Circumcision & Masturbation Myths

“This is really embarassing but did circumcision really start here as a way to stop masturbation?”

First of all, I want to thank you for having the courage to ask a question that I’m sure a lot of other people wonder about but find too uncomfortable to ask. Circumcision is an extremely sensitive and very controversial topic so it’s to be expected that mis-information from people pushing their own personal agendas would be more common than good scientific evidence.

Anti-circumcision advoctes usually cite one of two turn-of-the-century medical texts as proof that circumcision was once widely used to curb masturbation—L. E. Holt’s The Diseases of Infancy and Childhood and J. H. Kellog’s Plain Facts for Old and Young. But, when you read what those authors wrote in context, it’s clear that they were discussing circumcision as way to reduce abnormal levels of sensation caused by parasites, injury or disease.  (It’s important to note, however, that later issues of Kellog’s book did, in fact, recommend circumcision as punishment for excessive masturbation.  A big “Thank You” to the reader who pointed out the error in the original version of this article, which references the book’s first edition.)

Did Victorian-era doctors have views about masturbation that we would consider outdated today? Did some doctors gently hint that masturbation could be curbed by an already-widely used surgical procedure? The answer to both of these questions is probably a “Yes.” But does that make it right for anti-circumcision advocates with nothing better to do than sit around in internet chat rooms to spread these guilt-inducing lies?

Circumcision is a highly personal decision and whether you choose to do it or not, the only person qualified to give you medical advice is a licensed medical doctor. If you have any questions or concerns about your son’s health, or would like more information about circumcision, ask your physician to refer you to a couple of pediatricians in your area who will answer your questions honestly, openly and without the hysteria.

Sources:

Holt, L. (1897). The Disease of Infancy and Childhood.

Kellog, Bishop, K. (1882). Plain Facts for Young and Old.

Chicken Pox "Parties"

“Is it true that some people actually force their kids to get chicken pox by taking them around other kids who’re sick?  Is that really what chick pox parties are?”

If you think a “chicken pox party” (or “mumps party” or “measles party”) is a party to ease the suffering of a young child, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, these “parties” are actually get-togethers, for want of a better phrase, in which parents of otherwise healthy young children intentionally expose their children to another child with any one of several common childhood infections.

What “Pox Party” Proponents Say

Proponents of such parties, such as the person calling himself (or herself—we can’t tell) Forced Anarchy at the mothering.com forums, often believe that vaccines cause (or are strongly linked to) “injuries” like Autism and Guillain-Barre Syndrome. They also believe that contracting childhood diseases like measles and mumps in a “natural” way is ultimately healtheir than giving children the vaccines designed to prevent them.

How large is the anti-vaccine movement? Exact numbers are hard to find but an article published in the journal Pediatrics says that a National Immunization Survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that just over 60% of all U.S. children were fully vaccinated. By contrast, for every 1000 children in the U.S., around 3 have never received any vaccines.

When asked, nearly half of all parents of completely un-vaccinated children cited concerns over vaccine safety as the primary reason their children remained unvaccinated. (Parents of under-vaccinated children, on the other hand, cited safety concerns only 5% of the time.)

What Critics Say

Critics of “chicken pox parties”, like the experts at the CDC, remind parents that prior to the release of the vaccine, chicken pox complications like hepatitis and toxic shock syndrome hospitalized nearly 7,000 children every year. They also point out that adults who catch chicken pox have about a 1 in 5 chance of also developing pneumonia.

Critics of “natural” immunity also point out that there is no proof that catching a disease “naturally” is ultimately healthier than the vaccines. In fact, statistics show that even children who catch chicken pox “naturally” have around a 5% chance of catching it again.

Would You Take Your Child To An Infection Party?

So-called “pox parties” are nothing new. You might even remember your own parents, relatives or neighbors getting together for just such an event. But would you do it? Did you do it?

Sources:

Author’s True Name Unknown. (2008). Retrieved from mothering.com on May 20, 2008.

Smith, P., et al. (2004). Children Who Have Received No Vaccines: Who Are They and Where Do They Live?

CDC. (No Date Listed). Retrieved from cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/abcs/downloads/4-ABCs-Natural.txt on May 20, 2008.

Vemma & The NBA

“You really should research more prior to commenting on products you really are unfamiliar with… The NBA has their players on this due to the highest ORAC value of any item available anywhere.”

This was the opening line of a series of emails I got July 23, 2008. (Yes, I said “series”.) I’m not even going to address the first line because anyone at all familiar with my reviews couldn’t possibly assume that I just woke up one day and decided to start spouting off on topics I know nothing about. So let’s look the second line I pulled from this email: “The NBA has their players on this … “

Is this true? Are NBA players required to takeVemma? Or is this just another example of exaggerated claims made by pushy salespeople?

We Can Find No Evidence That The NBA Requires Its Players To Take Vemma

Like most claims made to sell vitamins, supplements and herbs, this one has a tiny kernel of truth to it. It’s true that Vemma is now the official sports drink of the Phoenix Suns basketball team. But a commercial partnership is a far cry from mandating that players drink it. The agreement between the Phoenix Suns and Vemma is absolutely no different from any other commercial partnership. This isn’t a case of some team doctor saying, “Hey, let’s put the guys on this fancy designer fruit juice.” It’s an example of two corporate giants getting together with their respective advertising folks and saying, “Hey, let’s work out a money-making deal that’s sweet for both of us.”

“The NBA does not ‘have’ players on Vemma. It’s a commercial partnership that could just as easily have been formed with any shoe company, automobile manufacturer or candy bar maker.”

At the end of the day, my opinion of Vemma is exactly the same. It’s an over-priced designer fruit juice that offers NOTHING that a diet rich in fresh vegetable and raw fruits can’t give you. There’s no doubt in my mind that Vemma is nutritious but it’s STILL hawked by individuals under pressure to build a “downline” and some of the individuals are—whether they admit it or not—promising the moon to desperately ill individuals. If Vemma was really out to save the world, they’d abandon the MLM model and make the product available at a lower cost. But as every ex-MLMer knows the downline is where the real money is.

References:

Private Email to LisaBarger.com. (2008). 

Direct Selling News (2008). Retrieved July 24, 2008 from:

http://www.directsellingnews.com/article_app.php?articleid=315.