CIRCUMCISION INFORMATION NETWORK
Formerly CIN CompuBulletin
Volume 2, Number 37, 16 November 1995

THE DIARY OF AN AAP CONFERENCE ATTENDEE
Part 3 of a three-part series
Editor's note:  A previous issue of the CIN reported on activists who
quietly picketed outside of the American Academy of Pediatrics conference
in San Francisco.  Following is a report, contributed by W.H., of activist
Richard DeSeabra, Director NORM of NYC, who actually attended the
conference: 

Monday, Oct 15th, Day 3. 
I bumped into two doctors I had seen at the Philly conference.  One was
against circ (she's European) but she's not too outspoken because she
loses referrals from OB-GYN's.  This is one dynamic in the issue that
should be studied.  The other doctor was a Muslim from Brooklyn he said
that he now agreed with us after reading the NOHARMM literature I gave him
at the last conference.  I spent the rest of the day wiping smirks off of
doctors faces by talking about the deaths and botched cases (always
pointing to Marin County). 

Tuesday, Oct 17th , Day 4. 
Cynthia Howard from Rochester spoke on breast feeding tips.  At no point
in her lecture did she talk about her widely publicized study in which she
discovered that circumcision may cause breast feeding failure.  One of her
tips should have been:  Don't Circumcise!  But doctors really fear this
issue even if they are against circ.  I brought that up during question
period and she agreed that it is "ludicrous" to circumcise 200 boys to
prevent one UTI. 

Finally I went to the Friends of the Canadian Pediatric Society meeting. 
I had some wine and shmoozed.  I asked someone to point out the president
of the CPS and as soon as he was alone.  I approached him.  Introduced
myself and he was immediately asking me questions like "What's the deal
with you Americans? When are you going to give up circumcision?"  (They
have a fabulous statement on circumcision.) He treated me as if we were
old buddies.  I told him to be strong and not make the same mistake the
Australians made when they just recently made their policy weaker by
saying there are possible benefits to circ.  He gave me his card and he
reassured me, "We are not changing our statement". 

On the way out of the hotel I saw Joycelyn Elders approaching me.  I stuck
my hand straight out shook hers and new that I would have to be brief.  So
I talked for not even a minute while she walked.  She mentioned that she
knew a physician who has been working on the subject . 

FOR JEWISH PARENTS
Jewish Associates of the Circumcision Resource Center invite Jewish
parents with intact sons and Jews who would not circumcise a son to join
them. Please specify if you are willing to have your name used publicly;
if not, your anonymity will be respected.  Ronald F. Goldman, PO Box 232,
Boston, MA 02133