Should male cirumcision be outlawed?

[Calavera]

Another case that disgusted me, was a deaf couple who made sure that their kid was born deaf. I thought that was unforgivable. That would be like one of us taking steps to ensure we create an aspie kid. Just wrong

It does sound fucked up. What was the reason?

[Callaway]

Another case that disgusted me, was a deaf couple who made sure that their kid was born deaf. I thought that was unforgivable. That would be like one of us taking steps to ensure we create an aspie kid. Just wrong

It does sound fucked up. What was the reason?

They think that deafness is not a disability but part of their identity.

A deaf lesbian couple in the US has sparked a row about designer babies after admitting that they intentionally sought to parent deaf children by donor insemination.

A deaf lesbian couple in the US who has deliberately chosen to have a deaf baby has sparked a row about designer babies after admitting that they intentionally sought to parent deaf children by donor insemination.




Sharon Duchesneau and Candy McCullough, who are both deaf, have gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure that their baby shares their disability.

The couple who have lived together for eight years had originally approached sperm banks looking for a donor who suffered from congenial deafness but have been turned away. They finally found a family friend who was deaf through five generations of deafness to impregnate Duchesneau.

Their five-year-old daughter, Johanne, who is also deaf now has a baby brother, Gauvin. The four-month-old boy is profoundly deaf in his left ear and has only a slight amount of hearing in one ear. Both children were conceived using the sperm of the same deaf man through artificial insemination.

Duchesneau and McCullough who are members of a radical movement in the US, which rejects deafness as a disability, have refused the child a hearing aid.

A report in The Washington Post has described the wealthy pair as: "stylish and independent women in their mid-thirties, both college graduates, both holders of graduate degrees from Gallaudet University, both professionals in the mental health field."

In an interview with the Post, the women who have both been deaf since birth, said they believe deafness is "an identity not a medical affliction that needs to be fixed."

The women also believed that they would make better parents to a deaf child and would be able to understand the child's development more thoroughly and offer better guidance, and said the choice was no different from opting for a certain gender.

"Some people look at it like, 'Oh my gosh, you shouldn't have a child who has a disability,'" said McCullough, the boy's adoptive mother.

"But, you know, black people have harder lives. Why shouldn't parents be able to go ahead and pick a black donor if that's what they want? They should have that option. They can feel related to that culture, bonded with that culture."

The couple's behaviour has appalled children's rights groups in the United States. The conservative Family Research Council said their decision to "intentionally give a child a disability" was "incredibly selfish."
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Follow link for more information.

[Calavera]

Thanks. I really wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, but it seems like they really did do it for purely psychopathic reasons.

[Callaway]

Nothing sick and barbaric about male circumcision. It's just a foreskin after all.

But, still, it's pretty stupid and quite unnecessary a lot of the times.

I think it is a bit sick for a parent to make the decision to chop off part of a boys dick, obviously that doesn't apply for medical reasons.

I don't like the idea of letting parents make big decisions about their kids bodies. I believe that a child should have rights, and one of those rights should be that parents can't make hose types of decisions for the child.

I would think it was wrong for a parent to get their kid tattood as well. I'm not keen on seeing parents getting their young kids ears pierced either, but at least a pierced ear will close up leaving barely a mark. I still don't agree with it though.


Another case that disgusted me, was a deaf couple who made sure that their kid was born deaf. I thought that was unforgivable.
That would be like one of us taking steps to ensure we create an aspie kid. Just wrong

I'm a little disturbed by this bit I highlighted.  Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but are you saying that it's wrong for two people on the autistic spectrum to have a baby together even though that makes it more likely for the baby to be on the autistic spectrum as well?

I think that I see circumcision differently from you because it's a lot more common here than it is where you live.  My parents did not have my brothers circumcised but most of the men I have dated have been circumcised.  There are some medical advantages to baby boys being circumcised and I see it as the responsibility of parents to make medical decisions for their children.  I think unless parents make such a bad decision that it jeopardizes their child's health or safety, the decision should remain in their hands.

Thanks. I really wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, but it seems like they really did do it for purely psychopathic reasons.

I do see deafness as a disability but I also think that people should be allowed to make babies with anyone they want assuming that this person also wants to make babies with them.

[renaeden]

Wonder if they would let an autistic lesbian couple do the same as the deaf couple.

[Peter]

I think that I see circumcision differently from you because it's a lot more common here than it is where you live.  My parents did not have my brothers circumcised but most of the men I have dated have been circumcised.  There are some medical advantages to baby boys being circumcised and I see it as the responsibility of parents to make medical decisions for their children.  I think unless parents make such a bad decision that it jeopardizes their child's health or safety, the decision should remain in their hands.

The same goes for people who live in places where female circumcision is common; they don't get what all the fuss is about over it, and view it as medically and socially advantageous.  Any argument for circumcising males to lower HIV transmission, for instance, also applies to circumcising females, since both procedures reduce the amount of susceptible mucoisal tissue (male circumcision does nothing to protect females from transmission from an infected partner, and may even make male-to-female transmission more likely due to increased vaginal abrasion and micro-tears during sex with a circumcised male vs an intact one).  Also, 85% of FGM is type I and II, which is on the same level as male circumcision, and only 10% is type III where they remove pretty much everything and seal the girl up (the comparatively mild type IV accounts for the remaining 5%).

['Butterflies']

@Callaway. Youve misunderstood me. I mean that it would be wrong of us to force our kid to be aspie, either by abborting non-aspie babies, or having some sort of medical procedure to force the baby to be aspie.
This is hypothetical of course, as I douby if either option is possible.

The story you quoted isnt the one I was thinking about, so this must be more popular than I thought.
The story I was thinking of was a straight deaf ccouple, and I think they had a medical procedure done to raise the likelyhood of deafness.

[Peter]

A frequently overlooked fact is that intact women are just as prone or more prone to a build-up of smegma as intact men (they produce more of it and have more folds for it to gather in); it's just not as visually obvious in women.

(1)
alice,

i have been experiencing pain in my clitoris and generally in this area. It's a sharp pain that happens with the lightest touch, crossing my legs, or from wearing tight pants. I've never had this before and i'm wondering what it is. Also i've noticed the hood of the clitoris when pulled back, you can see like an inner layer of skin. Please i'm very worried, can you tell me what these may be? thanx

(2)
Dear Alice,

Is there anything that can be done for clitoral pain? I have a painful clitoris that swells, itches, and hurts throughout the month. I have had pain with this for years now and no doctor can find anything wrong with it. The only physical evidence is tiny white specks of discharge way back under the "hood." But if I pull back to look to see if there is anything wrong, it hurts immensely for days afterward. It interferes with my sex life with my husband because of the fear of pain if he touches the area. PLEASE let me know if there is a condition that this is related to or if there is any kind of cream that can minimize the pain. I have tried several kinds of Vagisil type treatments, but they do not help. Thank you.

(3)
Hey Alice,

I have been having twinges of pain in my clitoris and just got over a UTI. Meds for 10 days. I think it's from my jeans being too tight there, but sometimes it pains for no reason, even laying down. Just started in the last 2 weeks, seems to be fine when wearing sweats or more comfortable clothing. I have never heard of pain in the clitoris before and can't find anything on it.

...

The hood of the clitoris contains glands that produce a lubricating fluid called sebum, which allows the hood to move smoothly back and forth over the glans and the shaft of the clitoris. When sebum accumulates, it turns into a white, cheese-like substance called smegma. Smegma, in turn, if it is not washed away with frequent bathing, can harden and rub between the hood and the shaft similar to a grain of sand under an eyelid — the result is an irritated clitoris that can produce incredible pain at the merest movement. Tight jeans or pressure from sexual stimulation can be excruciating. Accumulations of smegma can also cause the skin of the hood to adhere (stick) to the shaft and glans (similar to what can happen with a man who has foreskin). These clitoral adhesions can cause pain and irritation as well.

Usually, frequent bathing and good hygiene can prevent or resolve this problem, but some women may have narrow openings to their clitoral hood that make it harder to wash away built-up secretions. If you have recurrent episodes of clitoral pain, you may want to try soaking in a steamy tub and gently moving the skin around the clitoris back and away from the glans — don't tug or forcibly retract the hood since this can cause further pain and irritation. These gentle "stretches" can, over time, widen the opening of the hood, allowing more freedom of movement for both pleasure and washing.

Hello Alice,

I've been wondering about the white stuff that is occasionally found in between my labia majora and labia minora... I do NOT have any STDs (I tested) and am assuming it's dried urine...

I want to get rid of this white stuff because it looks and smells bad as if I have STDs when I have oral sex. Is there any way to prevent getting this white stuff?

Thank you, a good guy seeker

Dear a good guy seeker,

The vagina normally secretes a clear or whitish substance to help cleanse itself and maintain a healthy environment. Changes in normal vaginal secretions (i.e., smell, texture, color, thickness, etc.) may indicate the presence of an infection. Some infections can be home treated; others need to be diagnosed and treated by a health care provider.

What you describe, however, sounds similar to the substance noticed by men with uncircumcised penises found under the foreskin: smegma. Smegma is a natural lubricating residue made up of shedded skin cells, skin oil secretions, and moisture, including sweat. Its cheesy like appearance can vary in color from almost white to a darker shade, depending on a person's skin tone. Smegma gathers in the nooks and crannies of the body's skin folds, including between the labia and around the clitoral hood. Because of male circumcision, it is more common among women than men.

What smegma is known for is its characteristic smell, which some people find arousing and others find unpleasant. If the build up of smegma is bothersome, it can be rinsed away easily with warm water. As the mucosal skin of the genitals is sensitive, avoid applying soap to the area.

Dried urine, especially on pubic hair, can also produce a distinctive scent. Carefully washing your pubic hair when showering/bathing and making sure to wipe well after each urination can help minimize urine odor.

If a regular warm water rinse between your labia does not produce enough of an improvement in your aroma down there, you can consider seeing your primary care provider or gynecologist for a check-up.

[Adam]

I'm a little disturbed by this bit I highlighted.  Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but are you saying that it's wrong for two people on the autistic spectrum to have a baby together even though that makes it more likely for the baby to be on the autistic spectrum as well?

how the hell did you work that out from what she said?

and I think everyone agrees that if its medically necessary then circumcision is ok. the point is that it's usually NOT. you think parents have the right to fuck about with their kids genitals and mutilate them permanantly?

[Callaway]

@Callaway. Youve misunderstood me. I mean that it would be wrong of us to force our kid to be aspie, either by abborting non-aspie babies, or having some sort of medical procedure to force the baby to be aspie.
This is hypothetical of course, as I douby if either option is possible.

The story you quoted isnt the one I was thinking about, so this must be more popular than I thought.
The story I was thinking of was a straight deaf ccouple, and I think they had a medical procedure done to raise the likelyhood of deafness.

In that hypothetical case, I agree with you.

That was the only deaf couple story I could find when I searched, but I'll have another look. 

OK, here's another one where a married deaf couple in the UK have one deaf child and want another baby, but need IVF and they want to select an embryo with the deafness gene, but they haven't had IVF yet as far as I can see:

Is it wrong to select a deaf embryo? 
By Clare Murphy
Health reporter, BBC News 


New fertility legislation will make it illegal to use embryos with a known genetic abnormality in IVF treatment when ones without the same defect are available.
 
For a long time, the debate about the genetic testing of embryos has focused on whether we should stop people creating the "perfect" person: blonde, blue-eyed, with athletic prowess and a high IQ.

The Nazi spectre of eugenics has frequently been invoked.

Now a deaf couple have turned this on its head: far from wanting a flawless child they actively want a baby which suffers the same hearing difficulties as they themselves.

The couple have become icons in a deaf movement which sees this impairment not as a disability but as the key to a rich culture which has its own language, history and traditions: a world deaf parents would naturally want to share with any offspring.

Moreover, they argue that to prefer a hearing embryo over a deaf one is tantamount to discrimination.

But to others - both those who can hear and those who cannot - deliberately bringing a child with a disability into the world when one without could be born verges on the morally repugnant.

Slippery slope?

Tomato Lichy and his partner already have one deaf child, for which they are profoundly grateful.

But they may eventually like another - and IVF, given the mother's age, may be the only option. 

Yet if the Human Embryology and Fertilisation Bill goes through as it stands, their chances of having a deaf child would be small.

If they produced only deaf embryos, they would be allowed to implant one of these. However it would be highly unlikely that there would not be one without one of the deaf genes.

If they chose to have their embryos screened, they would be obliged to to pick the embryo without the abnormality over the others. The screening would not however be obligatory, and they could take their chances in the hope that a deaf one is chosen.

But the fact that they cannot give the deaf child preference over the hearing, Mr Lichy contends, suggests that his life as a deaf person is not one worth living.

"Despite the fact that over time we have seen more and more rights for disabled people they are now seeking to establish a legal principle that deaf people are inferior."

Tomato Lichy

Follow link for full article.

Is the couple you were thinking of?
 

[Peter]

How to remove female smegma?

Recently, I've been getting little white chunks of smegma stuck between the folds of my clitoris, and they're SO DIFFICULT to remove out! My folds are very tight, so simply washing them away isn't as easy at it sounds.

I've tried sitting in a bathtub and using the surrounding water to ease the smegma out, but it's still very uncomfortable! Any suggestions? =/ I hate smegma so much, it makes sitting down and walking around painful! =(

Thank you for your help!

[Callaway]

Those look like yeast infections to me, especially the first and last one.

[Adam]

OH WHAT THE FUCK

[Squidusa]

...those were definately the most disgusting pictures I have ever seen , bathe more for the sake of humanity PLEASE. 

[Adam]

new page please, new page