Factors that Contribute to Hormonal Imbalances in Men and Women

Not all people are the same, but when it comes to hormonal imbalance and overall endocrine function, there are common problems that may affect any person at any time, at any place, and at any age. This short guide will explain these factors and how they can impact your health and wellbeing.

Aging

The body’s endocrine system is made up of a special group of cells that are responsible for producing hormones—natural substances that influence target cells, tissues, organs, and systems. Hormones affect growth and development, metabolism, digestion, sexual function, mood, cognitive functions, and stress response and many other body functions.

The way these endocrine tissues work begins to change as we age. Hormone production levels may begin to decrease, and the way the target cells respond to the hormones may also weaken. Hormone levels in the blood may begin to fluctuate, and the metabolism or breaking down of the hormones themselves may become affected. All these changes can lead to many symptoms, including menopause  in women, andropause in men, and the development of diseases like obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Diseases and Other Medical Conditions

Many types of diseases and medical conditions can affect hormone levels. There are three basic types of endocrine diseases, namely those that cause hormone hyposecretion (insufficient hormone production), those that cause hormone hypersecretion (too much hormone production leading to excess hormone levels), and benign or malignant tumors of the endocrine glands.

Among Americans, the most common type of endocrine disorder is diabetes, an insulin-related condition that results in high blood sugar levels over an extended period of time. There are many other endocrine disorders, including hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Addison’s disease, Cushing’s disease, and prolactinoma.

Other medical conditions, like those that have something to do with a person’s genetic information, can also affect a person’s hormonal balance. For example, Turner’s syndrome, a chromosomal disorder that affects the development of girls, can cause low thyroid hormone and estrogen levels. Low estrogen levels, as you might already know, can cause problems in ovarian function and may also lead to osteoporosis.

Exposure To Stress

Various studies have shown that chronic stress can also cause hormonal imbalance, which can be a precursor to other serious ailments.

When a person encounters a perceived threat, the body responds with a combination of neural and hormonal signals. For instance, the adrenal glands work double-time to produce the hormones adrenaline and cortisol, which are important in the mediating the body’s “fight-or-flight” response. Adrenaline causes increased heart rate and elevated blood pressure, while cortisol increases sugar levels in the body.

After the perceived threat or stressor has gone, adrenaline and cortisol levels usually return to normal, and their effects on the body also go away. However, when stressors are perennially present around the individual, this person is subjected to chronically high levels of these stress-mediating hormones. Over time, this hormonal imbalances can lead to various conditions, including weight gain, depression, anxiety, memory and cognitive problems, sleep disorders, and heart ailments.

Lifestyle Factors

Various lifestyle factors, like eating an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, and sleep deprivation can also seriously affect a person’s hormonal balance. Eating too much sugar, for instance, can negatively affect a person’s insulin, estrogen, and testosterone levels. Lack of any physical activity, on the other hand, can affect insulin response and the production of testosterone and human growth hormone (HGH). Finally, sleep deprivation can also put a person’s pituitary-dependent hormones off kilter. This is especially true if the individual is constantly awake at night when the body is supposed to be releasing a significant amount of HGH into the bloodstream.

Exposure To Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals

A lot of people are also exposed to different types of industrial and household chemicals that could have endocrine-disrupting effects. These chemicals mimic the effect of natural hormones in the body.

The abnormal stimulation of targeted cells in the body can result not only in hormonal imbalances, but also in various conditions that can seriously affect the health and quality of life of affected individuals. These problems include birth defects, abnormal sexual development, infertility, and a number of neurological and behavioral disorders.

Poverty

An interesting study by the University College London (published in the journal Social Science & Medicine) revealed that more low-income people have hormonal imbalance problems compared to their more affluent counterparts. For instance, of the more than 1,800 individuals studied, it was revealed that low-income men tended to have lower testosterone levels. This condition is associated with increased body fat, loss of muscle mass, and osteoporosis. Low-income women, on the other hand, had higher testosterone levels. In females, this is associated with conditions like infertility and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

The researchers concluded that societal and economic factors can negatively affect people’s hormone levels. Low-income people, in particular, are exposed to greater amounts of stress and are prone to living unhealthy lifestyles.

Conclusion

To summarize, many factors can affect a person’s hormonal balance and endocrine function. It is very important to determine which of these are affecting a patient if  hormonal or endocrine-related problems are identified. Only then can a medical professional recommend a proper treatment plan, whether it is medical intervention to fight a certain disease, biodidentical hormone replacement therapy to bring the patient’s hormone levels back into equilibrium, or just simple lifestyle changes to effect positive change in the patient’s endocrine function.

Recommended Reading:


ADHD, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Autism – What Do They Have in Common?

At first glance, ADHD, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and autism have little in common. When we think of ADHD, we tend to think of hyperactivity, kids zooming from room to room. Chronic fatigue brings up opposite images, of people so wracked with fatigue they can barely get out of bed. Autism suggests children lost in their own world, spinning objects while rocking from side to side. How could they possibly have anything in common?

In order to answer that question, we have to take a serious look at the numbers and understand the diagnostic criteria. If we don’t, the myths and lies will continue to overshadow every effort to understand the real story behind the rise in these debilitating conditions.

ADHD, CFS, and Autism – Epidemics

The first thing these diseases have in common is the fact that all three have reached epidemic proportions. The CDC reports the following statistics:

ADHD (> 6 million children in the U.S.)

  • 11% of our children have ADHD as of 2011 (up from 7.8% in 2003)
  • 1 out of 42 boys
  • 1 out of 189 girls
  • Rates vary from state to state

ADHD Chart

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (up to 2.5 million estimated in the U.S.)

  • Between 0.2% and 2.3% of children or adolescents (up to 1.7 million) suffer from CFS.

Autism (> 11 million Americans)

  • 30% increase from 2012 to 2014
  • 5 times more prevalent in boys
  • Up 119.4% since 2000, though some current reports now say it has moved from 1 in 68 children to 1 in 50; other reports say 1 in 45.

autism prevalenceAdd up the current numbers afflicted with one of these three illnesses, and we are talking about 6% of the population – without counting adults with ADHD.

Public Perception of ADHD, CFS, and Autism

The perception of these three illnesses are skewed and no clarity is in sight.

ADHD Myths and Propaganda

  • ADHD is horribly over diagnosed
  • Children can’t sit still in a classroom; ergo, hyperactivity is normal
  • All active little boys are diagnosed with ADHD
  • The rising numbers of ADHD cases are all due to over diagnosis
  • Kids diagnosed with ADHD are spoiled children who don’t behave

For decades, we have heard the number of children with ADHD is dramatically over reported. This myth has resulted in the public ignoring the alarming rise in the number of children (and children who have grown into adulthood) afflicted by this disorder.

The idea that children are diagnosed with ADHD just to medicate them is ludicrous. That might be a good argument if tranquilizers were the medication prescribed for ADHD, but the opposite is true. Put any child without ADHD on amphetamines and the child will become hyper, anxious, and out of control. Amphetamines have the opposite effect on most of the children with ADHD. The child is able to calm down, focus, concentrate and control impulsivity. (Note: We are NOT advocating the use of medication to treat ADHD).

As long as we continue to discount the validity of this diagnosis, the sheer number of afflicted children won’t alarm us, and we won’t shake the boat by looking for the cause or causes.

Chronic Fatigue Myths and Propaganda

  • It’s all in their head
  • They’re not sick, they’re lazy
  • There is no such thing as chronic fatigue syndrome

Like ADHD, chronic fatigue syndrome has been discounted, but in this case, it is dismissed as a non-disease. It was even given a derogatory nickname, the yuppie flu. Severe chronic fatigue is a devastating illness, and yet, due to propaganda within the medical field and vague diagnostics, many doctors believe it to be psychosomatic. Patients are dismissed as attention seekers, histrionics, and malingerers. This is an all too common occurrence whenever doctors cannot find a cause or determine a diagnosis for autoimmune or neurological symptoms unless evidence can clearly be shown through a blood test, an MRI, or some other definitive test.

Although it is estimated that twice as many Americans suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome as HIV, the National Institutes of Health budgeted a paltry $6 million in funding for chronic fatigue research for 2016 while HIV/AIDS research is budgeted at $3.1 billion. (Compare this amount to headaches budgeted at $25 million – migraines have a separate budget of $21 million.) So we have a serious, debilitating illness on the rise that affects a huge number of Americans, but since it became an issue, it has been discounted and largely ignored.

Autism Myths and Propaganda

  • The change in diagnostic criteria is responsible for the increase in rates.
  • Vaccines have no association with autism.
  • Autism is an entirely genetic disease.

Autism was a rare diagnosis in the last century. In the 1980s, estimates from multiple studies suggest autism affected 1 in 10,000 children. In a mere 20 years, the year 2000, that number rose to 1 in 150 children. By 2010, the number was 1 in 68. The 2010 numbers are still being reported as the official numbers by the CDC and used by other organizations, though some are now estimating 1 in 45 children. Dr. Stephanie Seneff, Senior Research Scientist from MIT, stated, “At today’s rate, by 2025, one in two children will be autistic.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3P6wVUH0pc

While there is truth to the claim that new diagnostic parameters created a bump in the numbers, the increase happened once. Once! And again the numbers climbed and continue to climb. Like ADHD and CFS, autism is a relatively new disease with the first case diagnosed and named in 1938.

The autism epidemic is huge. How can we continue to deny the truth? The numbers are frightening and not just for the afflicted child and parents. The impact on our society will be tremendous when the children with severe autism grow to adulthood. Who will care for them when their parents are no longer able to provide for them?

Diagnostic Criteria

The myth that “ADHD is horribly over diagnosed,” is a bit harder to swallow when you understand the diagnostic criteria, when you appreciate the severity of the impact ADHD has on a child and his/her family, and when you see how unlikely it is for a child to be improperly diagnosed.

CDC Diagnostic Criteria for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

The CDC uses the DSM V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual V – the diagnostic manual for mental health professionals) definition as follows:

“People with ADHD show a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.”

Inattention: Six or more symptoms of inattention for children up to age 16, or five or more for adolescents 17 and older and adults; symptoms of inattention have been present for at least 6 months, and they are inappropriate for developmental level:

  • Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, at work, or with other activities.
  • Often has trouble holding attention on tasks or play activities.
  • Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly.
  • Often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (e.g., loses focus, side-tracked).
  • Often has trouble organizing tasks and activities.
  • Often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to do tasks that require mental effort over a long period of time (such as schoolwork or homework).
  • Often loses things necessary for tasks and activities (e.g. school materials, pencils, books, tools, wallets, keys, paperwork, eyeglasses, mobile telephones).
  • Is often easily distracted.
  • Is often forgetful in daily activities.

Hyperactivity and Impulsivity: Six or more symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity for children up to age 16, or five or more for adolescents 17 and older and adults; symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity have been present for at least 6 months to an extent that is disruptive and inappropriate for the person’s developmental level:

  • Often fidgets with or taps hands or feet, or squirms in seat.
  • Often leaves seat in situations when remaining seated is expected.
  • Often runs about or climbs in situations where it is not appropriate (adolescents or adults may be limited to feeling restless).
  • Often unable to play or take part in leisure activities quietly.
  • Is often “on the go” acting as if “driven by a motor”.
  • Often talks excessively.
  • Often blurts out an answer before a question has been completed.
  • Often has trouble waiting his/her turn.
  • Often interrupts or intrudes on others (e.g., butts into conversations or games).

In addition, the following conditions must be met

  • Several inattentive or hyperactive-impulsive symptoms were present before age 12 years.
  • Several symptoms are present in two or more setting, (e.g., at home, school or work; with friends or relatives; in other activities).
  • There is clear evidence that the symptoms interfere with, or reduce the quality of, social, school, or work functioning.
  • The symptoms do not happen only during the course of schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder. The symptoms are not better explained by another mental disorder (e.g. Mood Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, Dissociative Disorder, or a Personality Disorder).”

DSM-V Diagnostic Criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Diagnostic Criteria

Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, as manifested by the following, currently or by history (examples are illustrative, not exhaustive, see text):

  1. Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, ranging, for example, from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back-and-forth conversation; to reduced sharing of interests, emotions, or affect; to failure to initiate or respond to social interactions.
  2. Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction, ranging, for example, from poorly integrated verbal and nonverbal communication; to abnormalities in eye contact and body language or deficits in understanding and use of gestures; to a total lack of facial expressions and nonverbal communication.
  3. Deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships, ranging, for example, from difficulties adjusting behavior to suit various social contexts; to difficulties in sharing imaginative play or in making friends; to absence of interest in peers.

Specify current severity

Severity is based on social communication impairments and restricted repetitive patterns of behavior (see Table 2)

Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, as manifested by at least two of the following, currently or by history (examples are illustrative, not exhaustive; see text):

  1. Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or speech (e.g., simple motor stereotypies, lining up toys or flipping objects, echolalia, idiosyncratic phrases).
  2. Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns or verbal nonverbal behavior (e.g., extreme distress at small changes, difficulties with transitions, rigid thinking patterns, greeting rituals, need to take same route or eat food every day).
  3. Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus (e.g, strong attachment to or preoccupation with unusual objects, excessively circumscribed or perseverative interest).
  4. Hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input or unusual interests in sensory aspects of the environment (e.g., apparent indifference to pain/temperature, adverse response to specific sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, visual fascination with lights or movement).

Specify current severity

Severity is based on social communication impairments and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior (see Table 2)

  1. Symptoms must be present in the early developmental period (but may not become fully manifest until social demands exceed limited capacities, or may be masked by learned strategies in later life).
  2. Symptoms cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning.
  3. These disturbances are not better explained by intellectual disability (intellectual developmental disorder) or global developmental delay. Intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder frequently co-occur; to make comorbid diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, social communication should be below that expected for general developmental level.

Note: Individuals with a well-established DSM-IV diagnosis of autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified should be given the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Individuals who have marked deficits in social communication, but whose symptoms do not otherwise meet criteria for autism spectrum disorder, should be evaluated for social (pragmatic) communication disorder.

Specify if:

  • With or without accompanying intellectual impairment
  • With or without accompanying language impairment
  • Associated with a known medical or genetic condition or environmental factor
    (Coding note: Use additional code to identify the associated medical or genetic condition.)
  • Associated with another neurodevelopmental, mental, or behavioral disorder
    (Coding note: Use additional code[s] to identify the associated neurodevelopmental, mental, or behavioral disorder[s].)
  • With catatonia (refer to the criteria for catatonia associated with another mental disorder, pp. 119-120, for definition) (Coding note: Use additional code 293.89 [F06.1] catatonia associated with autism spectrum disorder to indicate the presence of the comorbid catatonia.)

Table 2  Severity levels for autism spectrum disorder

Severity level Social communication Restricted, repetitive behaviors
Level 3
“Requiring very substantial support”		 Severe deficits in verbal and nonverbal social communication skills cause severe impairments in functioning, very limited initiation of social interactions, and minimal response to social overtures from others. For example, a person with few words of intelligible speech who rarely initiates interaction and, when he or she does, makes unusual approaches to meet needs only and responds to only very direct social approaches Inflexibility of behavior, extreme difficulty coping with change, or other restricted/repetitive behaviors markedly interfere with functioning in all spheres. Great distress/difficulty changing focus or action.
Level 2
“Requiring substantial support”		 Marked deficits in verbal and nonverbal social communication skills; social impairments apparent even with supports in place; limited initiation of social interactions; and reduced or  abnormal responses to social overtures from others. For example, a person who speaks simple sentences, whose interaction is limited  to narrow special interests, and how has markedly odd nonverbal communication. Inflexibility of behavior, difficulty coping with change, or other restricted/repetitive behaviors appear frequently enough to be obvious to the casual observer and interfere with functioning in  a variety of contexts. Distress and/or difficulty changing focus or action.
Level 1
“Requiring support”		 Without supports in place, deficits in social communication cause noticeable impairments. Difficulty initiating social interactions, and clear examples of atypical or unsuccessful response to social overtures of others. May appear to have decreased interest in social interactions. For example, a person who is able to speak in full sentences and engages in communication but who to- and-fro conversation with others fails, and whose attempts to make friends are odd and typically unsuccessful. Inflexibility of behavior causes significant interference with functioning in one or more contexts. Difficulty switching between activities. Problems of organization and planning hamper independence.

CDC Diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

A clinician should consider a diagnosis of CFS if these three criteria are met:

  1. The individual has unexplained, persistent fatigue for 6 months or longer that is not due to ongoing exertion, is not substantially relieved by rest, has begun recently (is not lifelong)
  2. The fatigue significantly interferes with daily activities and work
  3. The individual has had 4 or more of the following 8 symptoms:
    • post-exertion malaise lasting more than 24 hours
    • unrefreshing sleep
    • significant impairment of short-term memory or concentration
    • muscle pain
    • pain in the joints without swelling or redness
    • a sore throat that is frequent or recurring
    • tender lymph nodes in the neck or armpit
    • headaches of a new type, pattern, or severity

Association Not Cause

In a recent interview, Judy Mikovits, PhD eloquently explained the scientific definition of cause and effect versus association. In order to say that a disease is “caused” by something, there has to be a clear cause and effect that is the same each time. For instance, mumps is caused by a particular virus – every time. It isn’t caused by a virus in one case and a bacteria in another.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6HPe-s1V2o

Most of us are used to defining an illness through cause and effect of a bacterial or viral infection. Contagious illness and trauma are well understood by the general public. Autoimmune diseases and neurological diseases are much harder to understand, and this is true for medical professionals as well as the general public.

There are few definitive diagnostic tests for ADHD, CFS, or autism. Most of the diagnostic criteria is based on observation and patient report.

However, MRI studies with children diagnosed with ADHD have shown lower activity in the frontal lobes as well as recent discoveries of disrupted connections between different areas of the brain showing structural and functional abnormalities.

In 2011, Judy Mikovitz, PhD, found an association between gammaretrovirus XMRV and chronic fatigue syndrome and autism. Retroviruses damage DNA and cause autoimmune and neurological damage. Judy believes up to one-third of our vaccines are contaminated with this retrovirus that accidently contaminated cell lines in the labs where vaccines were made.

Fragile X syndrome is “…the most common inherited cause of intellectual disabilities. It is also the most common known cause of autism.” – Fraxa Research Foundation website.

Fragile X is caused by a defect in the FMR1 gene. The gene shuts down and fails to produce a protein vital for brain development. Symptoms include mild to severe attention deficit and hyperactivity and autism. One can’t help but wonder if damage to the FMR1 gene is caused by a retrovirus.

What Do We Know?

Vaccines are certainly proving to be a major factor associated with ADHD, autism, autoimmune disease, and other diseases with mercury poisoning, retrovirus exposure, and damage from aluminum and other toxins all playing a part. But vaccines are not the only toxins we are exposed to and clearly not the only factor in play. We know that there are multiple means to damage the immune system and the neurological system and that damage is cumulative.

Damage begins in utero. A fetus pulls mercury out of its mother’s body. It is tragic that doctors continue to recommend pregnant women get vaccines, especially the flu shot that contains mercury.

In addition to vaccines, environmental toxins contribute to damage. Herbicides and pesticides accumulate in our tissues along with the countless chemicals we are exposed to every day.

Conclusion

If we are to stop the current epidemic of neurological and autoimmune diseases including ADHD, CFS, and autism, we have to stop poisoning our bodies and our children’s bodies with chemicals and heavy metals. We need to clean up our food, eliminate toxin exposure in our homes and workplaces, and stop poisoning ourselves and our children through vaccines. The numbers don’t lie. ADHD, CFS, and autism are the result of our polluted lives and a vaccine schedule that would defy common sense even if our vaccines were safe and effective. Too many of us are sick. Too many children are sick. It’s time we stand up and demand change.

Further Reading:
Sources:


Vaccines & Cognitive Dissonance – Inside the Pro-Vaxxer Mind

Along with the belief that vaccines are “safe and effective” come other beliefs. There is a belief that vaccines do not cause autism, that vaccine reactions are rare, and so on. This is what the public is told about vaccines through the mainstream media. Despite these beliefs having no basis in scientific reality, they are continually reinforced by propaganda-laden journalism.

Only six corporations control the mainstream media. Though their popularity is waning, the “mainstream media” still dominates news coverage. Many people still rely on news outlets like CNN, Fox News, USA Today, NY Times, etc. Expecting journalistic integrity, instead we are told what their advertisers want us to hear. Seventy percent of mainstream media’s advertising revenue comes from the pharmaceutical industry. That is why there are so many people under the fervent belief that vaccines have no connection with autism. These slogans are fundamentally no different than Got Milk?, McDonald’s I’m Loving It, or Coca Cola’s Can’t Beat The Real Thing. The nefarious thing is that consumers of mass media have no idea that their news reports are filled with slogans that Big Pharma wants them to hear.

Trusting in “Big Brother”

There is a prevailing belief that adverse reactions to vaccines are rare, because if they weren’t “they” wouldn’t let “them” sell dangerous vaccines. (It is true that vaccines are unprofitable in a free market. Vaccines cripple, injure and kill far too many people to be subject to the same standards of safety as everything else bought and sold in the U.S. This is why vaccine manufacturers are immune to all liability). The rational goes on. Even if vaccine manufacturers could make money selling dirty vaccines, the government would never allow it (or so goes the belief). These beliefs are not based on a critical analysis of vaccines; these beliefs are based on sound bites (even among doctors). This is why the primary message from the anti-vaccine movement has been, “Do your research.”

You Want Me To Do What?

Research is analogous to homework, and it hasn’t been very popular with Westerners. “Research” is typically limited to watching the news, or reading the newspaper. Internet research is distrusted, simply because most people do not how to check the veracity of their sources. Opinions are often formed on limited information and motivated by fear. Fear is a powerful motivator; politicians play on the public’s fears to get elected and to elicit cooperation in undermining civil liberties. Pharmaceutical companies use fear tactics to influence public opinion. Medical freedoms are more easily taken away when people are frightened. Such tactics are highly effective. The public is told if vaccination rates fall, we will see a return of global epidemics, such as the Spanish Flu or small pox. Under the shadow of this misinformation, pro-vaxxers are forming the best opinions they can, given the information available to them.

When offered peer-reviewed scientific articles, the pro-vaxxers dig in their heels.

We Are Not Going Away

Inevitably, pro-vaxxers encounter objections to vaccination. These counter arguments range from unrefined views that vaccines are bad to highly sophisticated scientific objections. The vaccine debate is framed by the mainstream media as an argument between those in the know (scientists and doctors) and those who are anti-science, stupid, or even superstitious. In truth, there are numerous doctors and scientists opposed to vaccines. There is a debate among independent scientists and industry funded scientists, not among scientifically literate and the scientifically illiterate, as the mainstream media would have us believe.

Disagreements Happen, but Are They Necessarily Productive?

No one enjoys being wrong, but many of us do enjoy proving someone else wrong. Given this basic proclivity of human nature, pro-vaccine advocates and anti-vaccine activists are bound to get into arguments. These arguments tend to have predictable beginnings and endings. Dale Carnegie may have said it best when he wrote:

Nine times out of ten, an argument ends with each of the contestants more firmly convinced than ever that he is absolutely right.

You can’t win an argument. You can’t because if you lose it, you lose it; and if you win it, you lose it. Why? Well, suppose you triumph over the other man and shoot his argument full of holes and prove that he is non compos mentis. Then what? You will feel fine. But what about him? You have made him feel inferior. You have hurt his pride. He will resent your triumph.”

A vaccine argument usually begins with the same declarations “show me the peer reviewed academic articles” or demands of “show me the data”, even in instances when data wouldn’t really apply (such as case studies, which provide anecdotal evidence). When pro-vaxxers’ demands for scientific evidence are met, predictable objections arise.

No One Needs a “Degree from Google University”; You Just Need To Be Able To Work a Keyboard

The information is out there, and it is not hard to find. When offered peer-reviewed scientific articles, the pro-vaxxers dig in their heels. They were, after all, under the impression that such studies didn’t exist, and they do not wish to profess their ignorance. The average Westerner has not read peer-reviewed academic anything since college, but when debating the merits of vaccines most vaccine advocates are self-appointed armchair experts. It is uncomfortable to admit that your ignorance far exceeds your knowledge, so for this reason, a know-it-all approach is often adopted. If they are incapable or unwilling to attack the research based on its inadequacies (no research is perfect) they will attack the source, questioning its credibility even though they never even glanced at the information. The other option is to attack the person providing the evidence, because a meaningful exchange of ideas is beyond the maturity of most people, regardless of their views.

When pro-vaxxers are shown evidence of government corruption they simply dismiss the evidence as conspiracy theories. As if by the suggestion that something conspiratorial is taking place; that alone invalidates the argument.

Conspiracies are Actually Quite Commonplace

Webster’s defines a conspiracy as a secret plan made by two or more people to do something that is harmful or illegal, or the act of secretly planning to do something that is harmful or illegal. This may sound like a far-fetched concern to some, but it happens all the time; especially in regards to vaccines.

  • Stephen Krahling and Joan Wlochowski filed lawsuits in 2010 alleging that Merck falsified data by adding animal antibodies to blood samples. In order to protect their government approved monopoly, Merck had to demonstrate that their vaccine produced antibodies with a 95% rate of success, so they defrauded the U.S. government because that is easier than making a vaccine that reliably produces an antibody response.
  • William Thompson was a senior epidemiologist at the CDC, and he co-authored research on the MMR vaccine for the CDC in 2004. Years later he revealed data that showed that the MMR vaccine strongly correlates with autism in African American males and that the CDC concealed this information. For months the story was ignored by the mainstream media, and then only briefly reported on.
  • Judy Milkovitz made the discovery that destroyed her career. She found that at least 30% of our vaccines are contaminated with gamma retroviruses. This contamination is associated with autism, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson’s, Lou Gehrig’s disease, and Alzheimer’s. She was under the naïve impression that her due diligence (all of her work being properly reviewed, meticulously documented, etc.) would protect her from persecution, but she was mistaken.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6HPe-s1V2o

US Measles Decline 1912-1975
US Measles Decline 1912-1975

An objective analysis reveals that conspiracies happen all the time, and that there must be something nefarious going on when it comes to vaccines. But objectivity is the exception and not the rule, the pro-vaccination advocate has never been objective about vaccines if they were, they couldn’t possibly condone their use.

A Mind Already Made Up

UK Pertussis graph
UK Pertussis graph

A confirmation bias was in place long ago, rooted in a need to trust one’s doctor. Desperately wanting to outsource responsibility for their health, patients base their medical decisions on their doctors’ recommendations, and informed consent is at the convenience of the physician. If their doctor recommends it, it’s good enough for them. (Does the doctor really want to lose a sale by explaining risk in an honest and straightforward manner?)

Boston Smallpox
Boston Smallpox

The pro-vaccine advocate doesn’t want to do the research. They want to be able to rely on their physician. Life and death is frightening, even terrifying. Something must be done to reduce the risk of death, so we must immunize against the threat of disease. After all, germs are everywhere. Inside the pro-vaccination mind is the devout belief that vaccination reduces the complications associated with living. It’s what most doctors recommend, so it must be the right thing to do. Ultimately, pro-vaccination logic falls prey to a logical fallacy: the appeal to authority.

Washington Measles 1920-1982
Washington Measles 1920-1982

When asked why they support vaccination, the vaccine advocate responds with incredulity. There is no in between to them. Vaccines are above reproach. You are either pro-vaccine or anti-vaccine, and if you’re anti-vaccine you’re against science. Vaccines are a sacrament to the pro-vaccine mind, science is the religion, and doctors are the priests. Vaccines are what saved us from the dark ages of disease, or so they believe.

Seeing What They Want To See

UK Pertussis graph
UK Pertussis graph

When shown the data, graphs that show historical rates of mortality and morbidity, pro-vaccine advocates see what they want to see. Anyone who doesn’t harbor deep-seated prejudices can see that it was improvements in sanitation and nutrition, not immunization, that eradicated disease, unless of course one is looking at a skewed graph created for vaccine propaganda.

Check out more graphs at Dissolving Illusions – Disease, Vaccines, and Forgotten History.

Conclusion

UK Measles graph
UK Measles graph

Our medical system abandoned its own scientific and medical ethics decades ago. In order for science to flourish, a free exchange of ideas must take place; there is nothing in the scientific method that condones the persecution of scientists that hold differing scientific views. Most of our greatest scientific discoveries were once ridiculed, taking years to be accepted as mainstream scientific theory. Continental Drift which was later developed into Plate Tectonic Theory, Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, Galileo’s discovery of a round earth and Ignaz Semmelweis’ declaration that hygiene can save lives were met with abject persecution. In our current era of scientific illiteracy, many of these theories are still poorly understood. For instance, there are still thousands of people who ardently believe the world is flat.

Inside the pro-vaccination mind, there is a desire for simplicity and safety. It is easier to believe that vaccines are safe and effective (the Supreme Court has ruled them unavoidably unsafe) than it is to do the research. Despite feigning scientific literacy, the pro-vaxxer is unfamiliar with the counter arguments to vaccination, they simply want to shut down any discourse on vaccine safety. If anyone criticizes anything about vaccines they are deemed “anti-science”. In reality, it is the pro-vaxxer who suffers from delusional views. This is called anosognosia or lack of awareness of a deficit.

Isn’t it time to wake up? Multi-national pharmaceutical corporations don’t care about your health; they care about the bottom line. The government is not looking out for our best interests. Government workers are looking out for their own interests-as long as bribery of elected officials remains legal (aka lobbying) we will always have a corrupt system of government in place, regardless of which political party is in control. We need to be savvy consumers of news media and check their sources. We should know all about what we put into our bodies and have the freedom to decide. We are being herded into a future without freedom, not herd immunity. Check out How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children and Doctor’s Against Vaccines.

Recommended Reading:
Sources:


More Celebrities Speaking Out Against Vaccines

Celebrities don’t always lend their voice to political debates; after all, they are likely to alienate some of their fan base. There are some issues that hit so close to home that as mothers, fathers, and concerned citizens celebrities speak out, regardless of how controversial and divisive the issue may be. The rise of medical tyranny in America has been promoting more celebrities to speak out against vaccines and to speak out against vaccine mandates.

Have you read part one yet? Check out Celebrities Who Have Spoken Out Against Vaccines, and also see what Doctors and Scientists have to say about vaccines as well.

Chuck Norris

While most mainstream news covers presidential campaigns or economic conditions, the feds are going under the radar and your skin – literally – with something that could be detrimental to your children’s and your health. And news just broke about the cover-up, but few, if any, agencies passed along the wire.

…But the truth is, as the NAA reports, “There are over 1,500 studies and papers documenting the hypoallergenicity and toxicity of thimerosal (ethylmercury) have existed for decades,” with most recent research revealing commonness of speech delays and tics. The NAA added, “Recent studies have confirmed the association between the use of thimerosal and autism has moved from ‘biologically plausible’ [in 2001] to a ‘biological certainty.’”

…But the facts are, according to a recent PRNewswire report, despite that thimerosal is not used in vaccines for measles, mumps, oral polio, yellow fever or tuberculosis, it is still found in in many diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, and influenza (or flu) vaccines, especially in Third-World countries.

… Dr. Jose Dorea, professor of nutritional sciences from the Universidad de Brasilia, hit the health nail right on the head when he recently said, “The evidence continues to mount that mercury in vaccines is not safe, that negative effects happen even with vaccine levels of exposure. We must end the use of thimerosal as soon as possible. No pregnant mother or child should have to trade getting mercury injected into them for the prevention of an infectious disease.”

So buyer, beware! Or should I say, booster, beware! Don’t check your brain in at the door of your family’s health, nutrition or medical care. And don’t ever be afraid to ask the hard questions of your health practitioners, like, “What are the exact ingredients in that syringe?”

It is your health, and they are your children, entrusted to you by God, so be bold in ensuring their safety and welfare. You still have the constitutional right to refuse any health care you deem unnecessary.

Kirstie Alley

Kirstie Alley made her opinions on mandatory vaccines known by her Twitter account.

Jenna Elfman

OK, HERE’S THE DEAL: Please sign this petition to Governor Jerry Brown.
There is NO situation in CA that requires a…

Posted by JENNA ELFMAN on Sunday, June 28, 2015

Selma Blair

In reference to a tweet asking Selma if she would send Governor Brown a postcard about not passing SB 277, she tweeted,

https://twitter.com/selmablair/status/615606831679991808

Miranda Bailey

https://twitter.com/mirandambailey/status/615656532902940672

https://twitter.com/mirandambailey/status/652513963884740608

https://twitter.com/mirandambailey/status/652520005712502784

As vaccine mandates are increasing every years and healthcare workers live with the threat that they will be fired if they don’t get a flu shot, it is essential for Americans to educate themselves about our loss of informed consent rights. We need adequate scientific research and clinical evidence for any public health policy, not an attack on personal belief or medical exemptions to vaccination by special interest groups, which benefit pharmaceutical companies. It is time for a true, unbiased investigation into vaccine science, policy, ethics, and law. – Vaccine Epidemic (cover quote)

Erin Brockovich

IT’S NOT ABOUT WHETHER TO VACCINATE OR NOT;
IT’S ABOUT PRESERVING PARENTAL CHOICE.

There are movements in almost every…

Posted by Erin Brockovich on Wednesday, June 24, 2015

 

Danny Masterson

Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg has some colorful, choice words to describe his thoughts and feelings on vaccines; explicit language warning.

“Fuck that, I’m not getting no flu shots cause its flu season. Nigga, I’m going to take my some fucking lemons, some honey, and oranges. Nigga, grandma gots the remedy. Holla at yo grandma, nigga. Holla at someone old in your family. You don’t need that shot, they shooting some shit in yo ass. I’m cool. I don’t want none of that. I’m straight. I think they shooting, shooting some control in you, some shit to take control of you. When they have your mind, body, and soul, they going to slow you down a bit. I don’t trust it. I’m cool.”

Esai Morales

In response to someone commenting on an interview that he’s on the wrong side of the vaccine debate:

No, Andres. You are. You really need to study their actual history and why we even have had exemptions to begin with for so long and what actually drove the draconian legislation that now removes all crucial parental rights over a policy ostensibly in the public interest but mostly serving the private backers of this lucrative practice with zero liability for its product; even if it is proven to kill or maim you or your child as is done again and again and again using specially formed and secret ‘vaccine courts’. I can see why you’d think the way you do for I did too… until I did some major digging and found where the conflicts of interests really lied, and boy how they lied. wink emoticon

Irrefutable proof that influenza vaccines routinely given to pregnant women still contain mercury. (Twitter)

Conclusion

To those who want to be informed, the truth about vaccines is out there. If the government seeks to force medications on the population then we owe it to ourselves to know everything about these pharmaceuticals and to learn both sides of the vaccine debate.

  • If vaccines are so effective then why would they have to be mandatory in order for them to work?
  • Why must we get boosters for the same shot over and over again, only to catch the disease that the vaccine was supposed to prevent anyway?
  • If vaccines are so safe, why can’t vaccine manufacturers be sued for damages caused by their product?

Esai Morales and many of these other celebrities took the time to do some major digging. Ultimately this research changed his mind about vaccines. If enough of us learn the truth, we can be set free from medical tyranny. Our health and our freedoms are too important to entrust to the care of others.

Further Reading:
Sources:


Religious Reasons Not To Circumcise

Together with Paul, he [St. Barnabas] then went to the so-called Council of Jerusalem where after a profound examination of the question, the Apostles with the Elders decided to discontinue the practice of circumcision so that it was no longer a feature of the Christian identity. – Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, January 31, 2007

There are three main religions of the world that practice circumcision: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Many people refer to these religions as Abrahamic faiths, after Abraham of the Old Testament. When looking for justification for circumcision, many adherents of these religions refer to Abraham’s children being circumcised as justification to continue the practice.

Using Abraham’s actions as justification for genital mutilation is irrational. By today’s standards, Abraham was certifiably insane. He committed adultery by sleeping with a servant girl, he believed he heard God’s voice commanding him to do things, and he built an altar in order to murder his son because he believed he was following God’s wishes. At the last moment, he believed God wanted him to stay his hand. For these and other reasons, Abraham makes a poor role model by today’s standards. Most of us would be hard pressed to find a priest, rabbi, or imam who would tell anyone to follow God’s commands if they were to hear his voice commanding them to kill a family member.

The belief that God wants you to murder your child is seen as profoundly insane, but the belief that God wants you to sacrifice the most sensitive part of your son’s penis is still seen as routine, and normal in the U.S. and Canada, but not in any other developed country. Routine infant circumcision is not normal for most Europeans, Australians, Asians, Latin Americans, or New Zealanders.

Jewish arguments in favor of circumcision are so commonplace now as to be axiomatic. What isn’t commonly known are the arguments that oppose circumcision on Judaic religious grounds. Because circumcision originated with Abraham, Jewish people commonly believed that in order to be Jewish, one must be circumcised. The idea that removal of the foreskin is what makes someone truly authentically Jewish cannot be historically supported.

Moses was not circumcised and he prohibited circumcision during the 40 years he and his followers spent in the wilderness. The Jewish people have never questioned Moses’ authenticity as a Jew, so if circumcision was not required of Moses to be Jewish, why would it be a requirement today? In addition, Theodor Hertzl, the founder of Zionism, also refused to have his son circumcised. Many prominent Jewish celebrities are opposed to circumcision including Roseanna Barr, Alicia Silverstone, Howard Stern, and Billy Joel.

Thousands of years after circumcision had been widely practiced, around 140 A.D, the procedure was radically altered . The Jewish authorities sought to modify the procedure so as to make it impossible for anyone Jewish to be mistaken as being intact or uncircumcised. (The ignominy of being mistaken for a Greek was somehow more disturbing than the practice of truly mutilating genitals). Until this time, the tip of the foreskin was removed, the part of the foreskin that isn’t initially fused to the glans of the penis. In this new procedure, referred to as peri’ah, the foreskin is completely stripped away from the glans, and then the next step in the procedure is known today as synechotomy, wherein almost all of the foreskin is removed and the extent of the injury to the penis is correspondingly more extensive. These changes to circumcision made it much more difficult to make restorative efforts on the remaining foreskin after a circumcision. This significantly more harmful and relatively recent approach to circumcision is the style of genital mutilation preferred by medical and religious professionals today. There is absolutely no chance that Abraham’s children, Moses (intact) or his children, or Jesus of Nazareth were circumcised in this manner. Furthermore, when God made Adam he made him perfect, and he wasn’t circumcised.

Other biblical imperatives: animal sacrifice, slavery, stoning of adulterous women, mandates against homosexuality ─ these have mostly fallen by the wayside. Judaism, except for the Ultra-Orthodox, has bridged the gap from ancient lore to modern day scientific enlightenment. Most Jews do not maintain kosher dietary laws, nor do they believe in laws forbidding travel or work on Shabbat. Why do they stubbornly maintain the atavistic ritual of circumcision? –Mark Reiss M.D.

According to Jewish law, Halacha, Jewish identity is purely matrilineal. If your mother is Jewish, you are Jewish, regardless of your circumcision status. Believing that one must be circumcised in order to be Jewish does not make it true, or historically accurate.

The Jewish alternative to circumcision is known as a Brit Shalom. This is a Jewish naming ceremony without circumcision. Begun over 150 years ago, this alternative service maintains the integrity of the Bris, while showing compassion and reason more respective of modern day understanding.

The Christian Religion Is Fundamentally Incompatible With Genital Mutilation

Christians took an adamant stance against circumcision in the earliest days of the Church. St. Paul, apostle to the gentiles, ardently opposed circumcision. As clarified by Paul’s teachings, circumcision directly contradicts Christian faith and teachings. The new covenant with God for Christians mandates forgiveness, compassion, and faith, not sacrifice. All Christian parents have a Christian obligation to love, nurture, and protect their children. Obviously these obligations would preclude unnecessary and harmful surgeries that offer no benefit and could potentially castrate or kill the child.

In the New Testament it reads:

Gal 5:2 – Behold, I, Paul tell you that if you be circumcised, Christ will be of no advantage to you.

Gal 6:13 – And even those who advocate circumcision don’t really keep the whole law. They only want you to be circumcised so they can brag about it and claim you as their disciples.

Titus 1:10-11 – For there are many who rebel against right teaching; they engage in useless talk and deceive people. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation. They must be silenced. By their wrong teaching, they have already turned whole families away from the truth. Such teachers only want your money.

Gal 5:3 – And I testify again to every male who receives circumcision, that he is in debt to keep the whole LAW you who do so have been severed from Christ… You have fallen from grace.”

Phil 3:2-3 – Watch out for those wicked men – dangerous dogs, I call them – who say you must be circumcised. Beware of the evil doers. Beware of the mutilation. For it isn’t the cutting of our bodies that makes us children of God; it is worshipping him…with our spirits.

Even if your interpretation of Christianity differs from St. Paul’s, it should be noted that Jesus never forced his views on anyone. Religious tyranny is antithetical to Christ’s example. Religious freedom means the right to choose one’s own religion, not the right to impose circumsitious beliefs upon others. There are more than a hundred fatalities a year due to circumcisions. Castrations and other complications do occur. These children have been sacrificed for an ancient superstition, not true religious mandates. The Quran never once mentions circumcision. Islamic scholars are in dispute over the necessity of circumcision and in dispute over whether or not Muhammad was circumcised or born without foreskin.

Brit Milah

A Brit Milah is the traditional Jewish naming ceremony, which is when circumcision traditionally takes place. The term Brit Shalom means “Covenant of Peace”. It is a non-cutting, peaceful alternative to the violent traditional Jewish cutting ceremony.

Circumcision stands in direct opposition to religious teaching prohibiting violence and sexual contact outside of marriage. Within the context of circumcision it seems any other molestation is culturally permissible. If we are to fall under the delusion that circumcision is somehow required of the faithful, we can overlook anything. But when you really think about it how could it be possible that circumcision is an innocent sexual mutilation? It manifests itself as deep perversions of the human spirit. This perversion is evidenced in the Messisa or Metzitzah, a third step not introduced until the Talmudic period (500-625 A.D.) wherein the mohel (in an act of pedophilia) sucks blood from the penis of the circumcised infant. Unbelievably the Rabbi explains that in order to more “easily” perform a circumcision the infant should be in a state of sexual arousal. According to the late Rabbi Snowman author of the book The Surgery of Ritual Circumcision.

When the penis of an infant is in a state of erection the operation is more easily performed and the dressing more efficiently applied. The manipulation of the organ necessary to grasp the prepuce is generally sufficient to stimulate the increased blood supply requisite for an erection.

When agreeing to have their child circumcised parents are fundamentally agreeing to a violent and sexual act to be done to their child. There are many people that do not need any religious justification for why that would be immoral and cruel thing to have done to their child, but for those that do, these are just some of the religious reasons not to circumcise.

Further Reading:
Sources:


10 Circumcision Myths – Let’s Get the Facts Straight

In an effort to sell you medical services that are not needed, hospitals have continued a practice that was adopted as a preventative measure against masturbation. Instead of abandoning the practice once Americans became more sexually liberated, doctors and nurses have begun spreading a number of falsehoods and half-truths in order to justify the amputation a fully functioning organ immediately upon birth. Yes the foreskin is an organ, it has known immunological, sexual and protective functions.

Easier to Clean

Contrary to popular myth, an intact penis is no harder to clean than a circumcised one. All it requires is simply rinsing off whenever you bathe; no soap is necessary. For care of infants, simply clean what is seen and wipe from base to tip. Never retract the foreskin on an infant because it can cause serious damage in the form of adhesions. Forcefully retracting would be like ripping your fingernail off as the foreskin is adhered to the glans and forcing it back will hurt the boy. Taking these steps to clean an intact penis is far easier than caring for a circumcised infant. A circumcision leaves an open wound vulnerable to infection, a wound that is trapped in a diaper that will likely be exposed to feces. There’s nothing cleaner about caring for a surgically altered penis; in fact, it is more difficult than cleaning an intact one.

Prevents HIV

One of the most common myths you hear with circumcision is that it prevents HIV and AIDS. This is simply not true and is based on a handful of highly flawed studies out of Africa. Some of these studies did not take into account important factors that could affect the HIV status of the men in the study. For example, condom use was not tracked in some studies nor was the HIV status of their female partners. All three of the major studies were halted early, which can cause the effects of treatment to be greatly over exaggerated. These studies also experienced high attrition rates of participants. The potential HIV status of these lost participants could potentially skew the statistics.

Many other studies have shown that circumcision did not decrease the rates of HIV among circumcised males and in some cases, being circumcised actually increased a man’s risk of acquiring HIV. One study out of Uganda showed that the female partners of recently circumcised males were at an increased risk of contracting HIV. Another study found that circumcision increased the risk of HIV by as much as 300%, since the instruments used were not sanitized and circumcision directly aided in spreading the virus from person to person.

Prevents Cancer

Another myth of circumcision is that it helps prevent penile cancer in men and cervical cancer in their female partners. This is simply not true. Abraham Wolbarst, a doctor in the early 20th century, was one of the first to hypothesize that smegma, a secretion more prevalent in uncircumcised males than circumcised males, was carcinogenic and caused cancers. This was debunked later by studies in the 1950s. Further studies found that there was no statistical difference in rates of penile cancer between circumcised and uncircumcised males. Even the American Cancer Society has categorically stated that promoting circumcision as a method of preventing cancer is not effective. In a letter to the American Academy of Pediatrics, they wrote:

As representatives of the American Cancer Society, we would like to discourage the American Academy of Pediatrics from promoting routine circumcision as preventative measure for penile or cervical cancer.

The American Cancer Society does not consider routine circumcision to be a valid or effective measure to prevent such cancers. 

Research suggesting a pattern in the circumcision status of partners of women with cervical cancer is methodologically flawed, outdated and has not been taken seriously in the medical community for decades. Likewise, research claiming a relationship between circumcision and penile cancer is inconclusive.  

Penile cancer is an extremely rare condition, effecting one in 200,000 men in the United States. Penile cancer rates in countries which do not practice circumcision are lower than those found in the United States. Fatalities caused by circumcision accidents may approximate the mortality rate from penile cancer.

Portraying routine circumcision as an effective means of prevention distracts the public from the task of avoiding the behaviors proven to contribute to penile and cervical cancer: especially cigarette smoking and unprotected sexual relations with multiple partners. Perpetuating the mistaken belief that circumcision prevents cancer is inappropriate.

Even though evidence has shown that circumcision does not reduce the risks of penile or cervical cancer, many people continue to perpetuate this myth.

Babies Don’t Feel the Pain

Probably one of the most dangerous myths of circumcision is that babies do not feel pain. Most of the time, baby boys are circumcised with either no anesthetic at all or just a local anesthetic that does little to numb the pain of the foreskin being ripped back from the glans and then cut off. Many studies over the years have shown that babies do feel pain but a recent study using MRIs on infants is the most telling. This study by Oxford University found that out of the 20 areas of the brain that light up on MRIs of adults in pain, 18 will light up on MRIs of infants in pain. The study also found that babies have a lower pain threshold than adults. It is easy to see from this that yes, baby boys do feel the circumcision and are in extreme pain throughout the whole procedure.

Women Find it More Attractive

Many American women will state that they find circumcised penises more attractive than intact penises. This is simply because circumcision has been a cultural norm. This statement is not true for most women worldwide where circumcision is not the norm. As more women are educated on the benefits to their own sexual pleasure when a man is intact, this cultural norm will change.

It Prevents Urinary Tract Infections

Females are far more likely than males to get urinary tract infections. Most men will never have a urinary tract infection regardless of their circumcision status, and even if they do occur, UTIs are easily treatable.

It Doesn’t Affect Your Sex Life

Being circumcised does affect a man’s sex life. Being intact increases the sexual pleasure for both men and women. For a man, being circumcised can make it harder to reach orgasm and contribute to sexual dysfunction. Having a foreskin increases the sensitivity for both the intact male and his partner. It provides a natural lubrication for women.

It’s a Useless Piece of Skin

The foreskin is anything but a useless piece of skin, as many proponents of circumcision will try to tell you. The foreskin has more than sixteen functions and is an important part of the human body. Functions of the foreskin include:

  • Protection of the glans from injury
  • Provides moisture and pH balance
  • Helps prevent contaminants from entering the urethra
  • Contains glands that produce antibacterial and antiviral proteins such as lysozyme
  • Provides natural gliding action during sex
  • Contains between 10,000-20,000 nerve endings, and seven different types of nerve endings

Even though this is just a short list of the many functions of the foreskin, it is easy to see that the foreskin is not “just a useless piece of skin”.

FGM is Different and/or Worse

The differences between female circumcision and male circumcision are debated, even among intactivists. The basic concept is the same for both: the removal of erogenous tissue. Where people disagree is in how much damage it causes in victims of either gender. Both female circumcision and male circumcision result in lasting harm. Only male circumcision is legal in Western countries. While intactivists may disagree on whether female circumcision results in worse injury than male circumcision, all intactivists can agree that no circumcision should be done on infants and children who are incapable of consent.

Phimosis is a Common Affliction that Must be Corrected with Circumcision

Phimosis is a common misdiagnosis given to parents to convince them to circumcise their sons. This condition is defined as the inability of the foreskin to retract from over the glans, or head, of the penis. Diagnosis of this condition is divided into two categories: physiologic phimosis and pathologic phimosis. What many do not realize that it is perfectly normal for an intact infant boy or young child’s foreskin to not be able to retract. In fact, on average, the foreskin is not fully retractable until later in childhood, around the beginning of puberty. As a result, many doctors will diagnose a young infant boy or toddler as having phimosis when in fact his body has not reached the biological state of development where the foreskin retracts naturally. Physiologic phimosis generally resolves itself as boys reach puberty and their foreskin begins to retract naturally. Even if it does not, phimosis does not need to be ‘fixed’ with circumcision. Pathologic circumcision is due to scarring, infection, and inflammation. Treatment may be required if it begins to interfere with urination, but a true necessity for circumcision rarely exists.

Conclusion

When it comes to deciding whether to circumcise your son or not, look at the research. All of the reasons doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals give for circumcision simply are not supported by the facts. These myths need to be debunked every time you hear them. Please help us build an intact generation by educating others on the myths of circumcision and the benefits of leaving baby boys intact.

Further Reading:
Sources:


Celebrating a Green Christmas

Christmas is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated and loved holidays of the year. It’s easy to get so carried away in the festivities you forget about the environment. If you are a true eco-friendly person or wish to become one, give each of the following tips a thought, and take the necessary steps for a beautifully green Christmas.

Christmas Trees

Have you ever wondered whether it’s better to buy an artificial Christmas rather than a real one? An artificial tree can be used year after year, but many of them are made with dangerous chemicals that add to environmental pollution during production. Besides, every eco-friendly person knows that there is nothing quite like the fresh smell of a natural Christmas tree to complement the holiday. Choose your tree from a certified farm that is sustainable and responsible, and consider a live tree you can plant after the holidays.

Christmas Cards

Send e-cards instead of paper ones. We live in a digital age, a time when people have access to the internet through smart devices and phones. If you choose eco-friendly e-cards, you can personalize each card, choosing music or animation. Considering the fact that Christmas cards usually end up in the trash, isn’t it time to consider environmentally conscience alternatives?

Christmas Presents

Pick your presents wisely. There is no need to go overboard. Buy less and buy local. This is the greenest action you can take this Christmas. Tons of products come to the U.S. from China along with a huge carbon footprint. If you buy local, you are supporting local suppliers and minimizing your environmental impact.

Christmas Decorations

Reuse decorations. You don’t really need to buy decorations every year. Instead, you can reuse the décor from last year. If you are feeling particularly creative, you can create your own decorations instead of buying them. That way you will not only save on money, but also reduce the clutter of your home.

Go through the items you are about to throw away and see if you can use anything. One great example is reusing paper from packaging into custom-made gift packets. Simply draw a shape on two layers of paper and stitch the two pieces together. All of those Christmas cards you received in previous years that are too cute to be thrown away can be glued together to make a thematic wreath to hang wherever you please. Acquire some acrylic paint and use it to turn your food jars into Christmas characters, such as Santa, snowman or a greeny elf – a fantastic addition to any Christmas décor.

It really isn’t that hard to transform your Christmas into a green one. All you need is to turn to your environmentally-cautious mind and think of what ways you can make your holiday is less taxing to nature. Be sure to check out the Handy Rubbish Blog for more information on recycling and green living topics.

Further Reading:

Eco-Friendly Toys: Tips for Keeping Kids and the Planet Safe

What Do Natural, Organic, and Non-GMO Actually Mean?

Five Easy Home Improvements to Make Your Home Green and Healthy

Seven Easy Ways to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

Sources:

The Guardian – Pollution articles