Why does Brian Morris links his site to a circumfetish page?

The casual observer, landing on Brian Morris’ website (circinfo.net) may believe that it is in fact “an evidence-baised appraisal”. However, as one advances through it, one can’t stop but wonder why Brian Morris includes links on his site to a circumfetish page.

A circum… what?


Please read this article on our new website:

http://circwatch.org/why-does-brian-morris-links-his-site-to-a-circumfetish-page/

Circumcision Goes Wrong: 1-yr-Old Loses Manhood to Cutting

Posted: http://frontpageafricaonline.com/index.php/news/963-circumcision-goes-wrong-1-yr-old-loses-manhood-to-cutting

1 year old boy loses his penis in a circumcision performed on January 5th by a doctor in Liberia. Phillip Zinnah, Sr. 25, father of the boy explained that he took his son to the TB Annex to one Dr. Nimley for circumcision, but it all went wrong when the doctor completely cut off the boy’s penis, leaving him in severe pain. The doctor is not responding for the damages, and the institution, TB Annex, says they don't perform circumcisions and this would have been done in secret by the doctor.

Meanwhile, a child's life has been irreversibly damaged in a way to seems to echo the baby hurt by a rabbi from Pittsburgh and a Memphis baby hurt at Christ Community Health Centers last year. A Saudi baby also had his penis partially cut off last November.

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What Brian Morris, in conjunction with Richard Wamai (research on HIV), Aaron Tobian (Johns Hopkins University), Ronald Gray (Johns Hopkins University and director of one of the 3 African trials on HIV and circumcision), Robert Bailey (responsible for another one of the 3 African trials), Daniel Halperin (author of several papers on HIV and circumcision),  Thomas Wiswell (author of the often cited study on circumcision and UTIs) and others, wrote on their propaganda paper from 2012, "A 'snip' in time":

"Infant circumcision is safe, simple, convenient and cost-effective. The available evidence strongly supports infancy as the optimal time for circumcision." 

Of course, for those illustrious individuals, this child's horrible experience is simply an "adverse event". According to a 2012 paper by Robert Bailey cited by the World Health Organization:

"In developed countries, adverse events following neonatal circumcision are well documented and their incidence is very low, from 0.2 to 0.6%.5 Before the RCTs, outcomes in Africa for male circumcision among adults were poorly documented. In a review,6 adverse event rates following African male circumcisions ranged from 0 to 24%. The RCTs, which provided services in a clinical trial setting, reported the following adverse event rates: 3.8% in Orange Farm, South Africa; 1.5% in Kisumu, Kenya; and 3.6% in Rakai, Uganda.1,7,8 Most recently, at the former Orange Farm RCT site, 1.8% of medical male circumcisions offered in one high-volume facility resulted in an adverse event"

Let's stop treating children as statistics. Let's respect children. Children of all genders deserve to grow with intact genitals.

Are American doctors still performing clitoridectomies (FGM) on girls?

The website "Atlas of Pelvic Surgery" has an article on "excision of the hypertrophied clitoris". I first thought it was a historic note about how clitoridectomies used to be performed 60 years ago, but no, what I found was that the"Atlas of Pelvic Surgery was originally developed as a practical guide to the performance of gynecologic procedures which reflected Dr. Wheeless' broad experience in surgery and his skill as a teacher."

The "Atlas of Pelvic Surgery" started as a book published by Dr. Wheeless, with its third edition printed in 1997 (coincidentally the year that the federal law against FGM was enacted in the United States). The website itself constitutes the 4th edition of the Atlas. In fact the index of recent updates includes the article on excision of the hypertrophied clitoris, so this article must be relatively recent (but no date is given)

Graphic taken from the Atlas of Pelvic Surgery website

I was in shock. Yes I know that the treatment for intersex girls with enlarged clitoris used to be the removal of the clitoris... long time ago! Today, they use "nerve sparing surgeries" to reduce but not to remove the clitoris (clitoroplasty), and yet this procedure when performed on a minor constitutes a violation of a child's physical integrity (according to the PACE), may damage orgasmic function, and is rejected by the intersex community as a violation of human rights.

But... clitoridectomy (excision of the clitoris)... TODAY?

Excised hypertrophied clitoris... from a 1925 book

The website is the work of Clifford R. Wheeless, Jr., MD, and Marcella L. Roenneburg, MD. both of them servicing Baltimore, Maryland, Dr. Wheeless here, and Dr. Roenneburg here.

I verified the ownership of the website. The domain is registered to Dr. Roenneburg.

According to Jewish Woman International, Dr. Roenneburg is a Jewish woman providing service to African women.

These are the indications and purpose of the excision of the hypertrophied clitoris described in the Atlas of Pelvic Surgery (I underlined key words):

Clitoral hypertrophy, regardless of etiology, is a source of psychological stress, especially in young females. Most pediatric gynecologists stress the importance of normal external genitalia in young children. It is important to weigh the role of the clitoris in sexual climax against the psychological stress incurred when the genitalia of a young child are different from her peers.

The purpose of the operation is to excise the hypertrophied clitoris and create normal-appearing external genitalia.

Female patient before and after clitoroplasty (not full excision - but nevertheless removal of a large portion of the clitoris). While the authors of this 2006 article considered the "cosmetic results" good, some loss of sensation and sexual damage is inevitable when altering the clitoris.

I decided to review the U.S. federal law against FGM:

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), whoever knowingly circumcises, excises, or infibulates the whole or any part of the labia majora or labia minora or clitoris of another person who has not attained the age of 18 years shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both. 

(b) A surgical operation is not a violation of this section if the operation is— 

(1) necessary to the health of the person on whom it is performed, and is performed by a person licensed in the place of its performance as a medical practitioner; or 

(2) performed on a person in labor or who has just given birth and is performed for medical purposes connected with that labor or birth by a person licensed in the place it is performed as a medical practitioner, midwife, or person in training to become such a practitioner or midwife.

Notice that the FGM law provides an exception when it is "necessary to the health of the person". However the excision of hypertrophic clitoris is not medically necessary. It is only done to "normalize" the aspect of the genitalia, adducing "psychological stress" of the child - but in reality this refers to the "psychological stress" of parents who perceive their daughter as abnormal.

I also checked if Maryland has a law against FGM, and found that the punishment for FGM includes "imprisonment for up to five years and/or a fine of up to $5,000".

According to the World Health Organization, there are four types of female genital mutilation, the first one being:

• Clitoridectomy: partial or total removal of the clitoris (a small, sensitive and erectile part of the female genitals) and, in very rare cases, only the prepuce (the fold of skin surrounding the clitoris).

 The recent resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe names several procedures that violate the physical integrity of children, among them Female Genital Mutilation and early childhood interventions of intersex children. The procedure described by the Atlas of Pelvic surgery is both, a childhood intervention of intersex children and female genital mutilation.

Given that the Atlas of Pelvic Surgery "reflect[s] Dr. Wheeless' broad experience in surgery", we have to ask: has Dr. Wheeles performed the excision of hypertrophied clitoris? Has he performed this surgery after 1997?

Since the site also reflects "his skill as a teacher", does he teach how to perform this procedure? (the existence of this article on the website would be evidence for this).

Given that Dr. Roenneburg provides service to African women, has she performed this procedure on daughters of African women? On those from countries and cultures where FGM is prevalent?

According to Jewish Women International, Dr. Roenneburg has operated "on scores of women with these devastating childbearing-related wounds, called vesicovaginal fistulas—holes between the bladder and the vagina" in Niger. It should be safe to assume that she is aware that these vesicovaginal fistulas are sometimes consequence of female genital mutilation, and that FGM is prevalent in Niger (one of the forms of FGM prevalent in Niger is clitoridectomy). So why does a website registered under her name and which includes her bio, and which is meant to be used as a learning resource, explains how to perform clitoridectomies? 

Is FGM at the hands of American surgeons any less of a crime?

Are there American girls and women of any ethnia living their lives without their clitoris, having had it removed at the hands of Dr. Wheeles, Dr. Roenneburg, or the students of Dr. Wheeles or readers of his book or their website?


Related: How parents 'consenting' to intersex genital mutilations (IGM) do so because of biased information given by doctors

Related: Clitoris Amputations & Intersex Genital Mutilation (see PDF files)

Testimonials of American women subjected to clitoridectomy as a way to prevent masturbation, by American doctors, at parents request, during the 20th century.

Please listen to their testimonies. They were traumatized by doctors. Is it fair to perform this procedure on any girl? Even if she has a "hypertrophic" (which simply means "large") clitoris?

To put it in perspective, would you treat a boy with a "large penis" by having the penis removed?

 Screenshots

Related: Hida Viloria, intersex activist, on Montel Williams. Hida Viloria was born with what these doctors would consider a "hypertrophied clitoris", but her dad, a Colombian doctor, had the awareness to decline surgery.



Circleaks is willing to listen to Dr. Wheeless and Dr. Roenneburg. We wish they can provide a sworn statement that they have not performed this procedure, and can justify a reason why this procedure should be even included on a teaching website -or proceed to advise AGAINST this procedure on their website, and if they do so, we will make their voice public.  Otherwise, it is our duty to expose to the American public our suspicion that these doctors may have performed this procedure or taught others (either in person, through Dr. Wheeless book or through the website) how to perform it, thus possibly prolonging  the history of forced clitoridectomy (female genital mutilation) in the United States into the 21st century.

And yes we are aware that the article is about excision of the "hypertrophied" clitoris - in other words, a large clitoris that resembles a small penis. It remains true that the clitoris is an integral part of female sexuality, and whether it is small or large, its removal has devastating lifetime consequences for the individual. No parent - and no doctor- should ever make this decision for any girl.

Related: Upcoming book about female circumcision and clitoridectomy in the United States

Resources on the Victorian Era clitoridectomy in UK and US

Isaac Baker Brown and his "harmless operative procedure"

Isaac Baker Brown and the clitoridectomy operation

According to this article on FGM Network, a 1894 doctor was one of the last doctors to perform clitoridectomies. We know this is not the case, with the two video testimonials having had their operation during the middle of the 20th century, and with intersex clitoridectomies occurring up to the 70s... or until now?

 The sexual politics of female circumcision - mostly about FGM in Africa, it includes a first person account of a victim of African clitoridectomy and also some information about the origin and motivation of clitoridectomies in the US and UK.

An obsolete residual of the Victorian era, much like routine infant circumcision:

In females, the author has found the application of pure carbolic acid (phenol) to the clitoris an excellent means of allaying the abnormal excitement. John Harvey Kellogg, Plain Facts for Old and Young, 1888 

Cool sitz baths; the cool enema; a spare diet; the application of blisters and other irritants to the sensitive parts of the sexual organs, the removal of the clitoris and nymphae... John Harvey Kellogg, Ladies' guide in health and disease, 1893

More on Dr. Wheeless and Dr. Roenneburg's background:

Dr. Wheeless is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, is a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the American College of Surgeons and the Southern Surgical Association. He received his degree from the University of North Carolina and has been a member of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institution. He was a Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Emory University and at Sinai Hospital, and later at the Hopkins School of Medicine.

Dr. Roennesburg received her medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin and completed her internship and residency at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, under the direction of Dr. Wheeless. She received a Distinguished Alumni Award for Community Service by the University of Winsconsin.

Additional Exhibits

Types of Female Genital Mutilation per the World Health Organization. Notice that type I is shown removing not only the external portion of the clitoris, but also the clitoral hood (the prepuce, the equivalent of the male foreskin)

Lawson, Wilkins et al, removal of hypertrophic clitoris. Published in 1958 and again in 1971, pretty much the same procedure explained by Dr. Wheeless and Dr. Roenneburg.

Source: stop.genitalmutilation.org

"Nerve sparing" clitoroplasty, still a mutilating surgery which intends to spare the nerve bundle. Adult patients who had this procedure during childhood still report pain and sexual dysfunction. 

Image source: Article by John M. Hutson at Pediatric Urology Book. Text added by an activist opposing these kinds of surgeries.

Related topic: Dr. Dix Poppas caused strong commotion in 2010 when people learned that he was following up on "nerve sparing clitoroplasties" by testing sensitivity with a q-tip and a vibrating device... on minor patients. This scandal allowed many people to learn about clitoromegaly ("hypertrophied" clitoris) and congenital adrenal hyperplasia. However, as far as we know, nobody has apologized for reducing the clitoris of these girls.

From Hasting Reports, Bad Vibrations

From Secular Parent, The not so good touches of Dr. Dix Poppas

Dr. Dix Poppas, Description of technique

OII Intersex network: A conspiracy of deceit

In "Aesthetic surgery of the Female Genitalia" (2011), Dobbeleir et al indicate that four ethical principles mark the difference with genital cutting practices. The first principle is "Autonomy of the patient" (Patients should be over 18 years old, psychologically stable, and fully informed on the risks and expected results, so that the decision in full knowledge of the issue is theirs only. An informed consent should always be obtained). The text indicates that if any of the preconditions are not fulfilled, aesthetic genital surgery should not take place.

Clitoral surgery on "young girls" does not fulfill this requirement, thus making it Female Genital Mutilation.

The World Health Organization

While far from condemning intersex genital surgeries, the World Health Organization casts such surgeries in negative light (underlined by us):

Many intersex children have undergone medical intervention for health reasons as well as for sociological and ideological reasons. An important consideration with respect to sex assignment is the ethics of surgically altering the genitalia of intersex children to “normalize” them.

Clitoral surgery for intersex conditions was promoted by Hugh Hampton Young in the United States in the late 1930s. Subsequently, a standardized intersex management strategy was developed by psychologists at Johns Hopkins University (USA) based on the idea that infants are gender neutral at birth. (38) Minto et al. note that “the theory of psychosexual neutrality at birth has now been replaced by a model of complex interaction between prenatal and postnatal factors that lead to the development of gender and, later, sexual identity”. (39) However, currently in the United States and many Western European countries, the most likely clinical recommendation to the parents of intersex infants is to raise them as females, often involving surgery to feminize the appearance of the genitalia. (40)

Minto et al. conducted a study aiming to assess the effects of feminizing intersex surgery on adult sexual function in individuals with ambiguous genitalia. As part of this study, they noted a number of ethical issues in relation to this surgery, including that:

• there is no evidence that feminizing genital surgery leads to improved psychosocial outcomes;
• feminizing genital surgery cannot guarantee that adult gender identity will develop as female; and that
• adult sexual function might be altered by removal of clitoral or phallic tissue. (41)

World Health Organization - Gender and Genetics 

The mentioned idea that infants are gender neutral at birth comes from John Money and Johns Hopkins University, who first tested this on David Reimer, when, as a baby (born Bruce, 1965), lost his penis as the result of a botched circumcision. John Money oversaw his raising as a female (Brenda) including follow ups. David's later testimony tells of John Money forcing him and his twin brother Brian to "play sex" with the hope that "Brenda" would accept the passive role. According to David, Money photographed these sessions; David was however unable to obtain copy of the records, which were donated to the Kinsey Institute to remain sealed in perpetuity. During adolescence, the test was deemed a failure, and "Brenda" took a new male identity, David, undergoing breast removal and penile reconstruction. For many years, Money continued presenting the "John/Joan" case (fictitious names) as a success until David went public in 1997. David committed suicide in 2004, at the age of 38.

Many medical institutions still cite the work of John Money when dealing with intersex patients and genital surgeries.

I find it ironic that when dealing with medical excision of clitoral tissue, the WHO says that "adult sexual function might be altered", but when described in the context of female genital mutilation, it "interferes with the natural functions of girls' and women's bodies".

2014 - New case of neonatal herpes following circumcision and oral suction - metzitzah b'peh

https://a816-health29ssl.nyc.gov/sites/NYCHAN/Lists/AlertUpdateAdvisoryDocuments/2014%20-%20NeonatalHSV.pdf

 Direct orogenital suction during ritual Jewish circumcision (also known as metzitzah b’peh) has been documented to transmit herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 to newborn males (1-4). In January 2014, the New York City (NYC) Department of Health and Mental Hygiene received a report of a new case of HSV-1 infection in a newborn male infant following direct orogenital suction. To date, a total of 14 laboratory-confirmed cases of HSV-infection attributable to direct orogenital suction have been reported to the Health Department since 2000. Two of these infants died, and at least two others suffered brain damage (4).

In the most recent case, the infant was the term product of a full-term pregnancy and normal vaginal delivery. He had ritual Jewish circumcision including direct orogenital suction on day of life 8. On day of life 13, at a well-child visit, a rash was noted on and around genitals. The baby was treated with topical antibacterial ointment. On day of life 16, the baby returned to his provider for worsening rash, and a topical anti-fungal was added to the regimen. On day of life 18, lesions progressed to include the perineum and the right foot. HSV infection was suspected, and the infant was referred to a pediatric dermatologist. The next day, upon evaluation of the baby, the dermatologist, also suspecting HSV, collected specimens for direct visualization and for viral culture, and the baby was admitted to a hospital for treatment. The location of herpes lesions (on the genitals and on the foot, a dermatomal distribution reflecting involvement of sacral nerves), viral type (HSV type 1, which is commonly found in the mouth of adults), and timing of infection (5 days after circumcision) are consistent with transmission during direct contact between the mouth of the ritual circumciser (mohel) and the newly circumcised infant penis.

The document is co-signed by Susan Blank, one of the members of the AAP Task Force on Circumcision from the infamous policy statement of  2012 - the one that says that "the benefits outweigh the risks" - and the one that does not have the guts to say that "orogenital suction" (baby penis in adult's mouth) should not be performed. So much for that Dr. Blank.

Some Catastrophic Complications of Circumcision Recorded During 2013

This is what the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says about catastrophic complications from circumcision, on the 2012 Policy Statement on Circumcision and Technical Report on Circumcision:

The majority of severe or even catastrophic
injuries are so infrequent as
to be reported as case reports (and
were therefore excluded from this
literature review). These rare complications
include glans or penile amputation,
198–206 transmission of herpes
simplex after mouth-to-penis contact
by a mohel (Jewish ritual circumcisers)
after circumcision,207–209 methicillinresistant
Staphylococcus aureus infection,
210 urethral cutaneous fistula,211
glans ischemia,212 and death.213


January 2, 2013. TURKEY: Boy loses penis in circumcision
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/Default.aspx?pageID=238&nid=38346&op=sent

February 14, 2013. BELGIUM: Male circumcision tied to less sexual pleasure
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/14/us-health-male-circumcision-idUSBRE91D1CO20130214

February 19, 2013. BRAZIL: Study: mortality of medical circumcision, one death in 7700
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23386015

February 21, 2013. JAKARTA: 3 year old Boy with haemophilia bleeds after circumcision
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/02/21/toddler-with-hemophilia-bleeds-after-circumcision.html

February 28, 2013. JAKARTA: Mother kills 9 year old son after circumcision shrinks penis
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/indonesian-mum-kills-son-over-penis-size-20130228-2f94r.html#ixzz2MDuQOUQn

March 5, 2013. Queens Infant Disfigured in 2011 Botched Bris, Lawsuit Charges
http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130305/forest-hills/queens-infant-disfigured-botched-bris-lawsuit-charges

March 8, 2013. Baby bleeds after circumcision, suffers seizures and dies two days later. Hospital and family deny that circumcision was the cause.
http://circumstitionsnews.blogspot.com/2013/03/sacramento-another-circumcision-death.html

March 16, 2013. UNITED STATES: More than $80 million paid out for botched circumcisions since 1985
http://www.arclaw.org/resources/settlements

April 6, 2013. NEW YORK. Two Infants Contract Herpes Following Circumcision and Metzitzah b'Peh.
http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/14560/20130406/circumcision-male-circumcision-jewish-ultra-orthodox-herpes-hiv.htm#445eUUYH8QRI6GtZ.99

May 29, 2013. CHICAGO: $1.3 million for botched circumcision, baby had the tip of the glans amputated during his circumcision in 2007
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/20417085-418/jury-awards-13m-for-newborns-botched-circumcision-attorneys.html

May 29, 2013. MOROCCO. A 3 year old child had part of the glans amputated during a hospital circumcision. This was reported online by the family, with a text in Arabic and a horrific youtube video (which was later deleted). The mother commented in our blog to let us know that a Canadian urologist had already seen the child and recommended long term follow up in case there was stenosis later, which may suggest that they were either able to re-attach or otherwise close the wound without further complications.
http://circleaks.blogspot.com/2013/05/boy-3-years-old-suffers-partial.html

June 7, 2013. TEL AVIV. Baby Dies in Israeli Hospital following Circumcision. Rabbinate denies any connection with the procedure. Baby stopped breathing minutes after the circumcision.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/baby-dies-in-israeli-hospital-following-circumcision/2013/06/07/

June 10, 2013. EGYPT: Girl dies during circumcision at clinic
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/06/10/Egyptian-girl-dies-while-being-circumcised.html

June 17, 2013. SAUDI ARABIA: Doctor who botched 7 circumcisions gets 6 months
http://gulfnews.com/news/region/egypt/egyptian-doctor-convicted-of-botched-surgery-1.1198313

June 20, 2013. SOUTH AFRICA: R2.2M for botched medical circumcision of a child in 2009. He suffered severe burning, infections and a loss of his normal penile tissue after the procedure.
http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/r2-2m-for-boy-s-botched-circumcision-1.1534852

July 7, 2013. CHINA: man loses penis after botched circumcision
http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=125131:ouch-penis-amputated-after-botched-circumcision&Itemid=4#ixzz2YRJLaCh6

July 8, 2013. 20 more die, nearly 300 in hospital in botched circumcisions in Eastern Cape, South Africa
http://www.news.com.au/world-news/circumcision-ritual-kills-30-tribesmen-in-south-africas-eastern-cape/story-fndir2ev-1226675702537

5 men held for about 30 botched circumcision deaths in Eastern Cape, South Africa
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/5-held-for-botched-circumcision-deaths-20130708

UGANDA: Man loses penis in circumcision botch - July 2013
http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/645118-man-loses-penis-in-medical-circumcision.html

JULY

Boys forcefully circumcised in South Africa, several botched procedures
http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/r3m-claim-for-six-botched-circumcisions-1.1594608#.Umt1WlOhs_c

Surgery on intersex children could be unconstitutional - after sex reassignment of an intersex boy in State custody in S.C. (castration and amputation of penis)
http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/news/federal-court-says-sex-assignment-surgery-on-child-could-violate-us-constitution-r

AUGUST

Two more babies reported to have contracted Herpes after metzitzah b'peh during Jewish circumcision in NYC. August 2013
http://newsok.com/babies-herpes-linked-to-circumcision-practice/article/3875218

More men seeking legal advice after botched infant circumcisions in Australia.
http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/botched-circumcisions-on-the-rise/story-fnhocxo3-1226701536216

4 year old boy dies after hospital circumcision in South Africa. August 2013
http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/gauteng/child-dies-after-circumcision-at-hospital-1.1563203#.Ug6TD6z2L2w

Nearly 80 boys and young men die after traditional circumcisions in South Africa. August 2013
http://www.africanspotlight.com/2013/07/20/when-circumcision-can-mean-death-in-south-africa/




NOVEMBER

UAE baby has penis partially cut off during circumcision. November 2013
http://www.emirates247.com/news/18-day-old-baby-s-organ-partially-cut-off-during-circumcision-2013-11-14-1.528015

UK Doctor accused of botching circumcision quits NHS - in order to perform circumcisions independently
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24961405

Tennessee baby suffers amputation. August 2013. Reported November of 2013
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/story/23912521/mother-upset-over-botched-circumcision#axzz2p4dLMw5W

November 28, 2013. A baby died during a medical circumcision in Afghanistan. The parents wanted to avoid the pain of a later circumcision without anesthesia. The anesthesia was improperly applied and the baby died as a consequence. This was only reported on a facebook post which was later deleted by the family.

DECEMBER

Brooklyn Rabbi botched circumcision of baby with hypospadias. December 2009, reported December 2013.
http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/12/05/63485.htm

Canadian Doctor barred from performing circumcisions after more than 80 botched procedures. Botched procedures recorded since 2010. News reported December 2013
http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/Doctor+barred+from+performing+circumcisions+after+dozens+botched+procedures/9323461/story.html

Jewish baby in Pittsburgh has penis cut off during Jewish circumcision. April 2013. Reported December 2013
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2530755/Jewish-Rabbi-sued-accidentally-SEVERING-newborn-baby-boys-penis-Bris-Ceremony.html#ixzz2otJjZ9Ht

Kosher Circumcision Tray

A Kosher circumcision tray is available from Euroband, includes "Jumbo Cotton Tipped Applicator to administer Wine to the infant" (is this even legal to administer wine to a baby?) and suction tube for a "cleaner" metzitzah b'peh (oral suction).

Latex gloves are considered "optional".

What a sad world we live in.

Pa. Rabbi facing lawsuit for botched circumcision

A couple filed a lawsuit against Pittsburgh rabbi Mordechai Rosenberg, alleging that he caused a “catastrophic and life-changing injury” to an 8-day-old infant during a circumcision ceremony on April 28 of this year (2013).

Mordechai Rosenberg

The baby had to be taken to a nearby hospital for emergency reconstructive surgery and leech therapy.

Leeches help a body accept reattached parts by promoting blood flow and tissue regeneration, so it is somewhat fair to assume that there was a partial or total amputation of the glans, an injury common to the Mogen clamp, the one commonly used by religious practitioners.

In 2000, the FDA warned about the potential for injuries from Mogen clamps. In 2010 the manufacturer went out of business due to millionaire lawsuits based on catastrophic injuries caused by the clamp. Yet the clamp is still commonly used (currently being part of a trial at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Ohio!).

Glans amputation with a mogen clamp

Rosenberg's webpage says he's a certified mohel, or ritual circumciser, who's done the operations since 1990.

Mohels are not certified by a government agency because circumcision is considered a religious ceremony and not a medical procedure.

If circumcision is a medical procedure, then religious practitioners are performing unlicensed medicine and should be charged with a crime. If this is not a medical procedure, then how can we explain the use of scalpels on the body of a baby and the loss of tissue. And if this is not a medical procedure but just a religious ritual, then we need to consider this ritual abuse of a minor.

Laws against ritual abuse of minors often leave provisions for "activities, practices, and procedures otherwise allowed by law" (http://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/45/5/45-5-627.htm) - a loophole no doubt enacted to allow cutting male babies' genitals, while cutting female babies' genitals is specifically prohibited and "In applying subsection (b)(1), no account shall be taken of the effect on the person on whom the operation is to be performed of any belief on the part of that person, or any other person, that the operation is required as a matter of custom or ritual." (http://mgmbill.org/usfgmlaw.htm)

Read more: http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/5277845-74/child-mohel-circumcision#axzz2neRB9Skf

And  http://www.kansascity.com/2013/12/18/4700791/pa-rabbi-facing-circumcision-lawsuit.html

In November we found out about a similar injury suffered by a Memphis baby in the context of a medical circumcision, and days later we heard about an 18 day old baby in UAE who had his penis partially severed.

Memphis baby who suffered amputation of his penis during a circumcision in August, reported in November 2013

Saudi baby who had his penis partially cut off during circumcision, November 2013

Circumcision promoters such as Brian Morris boast how safe the procedure is. Yet here, in a matter of 2 months we learn of 3 babies who suffered this life changing injury - and all without medical necessity.

Regarding this risk, the AAP says in the technical report on circumcision:

The majority of severe or even catastrophic
injuries are so infrequent as
to be reported as case reports (and
were therefore excluded from this
literature review). These rare complications
include glans or penile amputation[...]

Isn't it time somebody started collecting these case reports? Or do we not care about these babies, Dr. Diekema?