Yes, I am at it again. I want to unveil the absurdity of using circumcision as a preventive measure against the spread of HIV in the U.S.
According to the study done on Sub Saharan African men on the effectiveness of circumcision in the prevention of the spread of HIV, the rate of prevention was about 50%. This study only applied to heterosexual men. It did not cover homosexual populations or women. It should also be noted that these men did not have regular access to condoms.
In the United States in 2007, 37,041 new cases of HIV were reported. Twenty-eight (28) of them were children under the age of 13, mostly infants. So for our purposes, since we are looking at sexually transmitted infections, I will remove these cases. That leaves us with a starting number of 37,013 teen and adult cases of HIV infection. Of those cases only 535 cases were reported in persons under the age of 20. Given that the age of consent is 18, we will use this “under 20” figure to discuss the number of lives that would be saved by INFANT circumcision.
Of 535 cases, 17% would result from IV drug use for which circumcision would be of no use, and 47% would result from homosexual sex which isn’t covered by our study. So we are left with 193 cases of heterosexually transmitted HIV. Statistically speaking 107 of those cases would be female, which again is unaffected by circumcision. That leaves us with 86 male heterosexual transmissions. Of those at least 60% would be circumcised already (I’ll use 60% to be round about it.) That leaves 35 intact male cases transmitted heterosexually. Since circumcision would save about 50% of those lives, routine infant circumcision would save about 17 lives for American boys before the age of consent. Compare that to the over 100 infants, who through no choice of their own, die from circumcision every year in the U.S., not including those who have other life long complications.
So let’s use some sense here. Your child is more likely to die from infant circumcision than he is likely to be infected with HIV [through heterosexual contact] before the age of consent. It makes more sense to teach condom usage to junior high school students, a method that protects all people from sexually transmitted HIV. Because let’s face it, in this country the vast majority of men contracting and living with HIV are circumcised. So what real impact is circumcision having on transmission in the U.S.? We as a society need to let go of our prudishness and educate our kids about safe sex and IV drug usage BEFORE they are at risk. Now there’s a method of prevention that has actually been shown to work in this country.
Of course, when your son is of the age to consent, you can ask him, “do you want to keep your foreskin and use a condom OR do you want to cut off your foreskin and use a condom?” Then let him decide.
Note: It is interesting to me that in the African study no one recommended that infants be circumcised. They began doing the surgery at age 12 and beyond.
Note: A baby’s blood does not clot well (which is why your baby got a shot of Vit. K when s/he was born. Also they have nearly no immune system to fight off infection. This is the worst possible scenario under which any surgery should be performed.)
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Cancer, Cancer, Everwhere…that is, in the U.S.
Lately, I feel overwhelmed with increasing presence of cancer in the world around me. Everywhere I turn, someone I know or someone they know has been diagnosed with cancer. I am shocked to learn how many of those afflicted are my own age or not much beyond. The whole thing seems hopeless.
Despite the billions of dollars put into cancer research, we don’t seem to be getting anywhere. In fact some researchers have said that there has not been a significant advancement in cancer treatment in half a century. The ironic part of all of this is that some researchers HAVE made significant leaps in understanding who gets cancer and why. And guess what? That research has nothing to do with genetics. Why haven’t you heard about it? Because no one can make money off of it. So I am going to share with you some of what I know.
Since the early 1900’s nutrition has been implicated in the instance and treatment of cancer. In the last decade I have seen enormous quantities of evidence that support these early theories, theories that were all but squelched by the industrial food lobby some 70 years ago. One of the biggest studies ever conducted on nutrition and health, the more recent China Study, concluded that nutrition, i.e. the types of food consumed, was the greatest predictor of certain widespread cancers including prostate, breast and colon cancer as well as of diabetes and heart disease.
Over and over again we see that in countries where animal products are not consumed in large quantities--because of they are too expensive, not readily available, or not customarily eaten—the instance of cancer, heart disease and diabetes are low. In particular, the number of dairy calories consumed was directly linked to the instance widespread cancers, especially of the prostate and colon. There are multiple reasons for this. But the reason that I find compelling is that when dairy products are available humans who incorporate them into their regular diet begin to decrease their consumption of vegetables and fruits.
Vegetables and fruits of all colors provide micro-nutrients that increase the body’s ability to prevent cell mutation and fight any mutation/cancer once it’s begun. Plants produce high quantities of antioxidants to prevent free radical damage caused by prolonged exposure to the sun. This is how they promote cell stability. When you eat a leafy green, or red peppers, blueberries, apples, etc. you are consuming those antioxidants for your body’s own use. (Our own bodies do this work to a small degree when they metabolize the antioxidant vitamin D from cholesterol by means of sun exposure.) Since the body can not produce antioxidants in sufficient quantities by itself, we have to consume them. It stands to reason then that the fewer vegetables we consume the less protection we have against cancer.
The China Study in particular concluded that those persons whose caloric intake from dairy exceeded 10 percent were at greatest risk for cancer. In plain terms, a 12 ounce serving of 2% milk, 1/3 cup of cheddar cheese, 3 Kraft singles, OR 3 ounces of mozzarella cheese equals 10% of the caloric intake of most individuals. Those amounts are half for toddlers and small children, who by most reckonings are given the highest percentage of calories from dairy of any of us. Recent findings from a long term study found childhood intake of dairy the most significant predictor for prostate cancer in men. This is alarming to say the least.
As a mom with two kids allergic to cow’s milk, I can personally tell you that life without dairy is possible. In fact there are several large populations around the world that consume little to no dairy at all. Leafy greens, romaine lettuce, sesame seeds, broccoli and even spices and herbs like cinnamon and peppermint are excellent sources of calcium. Salmon, cod and shrimp are excellent sources of vitamin D. And guess what? You can stand outside in the sun for 20 minutes and make it yourself! If you need extra for health reasons, a single drop of some fish oil and lanolin preparations is enough to provide 1000-2000 IU of vitamin D at the unbelievably low cost of $20 a year. Small quantities of meat and fish provide ample amounts of vitamin A, and all those fruits and veggies that you consume contain pro-vitamin A which is converted into active vitamin A in your body. No cow’s required.
There are other factors as well--nutritional, environmental and emotional--that contribute to the high rates of cancer in the U.S.. The sheer volume of highly processed, low-nutrient wheat products being consumed is implicated in some types of cancer. Add to those dietary factors high stress levels, environmental pollutants, and pesticides and you have a recipe for nearly every type of cancer that exists. Still I keep reading that even these factors can be mitigated if the diet is sufficiently supplying the body with antioxidants and other vital nutrients from plant sources. In fact, some of the best cancer centers in the country are integrating a “cancer diet” into their treatment plans. The cancer diet is essentially a vegan diet, i.e. a diet that does not contain any animal products at all.
Evidence from studies of native diets show that eating apple seeds and apricot kernels inhibits tumor growth, because they contain a specialized form of cyanide. Green tea, red rooibos and white teas, blueberries, acai, aronia, elderberries, black currant, roasted tomatoes, pomegrante, winter squashes and so many more are foods found in traditional diets that possess incredible cancer fighting properties. But so many of these wonder foods are lost on us because we are busy stuffing our faces with low-cost, government subsidized dairy and wheat products that have been stripped of even the little nutritional value they possess by industrial processing. These ready-made foods might be quick, easy and cheap, but they come at a great cost to your individual health and the overall health of our nation.
So every time I learn of one more person with cancer, I try to assess what I am putting into my body and the bodies of my children. Am I eating enough vegetables and fruits? Am I limiting and varying my animal proteins? Am I eating my grains whole? Am I replacing some of my meat with other sources of plant proteins like beans, nuts, seeds and greens? Is my food colorful? This is no guarantee, I know. Still I am aware that eating well is the best thing I can do to prevent my getting cancer. And when I teach my children how to feed themselves well I am providing them with a lifetime of defense.
Despite the billions of dollars put into cancer research, we don’t seem to be getting anywhere. In fact some researchers have said that there has not been a significant advancement in cancer treatment in half a century. The ironic part of all of this is that some researchers HAVE made significant leaps in understanding who gets cancer and why. And guess what? That research has nothing to do with genetics. Why haven’t you heard about it? Because no one can make money off of it. So I am going to share with you some of what I know.
Since the early 1900’s nutrition has been implicated in the instance and treatment of cancer. In the last decade I have seen enormous quantities of evidence that support these early theories, theories that were all but squelched by the industrial food lobby some 70 years ago. One of the biggest studies ever conducted on nutrition and health, the more recent China Study, concluded that nutrition, i.e. the types of food consumed, was the greatest predictor of certain widespread cancers including prostate, breast and colon cancer as well as of diabetes and heart disease.
Over and over again we see that in countries where animal products are not consumed in large quantities--because of they are too expensive, not readily available, or not customarily eaten—the instance of cancer, heart disease and diabetes are low. In particular, the number of dairy calories consumed was directly linked to the instance widespread cancers, especially of the prostate and colon. There are multiple reasons for this. But the reason that I find compelling is that when dairy products are available humans who incorporate them into their regular diet begin to decrease their consumption of vegetables and fruits.
Vegetables and fruits of all colors provide micro-nutrients that increase the body’s ability to prevent cell mutation and fight any mutation/cancer once it’s begun. Plants produce high quantities of antioxidants to prevent free radical damage caused by prolonged exposure to the sun. This is how they promote cell stability. When you eat a leafy green, or red peppers, blueberries, apples, etc. you are consuming those antioxidants for your body’s own use. (Our own bodies do this work to a small degree when they metabolize the antioxidant vitamin D from cholesterol by means of sun exposure.) Since the body can not produce antioxidants in sufficient quantities by itself, we have to consume them. It stands to reason then that the fewer vegetables we consume the less protection we have against cancer.
The China Study in particular concluded that those persons whose caloric intake from dairy exceeded 10 percent were at greatest risk for cancer. In plain terms, a 12 ounce serving of 2% milk, 1/3 cup of cheddar cheese, 3 Kraft singles, OR 3 ounces of mozzarella cheese equals 10% of the caloric intake of most individuals. Those amounts are half for toddlers and small children, who by most reckonings are given the highest percentage of calories from dairy of any of us. Recent findings from a long term study found childhood intake of dairy the most significant predictor for prostate cancer in men. This is alarming to say the least.
As a mom with two kids allergic to cow’s milk, I can personally tell you that life without dairy is possible. In fact there are several large populations around the world that consume little to no dairy at all. Leafy greens, romaine lettuce, sesame seeds, broccoli and even spices and herbs like cinnamon and peppermint are excellent sources of calcium. Salmon, cod and shrimp are excellent sources of vitamin D. And guess what? You can stand outside in the sun for 20 minutes and make it yourself! If you need extra for health reasons, a single drop of some fish oil and lanolin preparations is enough to provide 1000-2000 IU of vitamin D at the unbelievably low cost of $20 a year. Small quantities of meat and fish provide ample amounts of vitamin A, and all those fruits and veggies that you consume contain pro-vitamin A which is converted into active vitamin A in your body. No cow’s required.
There are other factors as well--nutritional, environmental and emotional--that contribute to the high rates of cancer in the U.S.. The sheer volume of highly processed, low-nutrient wheat products being consumed is implicated in some types of cancer. Add to those dietary factors high stress levels, environmental pollutants, and pesticides and you have a recipe for nearly every type of cancer that exists. Still I keep reading that even these factors can be mitigated if the diet is sufficiently supplying the body with antioxidants and other vital nutrients from plant sources. In fact, some of the best cancer centers in the country are integrating a “cancer diet” into their treatment plans. The cancer diet is essentially a vegan diet, i.e. a diet that does not contain any animal products at all.
Evidence from studies of native diets show that eating apple seeds and apricot kernels inhibits tumor growth, because they contain a specialized form of cyanide. Green tea, red rooibos and white teas, blueberries, acai, aronia, elderberries, black currant, roasted tomatoes, pomegrante, winter squashes and so many more are foods found in traditional diets that possess incredible cancer fighting properties. But so many of these wonder foods are lost on us because we are busy stuffing our faces with low-cost, government subsidized dairy and wheat products that have been stripped of even the little nutritional value they possess by industrial processing. These ready-made foods might be quick, easy and cheap, but they come at a great cost to your individual health and the overall health of our nation.
So every time I learn of one more person with cancer, I try to assess what I am putting into my body and the bodies of my children. Am I eating enough vegetables and fruits? Am I limiting and varying my animal proteins? Am I eating my grains whole? Am I replacing some of my meat with other sources of plant proteins like beans, nuts, seeds and greens? Is my food colorful? This is no guarantee, I know. Still I am aware that eating well is the best thing I can do to prevent my getting cancer. And when I teach my children how to feed themselves well I am providing them with a lifetime of defense.
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