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organiclifestylemagazine · 6 years

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Nurses Against Circumcision

Childbirth is miraculous, beautiful, traumatic, and overwhelming, all at the same time, for both the baby and the mother. But for many children born today, squeezing through the birth canal is the easy part. Soon after birth, males born to North American women routinely face amputation of a fully functioning, healthy organ – the foreskin.

Circumcision is so commonplace in North America, it has long been considered the norm. The World Health Organization estimates the male circumcision rate in the U.S. to be 76% to 92%, while the rates in most of the Western European countries are less than 20%. Globally, more than 80% of the world’s men are left intact. An intact penis is not rare – an intact penis is the norm.

Medical professionals tell parents that circumcision is relatively painless, just a snip and it is over. Nothing could be further from the truth. Aside from the rare but possible complications, which include mutilation of the penis or death, the practice of circumcision is painful and traumatic.

The following nurses have come forward to share their knowledge and experience, to tell the truth about this practice.

Related: Circumcision Linked to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Nicole, A Former Nursing Student

A few years ago, I began an OB/GYN hospital clinical as a student nurse. One day, I was enlisted to attend a ‘routine circumcision.

… I did not anticipate the lurching sensation that gripped my heart as I looked upon that baby. He was laying strapped down to a table, so small and new – pure and innocent – trusting – all alone – no defenses.

I walked toward the baby and wanted to take him off the table and shelter him – to tell him that it would be okay, that nobody would hurt him on my watch.

Then in walked the doctor. Loud. Obnoxious. Joking with his assistant. As if he was about to perform a 10-minute oil change.

Not once did he talk to this little baby. I am not sure he even looked at him – really looked at him.

Rather, he reached for his cold metal instruments and then reached out for his object of mutilation: this sweet newborn’s perfect, unharmed, intact penis.

I recall this little baby boy’s screams of pain and terror – his small lungs barely able to keep up with his cries and gasps for breath.

I turned in horror as I saw the doctor forcefully rip and pull the baby’s foreskin up and around a metal object.

Then out came the knife. Cut. Cut. Cut. Screaming. Blood.

I stood next to the baby and said, “You’re almost done sweetie. Almost done. There, done.”

Then came the words from the doctor, as that son-of-a-b***h dangled this little baby’s foreskin in midair and playfully asked, “Anybody care to go fishing?”

My tongue lodged in my throat.

I felt like I was about to vomit.

I restrained myself. It was now my duty to take the infant back to the nursery for “observation.”

… Back in the newborn nursery, rather than observing, I cradled the infant. I held him and whispered comforting words as if he were my own. I’ll never forget those new little eyes watch me amid his haze. He knew I cared about him. He knew he was safe in my arms. He knew that I was going to take him to his mommy. But, deep in his little heart, at some level, I know he wondered where his mommy was. While he lay there mutilated in a level of agony that we cannot imagine, in what was supposed to be a safe and welcoming environment after his birth, where was his mommy?

Related: Religious Reasons Not To Circumcise

Betty, RN

We are saying what is happening, because the male myth is, “Well, I was circumcised and I am fine, and my son was circumcised and he’s fine.”

But we’re saying, “Maybe you were circumcised, but it wasn’t fine, because we were there, and we saw what happened. It’s the same thing with your baby. We were there, and we saw it. It was not fine.”

… That is the next step, for the grown men to come forward. It’s happening now. There is a powerful coalition forming. We women are coming out as mothers and as witnesses to this brutal sexual assault. Women who have been circumcised in Africa are coming forward, too. We’re all saying this isn’t okay.

Mary, RN

We just wanted people to stop hurting babies. In 1992, we started a petition. Before that, I think we all had the sense that something was wrong, but we had never communicated about it. Everything I’d read said circumcision isn’t a necessary thing to do, from a medical or health standpoint. So why are we doing it? You take a newborn baby, strap him down to a board, and cut on him. It’s obviously painful!

Circumcision became so intolerable that five of us wrote a letter saying that ethically we could no longer assist. When we were getting ready to present the letter, other nurses came out of the woodwork and asked to sign it. Out of about 50 nurses, 24 signed it.

Now we’re conscientious objectors, but it’s still going on. We can still hear it.

… Behind closed doors, you can hear the baby screaming. You know exactly what part of the operation is happening by how the screams are.

Mary-Rose, RN

My dreams were about taking the babies and strapping them down, participating in the whole thing, and having the babies say to me, “Why are you doing this? You were just welcoming me, and now you’re torturing me. Why, why, why?”

I’ve watched doctors taking more foreskin than they should. When there’s too much bleeding, they burn the wound with silver nitrate so that the penis looks like it’s been burned with a cigarette. Then the doctor will tell us to go tell the mother that this is what it’s supposed to look like.

Related: Celebrities Against Circumcision

Chris, RN

I worked with countless intact men, mostly European immigrants in Chicago: Poles, Serbs, Lithuanians, etc. Younger men and older men. Men who could walk to the bathroom and men who constantly soiled themselves. Men who had indwelling Foley catheters and men who didn’t. Men who were impeccably clean and men who were homeless. Men who were healthy and men who were critically ill and severely immunocompromised. Never once did I encounter an adult male patient who had ever had a medical problem due to being intact.

… In fact, female patients are far more prone to fungal and bacterial genitourinary infections than male patients are—yeast infections, urinary tract infections, abscesses, etc. And we know that this is largely due not only to their shorter urethra, but also to their labial folds—their “excess” skin. Why don’t we cut that off? Why isn’t female circumcision considered for infection prophylaxis? That’s how we think of male circumcision. Except the reality is that, as with male patients, the “benefit” of circumcision would be negligible, because the number of serious complications with women staying “uncircumcised” is extremely minor.

So as it stands, we have two sons who are intact. One is almost five years old and the other is nearly three. They’ve never had a problem. During diapering they required less care and bother than our daughters did. And now, during bathing, we don’t retract or mess with their prepuce (foreskin).

They’re clean. They’re fine.

I suspect that someday they’ll be like my patients were: ninety years old and intact—with no regrets.

Related: Circumcision, the Primal Cut – A Human Rights Violation

Patricia, RN

I am a neonatal nurse practitioner with over 42 years of experience in maternal newborn health. I have seen many circumcisions, and I have been appalled at the pain that they have caused.

… In my experience as a neonatal nurse, I know that circumcisions are painful, that little boys will cry for days after the procedure. They need to be medicated with Tylenol. They need to have injections at the penile nerve to try to prevent the pain, but it doesn’t completely eliminate it. I have seen excessive bleeding after the procedure. I’ve seen disfigurement. I believe that little boys are made the way they are because it’s absolutely fine to be intact. If there was a problem with foreskin, nature would not have put it there. So let little boys decide when and if they want to be circumcised. But parents, please spare your child the pain and unnecessary surgery that is not without risk. Just think about it.

I have seen, not loss of the entire penis but definitely disfigurement, and definitely excessive bleeding that has required intervention by GU specialists, suturing. Complications occur frequently.

…When babies are born, one of the first developmental tasks is to learn to trust the world, which means being in the comforting arms of their mother and father. To subject them in the first couple of days after birth to this terribly painful procedure just seems like the wrong way to start life. But the bottom line is: it is not necessary.

Jacqueline Maire, RN

I am a retired nurse in France as well as in British Columbia, a mother, a grandmother, and today I really want to speak specifically to female circumcisers, those who cut the penis of little boys. I have questions. What is your excuse? Were you at one point molested by a male in your youth that makes you now take revenge on any penis whatsoever and whatever the age of the victim, in this case, a defenseless little boy? Did you ever have an orgasm? And I’m not talking while you’re making love, I’m just talking about sex. Never had an orgasm with an intact male and discovered the wonders and the perfection of the act? Well. I feel sorry for you, but this is not an excuse to take revenge on defenseless children, baby boys mostly and I don’t understand how you can do that without being ashamed of yourself. Well, it’s just excuses, or medical excuses, or plain and simple fallacies. I feel sorry for you, but I also feel ashamed in the name of womanhood. You don’t respect your Hippocratic oath if you even know what it’s all about. Well, I’ll remind you it’s first “do no harm.” You’re just plain bitches, and I’m not insulting the female dog there. You are very mean, and I’m disgusted.

Related: 10 Circumcision Myths – Let’s Get the Facts Straight

Dolores Sangiuliano, RN

I’m a registered nurse, and we have an ethical code, the AMA Code of Ethics for Nurses, and it states very clearly that we are charged with the duty to protect our vulnerable patients. If we’re not protecting our vulnerable patients, then our license isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. If anybody is vulnerable, it’s a newborn baby. You know, a child with no voice, and that’s why I carry this sign: “I will not do anything evil or malicious and I will not knowingly… assist in malpractice”.

Infant circumcision is maleficence and malpractice. It’s totally unethical. Proxy consent is only valid for a procedure. In other words, parents can give consent for a procedure for their child. That’s proxy consent in a case of treatment or diagnosis, and circumcision is neither. You’re not treating a disease, and you’re not trying to diagnose an illness. So it just flies in the face of everything we know to be ethical, right, and moral. And I believe that forced genital cutting, all forced genital cutting, is always wrong. It should be consented to, fully informed consent, and that fully informed consent needs to include what you’re cutting off the penis, the value of the foreskin, and the consequences of changing the structure from a mobile, fluid unit to this dowel like structure, and that needs to be included. Ethical nurses educate their patients. Ethical nurses teach intact care, and ethical nurses don’t participate in forced genital cutting ever.

A woman from Egypt came up to us and she said,” I totally agree with you. Female circumcision happens in our country all the time, and it’s illegal but it still goes on. And it’s our cultural shame.” And she said, “I totally understand you having your cultural shame for doing this and it is the same thing.” And we just had a total agreement conversation about, and it doesn’t matter the varying degrees. We don’t need to compare the varying degrees of harm. Because a lot of people say female circumcision is much worse. But right out of her mouth she said, “But no, it’s the same. To the person having it done, it’s the same.” That was really good.

A Danish woman came and said, during her college days, she came to the United States and had a little bit of fun one season and she had sex with an American man. She was horrified because she didn’t know what had happened to him. She thought he had been in some sort of industrial accident. She didn’t know how to ask him or how to approach it. So that was an interesting tale, and I really appreciated the term industrial accident in a new way cause this is an industry, the medical industry. It’s not so accidental. Although their intention is to say that they’ve improved our males, they, perhaps by accident, devastated us and devastated so many men sexually and in their souls.

Kira Antinuk RN

Feminism, at its best, encourages me to think broadly and critically about the potentially harmful effects of gender constructions on all people. To me, feminism should be more than a narrow interest group of women who care only about women’s issues or women’s rights. My feminism is bigger than that. I believe that feminism can help us to identify and challenge discourses and practices that engender all of us.

… Upon review in 2009, scholars Marie Fox and Michael Thompson found that most feminists’ considerations of female genital cutting either omit to consider male genital cutting altogether or deem it a matter of little ethical or legal concern. Why might this be? So biomedical ethicist Dena Davis observed that the very use of the term “circumcision” carries vaguely medical connotations and serves to normalize the practice of male genital cutting.

Conversely, it’s worth noting, how the term female circumcision was essentially erased from academic, legal, and to some extent popular discourse following the World Health Organization’s re-designation of the practice as FGM or female genital mutilation in 1990. The WHO’s justification was that the new terminology carried stronger moral weight. So, terminology then, as well as the differential constructions of the practices themselves seems to protect male genital cutting from the critical scrutiny that other practices like female genital cutting attract.

Now it seems pretty clear to me, that this asymmetry extends to the very different understandings of genitalia and human tissue that we all have. Here in the West, for example, we’re heavily invested in the clitoris to the extent, that its excision results in what Canadian anthropologist Janice Body referred to as “serious personal diminishment.” Janice Body went on to say, “We customarily amputate babies’ foreskins, not with some controversy, but little alarm. Yet global censure of these practices is scarcely comparable to that level of female circumcision. Is it because these excisions are performed on boys and only girls and women figure as victims in our cultural lexicon?”

Sophia Murdock, RN

After we had taken the newborn back to the “circ room” in the nursery, I watched the nurse gather the necessary supplies, place him on a plastic board [a circumstraint], and secure his arms and legs with Velcro straps. He started crying as his tiny and delicate body was positioned onto the board, and I instantly felt uncomfortable and disturbed seeing this helpless newborn with his limbs extended in such an unnatural position, against his will. My instincts wanted to unstrap him, pick him up, and comfort and protect him. I felt an intense sensation of apprehension and dread about what would be done to him. When the doctor entered the room, my body froze, my stomach dropped, and my chest tightened.

This precious baby was an actual person. He was a 2-day-old boy named Landon, but the doctor barely acknowledged him before administering an injection of lidocaine into his penis.

Instantly, Landon began to let out a horrifying cry. It was a sound that is not normally ever heard in nature because this trauma is so far outside of the normal range of experiences and expectations for a newborn.

The doctor, perhaps sensing how horrified I was, tried to assure me that the baby was crying because he didn’t like being strapped onto the board. He began the circumcision procedure right away, barely giving the anesthetic any time to take effect.

Landon’s cries became even more intense, something I hadn’t imagined was possible. It seemed as if his lungs were unable to keep up with his screams and desperate attempts to maintain his respirations.

Seeing how nonchalant everyone in the room was about Landon’s obvious distress was one of the most chilling and harrowing things I had ever witnessed. I honestly don’t remember the actual procedure, even though the doctor was explaining it to me. I can’t recall a word he said during or after because I wasn’t able to focus on anything but Landon’s screams and why no one seemed to care. I only remember that the nurse attempted to give him a pacifier with glucose/fructose at some point.

Landon was “sleeping” by the end of the circumcision, but I knew it was from exhaustion and defeat. I had watched as his fragile, desperate, and immobilized body struggled and resisted until it couldn’t do so anymore and gave up.

Seeing this happen made me feel completely sick to my stomach, and I told myself that I would absolutely refuse to watch another circumcision if the opportunity presented itself again. I was unable to stop thinking about what I saw and heard…

The sounds that I heard come from Landon as he screamed and cried out still haunt me to this day.

Darlene Owen, RN

The truth about circumcision is that it is not medically necessary. It is not cleaner. Studies have proven again and again that it has no direct relation on cancer etc. as was once thought. It is also a very painful procedure. The baby does feel it, experience it.

There have been studies that demonstrate actual MRI changes within an infant’s brain after a circumcision has been performed.

As for those who claim “it looks better”, my response is, “Really? Based on whose decision?” A penis with a foreskin is how the penis is supposed to look. The foreskin has a function. It provides protection of the very sensitive glans (head) of the penis, and it provides ease during intercourse. During intercourse, the penis moves within its foreskin, preventing rubbing or friction of the vagina, which makes intercourse far more pleasurable for both the man and woman.

Many people will respond in outrage over female circumcision, yet still consider circumcision of males “the norm.”

Many parents aren’t properly informed of the procedure. It IS a very serious procedure with very many real risks involved. In my experience as a post-partum nurse, many parents who were led to believe it was a “minor” procedure and observed their sons’ circumcision, were sickened just as I was at the actual pain and distress it caused their infant. I have had many patients who, after witnessing their first son’s circumcision, decided immediately that they would not get any other boys they may have circumcised. Many parents told me that they wished they had known just how painful it would be for their son, that they would not have even considered it if they had known what is actually involved.

As for the argument that many men want their son to look like them, my answer is, “Why?” It is a stupid argument. Why can’t parents simply teach their son that their son’s penis is “normal and healthy”, that “Daddy had his normal, healthy functioning skin of his penis removed surgically, unnecessarily.” I also always say to those people, “Really? Well, watch an actual circumcision, and see if you still feel that way afterwards.” I have yet to see any parent watch a video, or view an actual circumcision procedure, who is not completely against the idea afterwards.

An uncircumcised penis is very easy to keep clean. There is no special care required. The saying goes, “Clean only what is seen.”

As for worrying about the son’s foreskin not retracting, and needing a circumcision later in life, that actually only occurs in a very, very small number of males. However, even if the male does need the surgery later in life, he will be put to sleep for the procedure and will not feel it. He will also be managed comfortably with pain medication. A newborn doesn’t have any of those benefits. A newborn is awake for it, will feel it, and doesn’t receive any pain medication.

Ask any grown male if he’d get his penis circumcised while awake, with no freezing, and I guarantee you’d hear a very loud resounding “NO!” Yet, many men will put their newborn son through it. Doesn’t make much sense does it?

I realize that at one time it was considered the norm. Now, however, with all of the education about it, I cannot understand why parents still proceed to put their tiny little newborn son through such a horrific experience.

I am proud to say that I am an intactivist and the proud mom of two gorgeous, healthy, intact boys.

Related: Doctors Against Vaccines – Hear From Those Who Have Done the Research

Andrew, RN

I am a registered nurse. I work at a DC hospital. It’s not part of my current job, but when I was in nursing school, I witnessed several circumcisions as part of my rotation, and I was interested in it because personally, I had developed an opposition to circumcision.

As an adult, I never had to be part of that decision not having a child. But I knew that if I did, it was one that I would want to make. And when I had the opportunity, I asked a doctor whom I watched perform it if he thought it was medically necessary because in my education, it is no longer stated, there is no longer a valid medical claim being made in the literature including in my nursing textbooks and so how can you justify it? And he said that he doesn’t personally justify it. He just knows that for the time being, it will continue to be done and he wants it done humanely and as well as possible. And he said “And I do it well” And indeed, he seemed to be proficient in it. I then asked him if he had noticed that the husband of the couple who had just had it done had seemed like he had his doubts and he said, “Yeah, I noticed that too”. “Do you think someone should have discussed it further with him because he clearly didn’t support the decision.” And then he said that that happens all the time, that one of the two of the couple want that decision made and the other go along with it.

My nurse’s perspective is that part of our job as an educator is to give more information, and so that would have been a great opportunity for someone to give that couple more information about whatever concerns the mother had that made her think that circumcision was the best decision. She seemed actually like she had some ill-conceived notions about the difficulty of keeping it clean, things that I knew that medically were not actually accurate. I actually thought at that time that I saw an opportunity for nurses to step in and educate her, to help and not tell the couple what they should do, but make sure they had the best information possible to make a decision, that again, is no longer being promoted clearly on the literature as medically necessary, including in my textbooks, and this was just last year.

Carole Alley, RN

And after the strap down and tie, they’re still screaming. The screaming lasts the entire time. And I don’t know if you’ve ever heard a baby scream like that. It’s not a regular cry. It’s not a cry of hunger or a cry of wanting to be hugged or a cry of having a wet diaper. This is a cry of incredible pain. I mean, it goes right through your body. Every cell in your body responds. And then the child is circumcised. You know, there are two different ways of doing it. Sometimes anesthesia local will be used but for the most part, I’ve never seen babies stop crying, even if that’s given. A lot of the time, it’s not used. More often than not, it’s not used. And then the clamp goes over the baby’s penis and the foreskin is cut off.

Patricia Worth, RN

In my opinion, this is an abuse. There is not enough information out there to convince me that this is medically necessary. And just as I can read through the Old Testament of the Bible, and stoning women to death because they committed adultery, I see as abusive, this “ancient covenant,” I look at it as a well, the human race has done all kinds of things and thought was the best thing at the time, and in retrospect, we can look back and go, blood sacrifice of human beings? This is not right. This is not morally right. This is not ethical. And especially when you’re taking someone who has not consented. Parents can consent all they want. This does not mean the child has consented to this.

Marilyn Milos, RN The Mother of the Intactivist Movement

While working as a nurse in a hospital, she learned about circumcision by assisting doctors during the procedure. The obvious pain and distress felt by the infant prompted Marilyn to research circumcision. Afterwards, she was able to provide parents with all of the facts.

By offering true informed consent, she dramatically cut into her hospitals’ cutting business. She was fired. Undaunted, she went to work saving our sons. She founded a non-profit known as NOCIRC, demonstrating that one person can still make a difference.

Here are her words:

The more we understand what was taken, the more we understand the harm of circumcision, that it is a primal wound, that it does interfere with the maternal-infant bond, that it disturbs breastfeeding and normal sleep patterns. Most importantly, that it undermines the first developmental task, which is to establish trust. And how can that male ever trust again? And I think that’s very hard for a lot of men and why men need to have control and be in control, and their reactions to make themselves more safe.

It was so amazing to me when I worked in a hospital, and my first question would be, “I see—I see that you’re gonna have the baby circumcised, and may I ask why you’ve chosen circumcision for your baby?” And they would say, “Oh, because I’m a Christian.” And I said, “Do you know that there’s 120 references to circumcision in the New Testament, that circumcision is of no value? If you’re a Christian you don’t live by outward signs. You live by faith expressed through love. Christ shed the last—was the last to shed the blood. He was the ultimate blood sacrifice for everybody. We don’t need to do this again.”

Conclusion

The hardest moral dilemmas seem to lie at the crossroads of two or more moral principles. In this instance, the right to religious freedom and the right to bodily integrity are in conflict for some parents. But if we are to uphold the right to bodily integrity for girls regardless of religion (Muslims often circumcise girls), shouldn’t we allow the same protection for boys?

Although religion is a factor, many parents choose circumcision simply because it is considered the norm. Myths about disease and cleanliness add to the confusion. When parents are not given all the facts, they cannot make an informed decision. On average, nurses are poorly equipped to answer their questions about circumcision. They do not educate parents, explaining the 16 functions of the foreskin or teach parents how to care for an intact child. (Nothing! Do not retract the foreskin. It cleans itself!)

Our sons’ genitals are carved apart in the name of healthcare when in actuality the practice is a profit-making enterprise. Circumcisions generate a lot of money for hospitals, while intact penises bring in no money at all. So while it is ethical for a nurse to provide parents with informed consent, it is wholly unprofitable for them to do so.

The truth will win. Circumcision is a profound violation of human rights. This conclusion is inescapable once we begin to think critically about the practice.

Author’s Note:

Male genital mutilation is still legal in all 50 states, and although Marilyn Milos hasn’t yet completely changed the world, she changed mine.

I am the second born of two sons. My older brother was circumcised. I was not.

Before my birth, my mother met a neighbor who had been given literature from NOCIRC. The sharing of this information about the benefits of the foreskin and the dangers and drawbacks of circumcision is the reason I was left intact.

Marilyn Milos bet on the idea that when given all the facts, more parents would make the right decision, and in my case she was spot on. I am intact, my sons are intact, and my nephews are intact.

Marilyn, I can never thank you enough for what you’ve done for me and for my family. You are an inspiration to us all.

Sources

Circumcision- A Male RN’s Perspective: Chris – Dr.Momma.org

Ethical Nurse Refuses to Assist Infant Circumcision: Dolores Sanguiliano – YouTube

Nurses For the Rights of the Child

Nurse Questions Women Who Sexually Mutilate Boys: Jacqueline Maire – YouTube

Registered Nurse Shares Thoughts About Circumcision: Andrew – YouTube

Nurses Against Circumcision was originally published on Organic Lifestyle Magazine

#Circumcision #Intact #Intactivism

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brittanyyoungblog · 5 years

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How Civilization Has Changed Sex and the Future of Sex: A Conversation with Dr. Christopher Ryan

I recently interviewed Dr. Christopher Ryan (author of Sex at Dawn) about his latest book, Civilized to Death: The Price of Progress. Ryan argues that while we like to think that civilization is our greatest human accomplishment and that every advance we’ve made—scientific, medical, or otherwise—has made things better, the truth is that every advancement has brought with it a different set of problems. And, sometimes, the new problems are more serious than the ones we were trying to fix.

CIVILIZED TO DEATH AUTHOR DR. CHRISTOPHER RYAN. IMAGE COURTESY OF AVID READER PRESS. PHOTO BY JOSHUA LACUNHA.

This is the second half of my interview series with Dr. Ryan in which we focus on the ways that civilization has changed sex and reproduction, as well as the future of sex. In case you missed Part 1, check it out first here, where we talk about sexual repression, sex education, and how sex varies across cultures, among other things.

The rest of my conversation with Ryan appears below, which has been lightly edited for clarity.

Lehmiller: Let’s talk a bit about the ways that civilization has changed sexual health and reproduction. One of the things you talked about in the book that I thought was really interesting was how civilization has contributed to a rise in breast cancer, which you tie to changes in how often women are going through their menstrual cycle. Can you talk a little bit about that?

Ryan: We know that when women ovulate, there are hormonal surges that happen at ovulation and menstruation, which can affect rates of cellular growth that can result in mutations. Of course, cellular mutations are what give rise to cancer, all sorts of cancer, but in this case, particularly breast and ovarian cancer are what doctors are looking at. Doctors are finally turning to look at the differences between the ancestral environment and the modern environment and finding, in many cases, keys to understanding problems. We see this in diet, we see it in our exercise patterns, our stress patterns, our sleep patterns—all of these different areas. We can look at the differences between how our ancestors evolved and how we're living today and see the conflict points between those two things and how they generate various health problems, whether it be diabetes or heart disease or structural problems in the back, chronic pains, depression, even suicide.

In the case you're referring to here, what's really interesting is that if you look at a typical woman's life in pre-history, what you would find is that the hunter-gatherers don't start menstruating until they're 17-18 years old. They would begin having sex quite a bit before that, but their menstrual cycles don't begin until 17 or 18 because of the fact they have much lower body fat and their environment doesn't contain as many estrogenic compounds as are found in the contemporary environment.

So a woman starts menstruating around 17 and this lasts until menopause typically hits at mid-50s on average. She would become pregnant early on, have a baby, and breastfeed for around four years. Between the pregnancy and the four years of breastfeeding, she would not ovulate because a woman's body will not ovulate while she's breastfeeding, assuming that her body fat content is quite low, which is typical of hunter-gatherers. Then she would stop breastfeeding and maybe get pregnant again in the next year or year and a half, and then go through the cycle again.

By contrast, modern women begin menstruating at age 11-12 and are only having one, maybe two pregnancies in their lifetime. And if they breastfeed at all, it's typically only for a few months. So if you run the numbers, modern women go through the menstrual cycle four to five times as often as prehistoric women did. So this is a very clear case where the body is being pushed into a very unnatural situation. Now, no one has definitively established this, but researchers are very concerned about the fact that women's bodies are going through these hormonal changes several times more frequently than would be expected in our ancestral environment.

Lehmiller: That's so interesting and something that I hadn't really thought much about before, but it’s a prime example of how our bodies today are different and being affected by civilization in ways that are radically different from how they would have been in much earlier times and environments.

Something else that’s different is how women give birth today compared to how they did in the past. You mentioned briefly in the book that there's been this dramatic rise in C-section births even when they're not medically necessary. How is that affecting human health? What's the link between C-sections and infant health?

CIVILIZED TO DEATH. IMAGE COURTESY OF AVID READER PRESS

Ryan: Well, there seem to be several different implications here, and not only for the health of the infant, but also for the health of the mother. In fact, some researchers think that postpartum depression could be linked to skipping over the process of giving birth and the hormonal changes that happen within the mother as she gives birth. So that's an interesting application. But as far as the health of the child, the main concern is that when a child is born vaginally, the child receives the mother's microbiome on the child's face, in their eyes, in their mouth, on their skin. Vaginal secretions coat the child through the birth canal, and these beneficial bacteria that the child receives from the mother colonize the newborn and will stay on that child's body throughout his or her life. Being colonized with this beneficial bacteria stops other bacteria from getting a foothold.

A lot of people don’t realize this, but each one of us is a swarming community of microbes, both on the surface of our bodies and in our digestive systems. A lot of autoimmune disorders seem to be related to imbalances in the microbiome, including mental health issues, which seem to be related to the gut. This is very cutting-edge research that is just really getting interesting at the moment. But certainly digestive disorders, mood disorders, asthma, Crohn's disease—many different disorders seem to be related to imbalances in the microbiome.

So doctors recently have started taking vaginal swabs from the mother and rubbing them on the face and the mouth and the eyes of children born by C-section to try to establish this microbiome colony on the child before the sort of random and often dangerous microbes from elsewhere can establish themselves.

Researchers have found that kids who are delivered by C-section tend to be covered with the bacteria that just happens to be in the hospital room or on the hands of the doctors and nurses. This is clearly a problem for kids. The mother’s colony of defensive microbes is primed to help that kid. They've evolved in the mother over her lifetime to be beneficial to the child.

It's the same thing with breastfeeding. The colostrum and the first few days of breastfeeding is very rich in the bacteria that the child needs in his or her digestive system for the rest of their life.

Lehmiller: The switch away from breastfeeding toward formula is definitely another way that civilization is changing reproduction and potentially impacting our health.

So we've talked a bit about civilization and how it affects women's bodies and reproduction, but there are also implications for men, right? One example that you point out in the book is that we do all of this routine circumcision on male infants in the United States when it's not medically indicated. It's something that's often done without any real thought. Do you have any sense of what the effects of circumcision are when it’s performed on this routine basis?

Ryan: To be honest, I'm far from an expert on this, but as you say, it's routine in the United States for absolutely no medical reason. The reason that it continues to be ubiquitous is cultural drift. It began with John Harvey Kellogg and the anti-masturbation frenzy of the 19th century.

As far as its effects on boys and men, as I said, I don't have any concrete data, but it certainly seems that this kind of a traumatic experience for an infant would have lasting effects. We used to think that infants couldn't feel pain, so they weren't given any anesthesia because their underdeveloped brains were incapable of experiencing pain. If you've ever heard a baby cry, that seems like a completely absurd notion, but it’s amazing what delusions we can think ourselves into.

So I think just starting with one of your very first experiences being extremely painful, being held down, and having possibly the most vulnerable and sensitive area on your entire body cut can't have any sort of positive effects.

Lehmiller: With all of these different issues that we've talked about here, what’s your take on the future—and the future of sex in particular? Are you optimistic or pessimistic?

Ryan: I don't know whether I call myself optimistic or pessimistic or realistic, Everybody thinks they're realist, but I think that I don't know what's happening. I think we're at a pivot point—a real turning point for humanity. And I can't claim to know what's going to happen.

As I outlined in the book, I think there are three possibilities. One is that we continue going down the path that we're on, which is a hybridization of a humanity and technology where we continue to be absorbed into our phones and the virtual world allows the destruction of the biological world. We colonize Mars and follow the Elon Musk vision of humanity's trajectory. In that case, I think sexuality will continue to be controlled and restrained and redirected into technology in the form of sex dolls and robots and controlled breeding programs. There will be a lot of people just checking out of sex entirely, as is already happening in Japan and other parts of the world.

I think that's one possibility. I think another possibility is civilizational collapse. Every civilization that's ever existed has collapsed, and there's no reason to think ours is somehow uniquely immune to the causes of collapse. In fact, if you study previous civilizations in their collapses, to me it looks pretty clear that we're already in the process of collapse.

The third possibility is much more optimistic and it's one in which we've been on this journey—sort of like Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero's Journey,” where he wrote that the origin myths of every society in the world align pretty closely to the story of the young person who goes out, leaves home, and has challenges and adventures and meets all these interesting characters and has near-death experiences. And then they return home with the knowledge that they've gained on this journey and they're able to bring a balance and abundance to their home that they never had before. I hope that's what we're doing. I hope that we're at this turning point where we're starting to turn back toward home.

I think there's a lot of evidence for this. I see it in the fascination with the paleo movement. And people looking to tribalize their lives. There's also van life—lots of people want to live in vans. Ten years ago, if you lived in a van, it was an act of desperation. Now people are choosing to do that because of the freedom and the minimalism. People are understanding that more possessions don’t lead to greater happiness. They're cutting back on their possessions. They're simplifying their lives in order to have richer experiences and relationships.

So if in fact we're at this turning point where we're turning back toward home, then I hope and expect that our sexual experiences will reflect that same yearning for where we came from. And as I explicated in Sex at Dawn, we came from a place where sexuality was not seen as a possession to be jealously guarded, but as a beautiful way of connecting with people that we love and trust and rely upon. And building these interconnected networks of intimacy allowed us to flourish as a species up until the advent of agriculture.

I see this happening all around me. I see friends buying land and going off and living together and helping each other raise kids and taking care of each other as they get old. I see this sort of mutual dependence—a celebration of mutual dependence—becoming more and more popular as we see the promises of civilization being betrayed. People are realizing there might not be social security, so they better put together a community of people who are going to take care of each other.

There's an expression that I love in Africa, which is that the best place to store extra food is in your friend's stomach. I think that if we looked at life that way and at other levels—not only food, but maybe the best place to store some of your savings is helping your friend pay off his mortgage or helping somebody take care of their children when they're young and struggling and then later they'll take care of you—I think this is a very natural way for us to live. As we see the structures of civilization collapsing, we will in fact be forced to turn to each other.

I think that as we do, we'll find that we're actually much happier. You know the insurance commercial, “like a good neighbor, State Farm is there?” I keep thinking, no, I'd rather have the good neighbor. I don't need the company who's pretending to be a good neighbor.

Be sure to check out Dr. Ryan’s new book Civilized to Death and read my review of Ryan’s previous book Sex at Dawn here.

Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook (facebook.com/psychologyofsex), Twitter (@JustinLehmiller), or Reddit (reddit.com/r/psychologyofsex) to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram.

Image Credits: Avid Reader Press

Check out these other interviews with authors:

Sex and Psychology Podcast: An Interview with the Gottmans on Sex, Love, and Relationships

Better Sex Through Mindfulness: An Interview With Dr. Lori Brotto (VIDEO)

ADHD After Dark: How ADHD Affects People’s Sex and Love Lives

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#IFTTT #Meet Positives SMFeed 8

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ellenlucasonlinedatingblog · 5 years

Text

How Civilization Has Changed Sex and the Future of Sex: A Conversation with Dr. Christopher Ryan

CIVILIZED TO DEATH AUTHOR DR. CHRISTOPHER RYAN. IMAGE COURTESY OF AVID READER PRESS. PHOTO BY JOSHUA LACUNHA.

The rest of my conversation with Ryan appears below, which has been lightly edited for clarity.

CIVILIZED TO DEATH. IMAGE COURTESY OF AVID READER PRESS

Lehmiller: The switch away from breastfeeding toward formula is definitely another way that civilization is changing reproduction and potentially impacting our health.

Lehmiller: With all of these different issues that we've talked about here, what’s your take on the future—and the future of sex in particular? Are you optimistic or pessimistic?

Be sure to check out Dr. Ryan’s new book Civilized to Death and read my review of Ryan’s previous book Sex at Dawn here.

Image Credits: Avid Reader Press

Check out these other interviews with authors:

Sex and Psychology Podcast: An Interview with the Gottmans on Sex, Love, and Relationships

Better Sex Through Mindfulness: An Interview With Dr. Lori Brotto (VIDEO)

ADHD After Dark: How ADHD Affects People’s Sex and Love Lives

from MeetPositives SM Feed 4 https://ift.tt/2OHjeLj via IFTTT

#IFTTT #MeetPositives SM Feed 4

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robbiemeadow · 5 years

Text

How Civilization Has Changed Sex and the Future of Sex: A Conversation with Dr. Christopher Ryan

CIVILIZED TO DEATH AUTHOR DR. CHRISTOPHER RYAN. IMAGE COURTESY OF AVID READER PRESS. PHOTO BY JOSHUA LACUNHA.

The rest of my conversation with Ryan appears below, which has been lightly edited for clarity.

CIVILIZED TO DEATH. IMAGE COURTESY OF AVID READER PRESS

Lehmiller: The switch away from breastfeeding toward formula is definitely another way that civilization is changing reproduction and potentially impacting our health.

Lehmiller: With all of these different issues that we've talked about here, what’s your take on the future—and the future of sex in particular? Are you optimistic or pessimistic?

Be sure to check out Dr. Ryan’s new book Civilized to Death and read my review of Ryan’s previous book Sex at Dawn here.

Image Credits: Avid Reader Press

Check out these other interviews with authors:

Sex and Psychology Podcast: An Interview with the Gottmans on Sex, Love, and Relationships

Better Sex Through Mindfulness: An Interview With Dr. Lori Brotto (VIDEO)

ADHD After Dark: How ADHD Affects People’s Sex and Love Lives

from Meet Positives SM Feed 5 https://ift.tt/2OHjeLj via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Meet Positives SM Feed 5

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gcintheme-blog · 7 years

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42 Things “Male Feminists/Allies” Need to Work On

Too many men say they support women in the broad sense without addressing the sexist things they do almost every day. They expect women to praise them for doing the bare minimum like saying “I am a feminist” and sometimes even think this entitles them to special affection from women (eww). So guys, here are 42 myself and my sisters have personally noticed “feminist” men seriously need to address.

(To clarify, feminism isn’t for men. It it for the liberation of women. Certain aspects of this, like destroying certain certain gender roles, may benefit some men. But men are the oppressors as a class whereas women are the oppressed. Men: stop commandeering our movement.)

Don’t use sexist words. Bitch, cunt, slut, whore, twat, skank, dyke, pussy, sissy, tramp. These are all sexist words. And “I use this word to describe anyone who does X!” does not make it any less sexist. These words all have roots in demeaning women.

Call out your male friends when they use sexist language. Even if there aren’t any women around, using this language shows that they think, at least in some ways, women are lesser than they are and it’s acceptable to talk about us in a derogatory way. Call out friends who engage in rape culture.

Challenge sexism on the internet and social media.

Don’t use condescending terms like “honey” and “sweetie” to adults. This is infantilizing.

Be aware of other words that are often used to demean women such as bossy, ditzy, or nagging and don’t use them.

Don’t watch porn. Pornography sells women’s bodies as commodities and it is also virtually impossible to know whether the woman on the screen is trafficked or not. Even if she isn’t, women’s bodies are not for male consumption.

Don’t interrupt women.

Hold other men accountable for interrupting women. “Excuse me, she was speaking.”

Advocate for hiring and promoting women in your workplace.

Do not expect women to take on stereotypically women’s roles in the workforce that aren’t part of their job description, such as organizing for birthdays or taking meeting notes.

Don’t derail discussions about women’s issues. Organize your own discussions and movements for men’s issues. For example, do not derail discussions about FGM with “What about male circumcision?” You are more than welcome to organize a movement for stopping male circumcision. I think you will find most feminists will support you.

Accept “no” the first time. Do not try to change her mind or keep asking. Rejecting a man can be terrifying because sometimes men attack or even murder women for saying no. We really don’t know who might suddenly turn physically violent so don’t force us to say no more than once. The first time should be enough.

If consuming drugs or alcohol causes you to lose the ability to make good choices, become violent, or act poorly toward women (or anyone, really, including yourself), do not consume drugs or alcohol. Being drunk or high is not an excuse. If you are struggling with addiction, here is a list of addiction and substance abuse organizations.

Don’t expect the women you live with to do all the domestic labor. If you live there, you do your share of the chores unless there is some other agreement in place.

Divide childcare equally. If you father children, you are a parent too. You are not a hero for taking care of your own children.

Educate yourself and others on consent. Here is a very brief overview.

You are not entitled to sex. Nothing you do, say, or feel that you are entitles you to sex. Do not ever pressure someone to have sex with you or guilt someone for saying no.

Consent to sex with a condom is just that: consent to sex with a condom. Do not remove your condom. This is rape. Do not pressure someone to have sex without a condom once they have said they are uncomfortable with sex without a condom. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have one and you really want to have sex. It doesn’t matter if she takes birth control. You are not entitled to sex.

Do not suggest being a “nice guy” or self-identifying as a feminist/ally means women should flock to you. You are not entitled to sex.

Do not comment on women’s dating choices or suggest we are “wrong” for not dating you. You are not entitled to sex.

Don’t leer at or make sexual comments about women. Don’t bother women minding their own business.

Do not make inappropriate comments about women to other people. It is embarrassing and demeaning.

Don’t make comments on a woman’s body parts. Women don’t exist for your consumption.

Be aware of your space in public. For example, if there are several open seats on a train, don’t take the one next to a woman sitting alone if you don’t have to. If a woman is using a cash machine, stand back several steps until she finishes. We don’t know which men might be sexually abusive or violent so avoid putting us in a position to be afraid if you don’t have to. This also protects you because you won’t be suspected of doing something creepy if you aren’t near anyone to creep on.

Don’t expect women to do all the emotional labor in your relationships. Women are often exploited for our emotional labor. Hire a therapist if you need one and pay him or her for their time and expertise.

Don’t flirt at inappropriate times. When women are present to engage in something and share our ideas (for example at a political meeting) it can feel extremely belittling when men are more interested in flirting with us than hearing what we have to say.

Do not commandeer women’s spaces. We have these spaces to be safe from routine and often violent harassment from men. They are not for you. Do not force yourself into them.

Do not police how women talk about our bodies.

Do not explain things to women that we already know just to show how smart you think you are.

Do not ask or infer a woman is menstruating if she is irritated by something.

Do not blame women for male violence. Feminism is not the reason men assault other men. Men assault other men.

Do not blame women for cultural norms that you believe hurt men. Men set these norms. For example, women and feminism are not the reason men feel emasculated if they wear makeup to cover acne. Male supremacy set these norms and attacks men who do not follow them just as it attacks and oppresses women.

Do not deny male privilege. I’ve already done a post on five ways society disadvantages female infants and you can search for the thousands of ways male privilege exists. Boys and men are privileged from birth. Do not deny this or try to deny your own male privilege.

Do not pretend men acting stereotypically feminine negates male privilege. Feminine men are still men and though they might be subjected to male violence for being gender nonconforming, they still have male privilege that women will never have. Gender nonconforming men face problems for being gender nonconforming but they are still men.

Do not pretend calling oneself a woman negates male privilege.

Do not pretend men can be as or more oppressed than women by asserting they are women.

Do not spread false information about female biology. No, the vagina does not become looser if a woman has more sex partners. No, a vagina is not just a sleeve of skin for sex.

Do not advance the false notion that male and female brains are fundamentally different. They aren’t. This idea oppresses women by arguing that we are neurologically different from men and allows men to argue we are less intelligent/better geared toward certain jobs (usually domestic work)/naturally embody sexist stereotypes.

Do not use a definition of woman that implies adherence to feminine gender roles (which are patriarchal) or self-identification. Women are an oppressed class of people from birth because of our anatomy and reproductive roles. To use a definition of womanhood based on self-identification suggests that women can identify in and out of our positions as oppressed people, or that we brought this oppression on ourselves.

Do not tell women to “calm down” or “relax” when we are passionate about something.

Do not expect women to accept every “compliment” or “nice” gesture from men. We are allowed to turn down compliments or advances.

Listen to women when we speak.

#feminism #sexism #male feminists #allies #everyday sexism

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hurt-by-circumcision · 8 years

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Calling all circumcised men: has your circumcision impacted you negatively?

Some may shrug routine circumcision off and argue that it’s no big deal. To some men, however, it is a big deal. This blog is dedicated to building a portfolio of thoughts, feelings and stories that convey how some men feel about their being circumcised without their consent (sort of like a confessional blog). I wish to showcase the physical, emotional and psychological consequences that this surgery has, in a gentle and artistic way.

Men who are happy with their circumcision: this project is not for you, but all the power to you. The main focus here is to listen to the voices of those who are struggling, unhappy, angry, depressed, or simply irritated. To listen to men when they say they struggle with their body image or do not feel complete due to their circumcision. And to see the hope of men who are undergoing foreskin restoration.

I am very passionate about this. People I have spoken to, both over the internet and in reality, argue that circumcision is no big deal and that men are not affected. I know that this is not true and I want to show people the harm that this surgery is causing, and I’d like to take a different approach to telling people about it.

Circumcised men: if you have been negatively affected by circumcision in any way, please send me a message / ask and tell me about it.

Write a few words, write something poetic, tell a story, describe how you feel, or simply rant. You are allowed to grieve, to cry and to be angry. Please allow me to show the world that circumcision does have a real, significant impact on men. You can include your first name / nickname or remain anonymous. I will combine your thoughts with my photography and then publish an online portfolio which aims to portray the way that men have been impacted. The portfolio will be here, on this blog, as well as on my website dedicated to ending routine infant circumcision in the western world. I will also try to put together a physical copy of the portfolio, a book of sorts. I aim to change one mind at a time, in order to stop - or even just reduce - forced circumcision and allow men to choose for themselves when they are older.

http://acaus.info | [email protected]

#circumcision #anti-circumcision #intactivist #intactivism

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psychologyofsex · 5 years

Text

How Civilization Has Changed Sex and the Future of Sex: A Conversation with Dr. Christopher Ryan

The rest of my conversation with Ryan appears below, which has been lightly edited for clarity.

Lehmiller: The switch away from breastfeeding toward formula is definitely another way that civilization is changing reproduction and potentially impacting our health.

Lehmiller: With all of these different issues that we've talked about here, what’s your take on the future—and the future of sex in particular? Are you optimistic or pessimistic?

Be sure to check out Dr. Ryan’s new book Civilized to Death and read my review of Ryan’s previous book Sex at Dawn here.

Image Credits: Avid Reader Press

Check out these other interviews with authors:

Sex and Psychology Podcast: An Interview with the Gottmans on Sex, Love, and Relationships

Better Sex Through Mindfulness: An Interview With Dr. Lori Brotto (VIDEO)

ADHD After Dark: How ADHD Affects People’s Sex and Love Lives

#book reviews #Sex at Dawn #civilization #health #breast cancer #circumcision #menstruation #menstrual cycle #ovulation #c-section #future of sex

0 notes

dutifullyhumongouswolf-blog · 7 years

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10 Bad Skin Behaviors To Stay clear of.

So it goes without saying that toner has once again established itself as a step deserving of being in our daily routines—partly because it no longer has to be an annoying thing to do, and partly because toning formulas are much more exciting than they used to be. Packed with the kind of skin-loving ingredients that reinforce the cleansers, serums, and moisturizers you're already loyal to, toners feel like something you want to use rather than something your nana swears by. If you're fretted that wrinkles on your neck will certainly indicate a lifetime of wearing turtlenecks, you could unwind. In 2000, the National Toxicology Program, which is run by the U.S. Department of Wellness as well as Person Solutions, announced that it would certainly study how retinyl-palmitate-treated skin responded to sunlight based on the significantly widespread use" of the compound in aesthetic items, consisting of sunscreens. These workouts might aid tone your facial muscular tissues, which will decrease the sagging, old and wrinkly look of your skin. All eggplant ranges must have skin that is devoid of creases and also soft places. Sunshine is a natural resource of vitamin D3, and also individuals that rarely or never go outside (for instance, those in assisted living facility or bedridden hospital individuals) are most likely to be deficient in it. For six months, we increased north just on weekend breaks, working furiously to tame a spot of the land as well as develop a one-room tarpaper shack where the five of us can rest. Curcumin will certainly be utilized in future skin care lotions to not just shield from radiation damages yet likewise recuperate skin. I was existing around with an ice pack on my temple and the ibuprofen close by, yet I was comfortable in knowing that I didn't need to say anything to my employer, due to the fact that all he anticipates from me is 8 hrs a day - he doesn't care WHICH 8 hrs I work. All-natural beauty infants will certainly like this matte cream from Aussie charm brand, Grown Alchemist. Egg white, secondhand coffee premises and also environment-friendly tea tighten pores, briefly tightening the skin. Avene formulate their items for delicate skin so the opportunity of response is tiny. I crave for Emily's harsh candour instead, her bold glorification of this earth-shattering, all-consuming wish to thaw, to unify with the one you want, with nary a look after exactly what it could involve. It leaves the skin looking pleasantly matte while offering broad range SPF 30 sun defense. Yet what everyone actually wants is not just avoidance, however a method to completely reduce the creases they've currently obtained. Your multivitamin should likewise consist of natural anti-oxidants called astaxanthin and lycopene. Systemic therapy uses various drugs that influence the entire body, not just the skin. I have the tendency to have pretty oily skin so I can not make use of anything too dry or whatever enters into over production, yet if I utilize anything also moisturizing my face feels sticky as well as gunky. A few days after obtaining sunburnt, your skin will begin to dry, which could cause irritability and also create the skin to peel. Excellent information, inning accordance with Farris: Several researches as well as testimonials have actually appeared in clinical journals confirming the capability of antioxidants to be taken in into skin cells. With a background in scientific research and software program modern technology, Adams is the original owner of the e-mail newsletter modern technology business called Arial Software program Using his technological experience incorporated with his love for all-natural health and wellness, Adams created and released the material management system presently owning He also syntheticed the high-level analytical algorithms that power, a huge research study resource featuring over 10 million clinical studies. Transmission personallies that take care of sick animals however do not remember having had a skin injury has likewise been documented, especially in cases including children and felines (10 ). The majority of the sores occur in revealed areas, predominantly in hands, arms, as well as face, with uncommon instances of systemic disease affecting bone, joints, meninges, and also other inner organs. Out of all the BB lotions I've tried, this is the one I maintain going back to. unmodedeviesain.fr/ take care of me is not practically insurance coverage, so any type of products that really concentrate on invigorating the skin, are always on top of my shopping list. While natural aging is genetically identified, external aging could be stopped. I have discoloration on both side of my lips near the moustache sides, and also the discoloration continues in the chin up until the neck which enhances when revealed to sun among my allopathy physician identified it as melasma and also suggested me lots of hydroquinone lotions. The luxury skin-care brand Su: m37 specializes in fragrance- and also preservative-free products with bamboo sap as well as other botanical components that have been fermented-- a process that launches enzymes and also amino acids that benefit the skin. But since pig collagen cannot penetrate the skin barrier, collagen-packed lotions have the tendency to rest on the skin and smooth great lines just temporarily. Male circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin, the fold of skin covering the end of the penis. However of course, the environment is an important part of the exhibit, and that means a massive quantity of work has been done to recreate properly everything from the ancient large owl to the bee hummingbird, the smallest bird worldwide. His eyes appeared to have pulled back deeper into their outlets in the short time we 'd been speaking. Between-group comparisons in distribution of modification from baseline groups of intensity were in favour of tazarotene (p = 0.055 for keratinocytic atypia, p = 0.034 for melanocytic atypia, as well as p

Prior to you spend a fortune on expensive skin care items, attempt dealing with the issue from the in out. The data supporting the benefit of activated charcoal for treating conditions such as gas, cholesterol, skin disease, as well as various other health problems remains unclear. Attempt to avoid items that contain high levels of caffeine such as coffee, power, tea, as well as cola drinks when taking melatonin. Tipping up your skin treatment routine is an easy means to improve the look of your skin. Apple cider vinegar can additionally help reduce red marks as well as acnes, as well as soften skin. Dr. Bunting claims: The high SPF teamed with light-weight appearance makes it excellent for oily skin. The recent study by researchers from a variety of study institutes across France has actually now made the connection between higher olive oil usage as well as the healthier look and aging of skin. Impacted people have white hair, eyebrows, as well as lashes, and also white skin at birth.

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myannoyingcollectorinternet-blog · 7 years

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Products That Cause Skin Allergic reactions.

Progesterone, marketed under the brand name Prometrium, is utilized to deal with overgrowth of the lining of the womb. Squamous cell skin cancers cells are extra aggressive than basal cell cancers; besides triggering neighborhood damage, they could spread, or spread, to other locations of the body. And also, concealer is also typically waterproof and excellent for those heavy coats (or swimmers!) who're searching for coverage. Coconut oil is an effective moisturizer that is helpful to restoring flaking or dry skin. Forget your ₤ 2 pot of standard balm: following year sees them obtaining all souped up. In February, Dior broadens its Lip Radiance series of lip care (including a lipliner with skin care buildings), Fillerina brings you a roll-on lip plumper (₤ 40, ) as well as Estée Lauder New Measurement Plump+ Load Expert Lip Treatment, (₤ 34, out in January) launches as a two-in-one smoothing and plumping treatment. So states Great Woman character Colin Thatcher, bragging about his survival abilities.

Although all-trans retinol has actually been utilized in OTC cosmetic items considering that 1984 (Rolewski 2003 ), its potential in the treatment of photoaging was understood when Kang et al (1995) showed that application of all-trans-retinol on typical human skin causes epidermal thickening and also improves the expression of CRABP II as well as CRBP healthy proteins and mrnas, as does retinoic acid. Surprisingly, both research studies resulted in a statistically considerable renovation in total look, great wrinkling, distinct pigmentation, sallowness, as well as appearance of photoaged skin without triggering any type of significant inflammation (Armstrong et al 1992; Sendagorta et alia 1992 ). Cons: Sex is much less enjoyable, for both men and women, and also the body organ itself is extra delicate compared to it should certainly be. I remember reviewing someplace that there are about 12 square inches of skin removed in circumcision. She keeps in mind that research has found that roughly 55 percent of all breast cancer tumors take place in the top outdoors portion of the breast, the section closest to the underarm. When digested act as an assistance to those essential fatty acids currently naturally present in the skin cells, nuts are high in necessary fatty acids and also. Simply think about just how healthy your hair is going to be, and you could finally experiment with all those great natural hairstyles you have actually been pinning! Depigmentation is normally irreversible and also leaves the skin without any protection from the sunlight. It was only on Day 4 that I started valuing the methods which the elegant $650 computer on my wrist was greater than just one more display By notifying me of digital events when they occurred, and letting me act upon them instantaneously, without needing to stumble for my phone, the Watch became something like an all-natural expansion of my body-- a direct link, in a manner that I've never really felt in the past, from the digital globe to my mind. So prepare for a brand-new generation of training and also firming products for chin to bust to land in your skincare routine. Last but not least, Clinique's All About Eyes decreases dark circles and also puffs around your peepers, as well as the Dramatically Different Hydrating Gel's non-greasy formula re-hydrates your complexion leaving it all set for structure. Do not cover the cured skin location unless your doctor tells you to. Stay clear of making use of bandages or dressings that do not permit air circulation. Currently, with an extravagant task, expensive wardrobe, as well as handsome blue blood fiancé, she's this close to living the best life she's functioned so hard to attain. I have truly bad skin i have acne marks on my cheeks and forehead likewise i have actually poor dark circles around my eyes and around my mouth. After that he takes place to utilize the same technique to contour his holy places and nose, prior to additionally making use of the knife to get a sharp brow line as well as best eye liner flick. These locations are considered the most delicate skin and even more prone to premature aging compared to various other areas of the body. Plus, the chemicals in cigarette smoke damage down the skin's fiber as well as elastin, as well as frequently pursing your lips develops fine lines around the mouth. In lifestyleblog-hu.com/ , she recommends three supplements that have actually proven to be exceptionally reliable in attending to specific skin problems. 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torreygazette · 7 years

Text

Baptismal Hypocrisy

"I’m not welcomed at this Church!"

How did it come to this? Imagine for one second, you have visited a church for a few months and have decided to join. There are not many churches in your town, but you need to be around the preached Word of God. You do the walking to the front of the church routine to publicly show you want to be a member—many in my tradition do not understand this practice, but it's normal in the evangelical land. Everyone is happy. They give you full on and side hugs as church comes to an end.

Then you go to the office. It looks quite shabby. There are degrees and pictures everywhere. There is even a Billy Graham photo next to Michael Bolton ... wait, nevermind that's supposed to be Jesus. Still, you talk to the leaders and they ask you a few questions. You inform them “Yes, I am baptized.” They ask if it was full immersion and what the status is for your kids. You answer, “We are all baptized. We were sprinkled in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit some as adults and others as infants. As our Lord commanded in Matthew 28:19-20.”

The tone changes, a look of puzzledness appears in their eye. They regretfully inform you that your baptism does not count and you are in rebellion to God. Okay, they might not say rebellion, but from their view, baptism is an act of obedience and you sir/madam are disobedient! And so they ask you to enroll in their 6-week new members class that ends with baptism to welcome you to the family of the Lord (as a symbolic gesture to represent your new life and being buried with Christ).

At first, you are puzzled, befuddled, and then angered because in all your studies you have never heard of this stance. You have studied the Methodist, Anglican, Lutheran, Episcopalian, Eastern Orthodox, Coptic, Reformed/Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic church and never once have you heard that your baptism was "invalid."

In Holy Writ, there are serious passages about taking the Lord Supper incorrectly. If this hypothetical church which stands against church history is correct, then you and your family have been taking the Lord's Supper wrong for decades:

28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself (1 Cor 11:28-29)

This passage is not directly about a non-baptized believer partaking in the Lord's Supper. But it would be hard to say that an unbaptized believer—in purposeful rebellion—should not be viewed in the same light. One stance universally and historical agreed upon throughout Christendom is that baptism is a sign of entrance into the new covenant and is required to be viewed as a member. (I would not be me if I did not tell you baptism is much more than that!)

In Holy Writ, people are baptized as soon as possible. Thus, the concept of a person in the faith that is not baptized is unfounded. They are basically saying I am not a Christian or that I am not in good standing as a Christian. So in the previous example, my family and I cannot officially be one with this visible church until I stop my rebellion and get really baptized (in my view re-baptized).

It is an un-argued fact, that since the 2nd century, church history states the universal church practice was infant baptism and sprinkling was not forbidden. But I am convinced by Scripture as well. A passage in Luke shows that it is possible for an infant to have faith and be moved by the Holy Spirit:

“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit” (Luke 1:41)

If this was in modern times little Johnny would be denied baptism and viewed as outside of the body of believers. When Scripture cites "bring the little children to me," do they think Jesus wanted to play peek-a-boo with the kids or hide-and-seek? Nowhere in any part of the bible has a child of a believer been viewed as a pagan or outside of the covenant of God because the promise is for the parent and their children:

“Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” (Acts 2-38-39)

To think that a church body would dis-fellowship and deny the majority of historic Christians from fellowship is appalling and offensive. Martin Luther one of the reformers credited with starting the Protestant Reformation would be denied membership because he was baptized as a baby. John Calvin’s father was close to the Rome Catholic Church, so it is safe to assume he was baptized as a baby too. He too would be denied. And a host of others from 100 A.D. til about 1800 A.D. would be told “you are not welcome or able to join our church body” by some churches. Let's look at a few.

Irenaeus

"He [Jesus] came to save all through himself; all, I say, who through him are reborn in God: infants, and children, and youths, and old men. Therefore he passed through every age, becoming an infant for infants, sanctifying infants; a child for children, sanctifying those who are of that age . . . [so that] he might be the perfect teacher in all things, perfect not only in respect to the setting forth of truth, perfect also in respect to relative age" (Against Heresies 2:22:4 [A.D. 189]).

Augustine

"What the universal Church holds, not as instituted [invented] by councils but as something always held, is most correctly believed to have been handed down by apostolic authority. Since others respond for children, so that the celebration of the sacrament may be complete for them, it is certainly availing to them for their consecration, because they themselves are not able to respond" (On Baptism, Against the Donatists 4:24:31 [A.D. 400]).

"The custom of Mother Church in baptizing infants is certainly not to be scorned, nor is it to be regarded in any way as superfluous, nor is it to be believed that its tradition is anything except apostolic" (The Literal Interpretation of Genesis 10:23:39 [A.D. 408]).

Hippolytus

"Baptize first the children, and if they can speak for themselves let them do so. Otherwise, let their parents or other relatives speak for them" (The Apostolic Tradition 21:16 [A.D. 215]).

Origen

"Every soul that is born into flesh is soiled by the filth of wickedness and sin. . . . In the Church, baptism is given for the remission of sins, and, according to the usage of the Church, baptism is given even to infants. If there were nothing in infants which required the remission of sins and nothing in them pertinent to forgiveness, the grace of baptism would seem superfluous" (Homilies on Leviticus 8:3 [A.D. 248]).

"The Church received from the apostles the tradition of giving baptism even to infants. The apostles, to whom were committed the secrets of the divine sacraments, knew there are in everyone innate strains of [original] sin, which must be washed away through water and the Spirit" (Commentaries on Romans 5:9 [A.D. 248]).

Cyprian of Carthage

"As to what pertains to the case of infants: You [Fidus] said that they ought not to be baptized within the second or third day after their birth, that the old law of circumcision must be taken into consideration, and that you did not think that one should be baptized and sanctified within the eighth day after his birth. In our council it seemed to us far otherwise. No one agreed to the course which you thought should be taken. Rather, we all judge that the mercy and grace of God ought to be denied to no man born" (Letters 64:2 [A.D. 253]).

"If, in the case of the worst sinners and those who formerly sinned much against God, when afterwards they believe, the remission of their sins is granted and no one is held back from baptism and grace, how much more, then, should an infant not be held back, who, having but recently been born, has done no sin, except that, born of the flesh according to Adam, he has contracted the contagion of that old death from his first being born. For this very reason does he [an infant] approach more easily to receive the remission of sins: because the sins forgiven him are not his own but those of another" (ibid., 64:5).

I have come to realize that I am not welcomed in many Baptist, non-denominational, or Pentecostal churches. Yes, all church bodies throughout history acknowledge that a member of a church should be baptized. But for these sects (!) that have requirements not accepted or practiced in the majority of the 2000 year history of the church (or forbidden in scripture), I wonder if they realize the weight of their stance?

It's just a minor doctrinal point in their eyes and it truly shows how ignorant they are to the weight of their stance. I contend that they should at least acknowledge the full weight of their stance and deny complete fellowship with every other tradition. If a person is not baptized, should a church body really welcome them into fellowship? Draw the line in the sand and stand by your choice to cast out most of the Holy Saints that has ever lived! Truth be told, most of these church bodies would rule me (and the Saints quoted) a heretic anyways, once I informed them what biblically happens in baptism. So maybe the mode or age isn't even of real importance.

This hypothetical example is the reality for many people. Teaching or requiring someone be re-baptized doesn't just mean their first baptism was invalid. It means they are not true members of the church. Please consider the full impact of the doctrines you and your church body hold.

#Baptism #Lutheran

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