The symbol of the Genital integrity movement is the ribbon Genital Integrity. It is pink and blue. Pink symbolizes girls; while blue symbolizes boys. The ribbon as a whole can symbolize intersexual people.

Genital integrity is a name for the principle that all human beings have the right to informed consent before any alteration is done to their genitals. Proponents oppose involuntary and medically unnecessary genital modification and mutilation, including male, female circumcision or sexual reassignment-surgery. Download high resolution version (439x790, 171 KB) This work is copyrighted. ... Download high resolution version (439x790, 171 KB) This work is copyrighted. ... Two Tamil girls in Tiruvannamalai. ... Four boys on the West Bank. ... An intersexual or intersex person (or animal of any unisexual species) is one who is born with genitalia and/or secondary sexual characteristics of indeterminate sex, or which combine features of both sexes. ... Genital modification and genital mutilation both can refer to permanent or temporary changes to the human genitals. ... It has been suggested that Circumcision advocacy be merged into this article or section. ... Female genital cutting (FGC) refers to amputation of any part of the female genitalia for cultural rather than medical reasons, not including genital modification of intersexuals or gender reassignment surgery. ... Sex reassignment surgery (SRS) includes the surgical procedures by which a persons physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are changed to that of the other sex. ...

Overview

This viewpoint contrasts with those of practitioners of Judaism and Islam, circumcision advocates and those who advocate sex reassignment among minors. Some in the Genital Integrity movement just oppose these procedures, saying they are unnecessary or harmful; others want them prohibited. Those promoting Genital Integrity as a fundamental human right are sometimes known as Intactivists. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Circumcision. ... Sex assignment refers to the assigning of sex at the birth of a baby. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ...

Current laws in many western world countries, and laws in several U.S. states, prohibit the genital modification and mutilation of female minors, with some exceptions based on medical need. Those advocating Genital Integrity assert that laws against genital modification and mutilation of minors should apply equally to males, females, and also to involuntary sex reassignment. See Occident (movement) for the French political movement. ... Sex assignment refers to the assigning of sex at the birth of a baby. ...

Thus, those who agree with Genital Integrity oppose involuntary circumcisions, particularly of minors, and especially infants. Genital Integrity does not imply bias against persons having any particular genital status, and those who agree with Genital Integrity accept the right of individuals to make informed choices about their bodies.

The Genital Integrity Ribbon was created by the "National Organization to Halt the Abuse and Routine Mutilation of Males" (NOHARMM). The pink ribbon symbolizes girls and blue symbolizes boys. The ribbon as a whole can symbolize intersexed people. Two Tamil girls in Tiruvannamalai. ... Four boys on the West Bank. ... An intersexual is a person (or individual of any unisexual species) who is born with genitalia and/or secondary sexual characteristics of indeterminate sex, or which combine features of both sexes. ...

History

From the late Nineteenth Century to the Second World War, male circumcision caught on in many English-speaking countries. The publication of Douglas Gairdner's paper in the British Medical Journal on December 24, 1949 marked the beginning of a decline in the popularity of circumcision in Britain and then in some other English-speaking countries. John M. Foley, a West Virginia physician, published an article in 1966 that attacked circumcision, claiming it was a mutilation and a fraud. In Australia, IOW Leitch published a study of circumcision in 1970 which found a total complication rate of 15.5%. In 1971, the Australian Pædiatric Association passed a resolution [1] that newborn male infants should not be routinely circumcised. In America, E. Noel Preston published a review of male neonatal circumcision. Also in 1971, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reported that neonatal circumcision has no valid medical indication.

In 1975, the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) issued a statement that said, "there is no medical indication for circumcision during the neonatal period." In the same year, the ad hoc committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published a statement affirming that, "there are no valid indications for circumcision in the newborn period."

In 1989, a committee of the AAP, chaired by Edgar Schoen, updated its 1975 statement [2]. Citing "new research on circumcision status and urinary tract infection (UTI) and sexually transmitted disease (STD)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome", the AAP stated that male circumcision of newborns "has potential health benefits and advantages as well as disadvantages and risks." In its 1999 statement, the AAP stated that parents should make an informed decision about circumcision.[3] 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Canadian Paediatric Society, the Australasian Association of Paediatric Surgeons, and the Australian College of Paediatrics issued new statements in early 1996. The British Medical Association also issued a statement, which recognised conscientious objector status, regarding the ethics and lawfulness of the circumcision of male children in 1996. These statements are sometimes interpreted as not supporting the practice of circumcision, and as supportive of Genital Integrity. The Canadian statement accepted the position of Professor Poland [4]. Fewer newborn boys are circumcised in Canada since the publication of the CPS statement.[5]

The development of the Internet helped the Genital Integrity movement to spread its message. Those opposed to circumcision began creating websites in the mid-1990s, and this process has continued. This period also saw the formation of Genital Integrity organizations in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and South Africa. One prominent U.S. organization is NOCIRC, founded by Marilyn Milos, R.N., in 1986. The organization's stated objective is to secure the birthright of male, female, and intersex children and babies to keep their sex organs intact. Protest rallies have been held in the USA and other areas. Eight international symposia on Genital Integrity have been held around the world. The 8th was held in Padua, Italy, in September, 2004. Marilyn Milos is founder and director of the National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers (NOCIRC), a genital integrity organization which opposes the genital modification and mutilation of children. ...

Although no membership figures are available, Genital Integrity organizations entered the 21st century reporting a continued growth in strength. The worldwide impact of the movement is unknown. In Britain, Canada and New Zealand, the number of children who have been circumcised has decreased, while in Australia the proportion of children being circumcised decreased and then slowly increased. In the United States, according to figures from the National Center for health Statistics, overall figures for neonatal hospital circumcisions have fluctuated between 1979 and 1999. A sharp decrease in circumcisions in the West was counterbalanced by a moderate increase in the Midwest and South of the country. [6]. When broken down by race, circumcision rates among Whites remained the same while circumcision rates among Blacks increased between 1979 and 1999 [7]. No reliable data are available to indicate any global trends.

Legislation

In 1996, the U.S. congress passed the Female Genital Mutilation Act which prohibited genital modification and mutilation of normally-developed female minors. Similar laws have been passed in Britain and Australia. In Africa, where female genital mutilation is most common, there is a widespread movement to abolish the practice. Genital modification and genital mutilation both can refer to permanent or temporary changes to the human genitals. ...

Activism

International

The National Organisation of Circumcision Information Resource Centers (NOCIRC) has organised a series of International Symposia in cooperation with local Genital Integrity organisations since 1989. They were

1. 1989 Anaheim, California (on Circumcision)
2. 1991 San Francisco, California (on Circumcision)
3. 1994 Maryland (on Circumcision)
4. 1996 Lausanne, Switzerland (on Sexual Mutilations)
5. 1998 Oxford, England (on Genital Mutilation)
6. 2000 Sydney, Australia (on Genital Integrity)
7. 2002 Washington, DC (on Genital Integrity)
8. 2004 Padova, Italy (on Human Rights and Modern Society: Advancing Human Dignity and the Legal Right to Bodily Integrity in the 21st Century)
9. 2006 Seattle, Washington (on Circumcision, Genital Integrity, and Human Rights)

The proceedings of several of these symposia have been published in book form.

United States

Genital Integrity Awareness Week (GIAW) includes an annual demonstration and march in Washington, DC against infant circumcision. The organizers refer to themselves as "Intactivists", a blend or portmanteau word, created by combining the words "intact" and "activists". Intactivists are activists for human genitals remaining intact. The slogan "The Foreskin Is Not A Birth-Defect!", and the generic slogan to people fighting child-abuse "No Excuse For Child-Abuse!" are prominent during some events. Look up Portmanteau word in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Activism, in a general sense, can be described as involvement in action to bring about change, be it social, political, environmental, or other change. ...

The National Organization of Circumcision Resource Information Centers (NOCIRC), the International Coalition for Genital Integrity, and Stop Infant Circumcision Society launched the First Genital Integrity Awareness Week in Washington, D.C. during the first week of April, Child Abuse Prevention Month. The 12th Annual Demonstration/March Against Infant Circumcision is during March 29 - April 3, 2005. In 2006, the organization MGMbill.org [8] sent a proposed bill to the US Congress and 15 state legislatures to extend the prohibition on genital modification and mutilation of minors to include male and intersex children. The proposed bill has not been endorsed by any member of Congress. [9] Genital modification and genital mutilation both can refer to permanent or temporary changes to the human genitals. ... The shield and spear of the Roman God Mars are often used to represent the male sex In heterogamous species, male is the sex of an organism, or of a part of an organism, which typically produces smaller, mobile gametes (spermatozoa) that are able to fertilise female gametes (ova). ... An intersexual is a person (or individual of any unisexual species) who is born with genitalia and/or secondary sexual characteristics of indeterminate sex, or which combine features of both sexes. ...

The Bay Area iNtactivists Group (BANG) in the San Francisco region takes part in baby fairs, the Solano Stroll, Gay Pride marches and other events. An interview broadcast on Outlook TV in April 2006 emphasises genital integrity for boy, girl and intersexed babies.

See also

• Bioethics of neonatal circumcision
• Human rights
• Ridged band
• Gliding action
• Association for Genital Integrity
• Circumcision advocacy

The bioethics of neonatal circumcision are controversial within practicing cultures. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... The ridged band is part of the foreskin. ... Explanation Gliding action describes the way the foreskin may move during sexual intercourse. ... The Association for Genital Integrity is a Canadian group committed to raising public awareness of the issues surrounding infant male circumcision. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Circumcision. ...

External links

• Intactivist resources
• History of Circumcision
• Historical Medical Quotes on Circumcision
• Catholic Encyclopedia article on circumcision
• Medical Fraud and the Criminal Assault of Boys

Genital Integrity organisations

• International Coalition for Genital Integrity
• National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers
• National Organization to Halt the Abuse and Routine Mutilation of Males
• Mothers Against Circumcision
• Doctors Opposing Circumcision
• Boys Too
• Association for Genital Integrity
• Info-circumcision
• Circumcision Information Australia
• NORM-UK
• Stop-Mutialting-Children
• Acts 15 - Christians for Wholeness
• Catholics Against Circumcision
• Jews Against Circumcision
• Circumcision Resource Center
• International Coalition for Genital Integrity
• Students for Genital Integrity
• The Ashley Montagu Resolution to End the Genital Mutilation of Children Worldwide
• A fifteen minute movie in Application/Vnd.Rn-Realmedia (RealVideo of RealNetworks) about Intactivists marching on Washington DC in 2001
• MGMbill.org
• PeacefulBeginnings.Org — A Wiki of a pro-Genital Integrity book.
• Circumstitions has links to many Genital Integrity resources

RN, Rn, or rn may stand for: RN Registered Nurse Royal Navy The Australian Broadcasting Corporations Radio National Radio Nederland The state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil (ISO 3166-2:BR code) Richard Nixon, 37th President of the United States Registered Identification Number issued by the FTC Rn... RealMedia is a multimedia container format created by RealNetworks. ... RealVideo is a proprietary video format developed by RealNetworks. ... RealNetworks NASDAQ: RNWK is a provider of Internet media delivery software and services based in Seattle, United States. ... Flag Seal Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location Location of Washington, D.C., with regard to the surrounding states of Maryland and Virginia. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... A wiki (IPA: <WICK-ee> or <WEE-kee>[1]) is a type of website that allows visitors to easily add, remove, or otherwise edit and change some available content, sometimes without the need for registration. ...

Criticism of Genital Integrity / anti-circumcision organisations

• "Myths, Lies and Half-Truths About Male Circumcision (Part 1)"
• "Myths, Lies and Half-Truths About Male Circumcision (Part 2)"
• "Debunking the Anti-Circumcision myths"
• "Anti-Circumcision Lobby Groups"