too

Graphic by Saving Our Sons' MD Chapter, Intact Maryland

When will the time come that we grant equal protection to all babies from unnecessary and forced cutting? The ban on declawing may be good and justified and long-time-coming, but so is a ban on the unneeded medical amputation of children's genitals in the United States.

Related Materials at:
Intact Vegan Network

IntactHealth.org/research
SavingSons.org

#i2 #Declawing #Declaw #AnimalRights #HumanRights #BoysDeserveBetter #IntactRevival

Saving Our Sons Community
Intact: Healthy, Happy, Whole
Peaceful Intact Education
Raising Boys

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