A news item that has caught our attention in the last month is a bill in the Massachusetts state senate that would ban genital mutilation. There will be a public hearing on the bill March 2nd at their statehouse. One meeting attendee mentioned having contacted a friend there who might go, and that the information about it was posted online for other activists who might be able to make it there.
A question was asked about a surgical procedure a few men have undergone to tighten their restored foreskins at the tip. Our coordinator has kept among our library a few photos from a meeting attendee who had gotten this surgery several years ago and wanted to document his results. The operation was to make the opening of the foreskin narrower, so that it would hold better over the glans. [This is the same procedure described in our November 1999 Meeting Notes, by a man who had the same surgery. The man who left his photos for us had the procedure done by the same urologist, Dr. Michael Scott, of Lynwood, CA]
A few of our group's anti-circumcision activist types have been busy handing out index cards we keep on hand, describing foreskin restoration and advertising our group. The supply's getting low, but we've held off printing another batch for the time being. On the reverse, we have listed a few factoids on circumcision, including that the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend it in their most recent (1999) policy statement on the procedure. This group is expected to update its policy in the coming year, taking into consideration current opinions on circumcision for use in HIV prevention. We certainly hope that there won't be any change in their position with regard to recommendation. Another factoid mentioned is that current circumcision rates are below 60% nationwide, a statistic from many years ago. In California the rate is much lower; some of us have heard estimates of 20-30%, but none of us is aware of any up to date figures.