Ep. 25: Why is male infant circumcision a human rights issue? (Part 1)

05/27/21 • 55 min

In North America - the United States in particular - males are regularly circumcised at birth. Over the years, various arguments have been made leading up to a shift in the American Academy of Pediatrics suggesting that the benefits of male infant circumcision outweigh the risks. In this episode - the first of two - I had the chance to talk to Brian Earp, an outspoken critic of the arguments often made in favour of non-therapeutic male infant circumcision. He approaches this topic with logic and science and we start today by looking at these arguments regarding benefits versus risks and how this relates to a child's right to bodily autonomy. I know this is a topic that can be hard for some people, but it's an important one that we need to discuss. Brian Earp: https://philosophy.yale.edu/people/brian-earp Relevant Articles: https://jme.bmj.com/content/39/7/418.short https://wchh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/tre.531 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brian-Earp-2/publication/316527603_Cultural_Bias_in_American_Medicine_The_Case_of_Infant_Male_Circumcision/links/59bed6d1458515e9cfd228c4/Cultural-Bias-in-American-Medicine-The-Case-of-Infant-Male-Circumcision.pdf https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17441692.2016.1184292 https://philpapers.org/rec/EARFGM To learn more about the Evolutionary Parenting Podcast visit https://evolutionaryparenting.com/evolutionary-parenting-podcast-2/

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Bonus Episode: Covid-19 Infection, Vaccination, and Breast Milk

This is a special episode of the podcast because it's focused on something highly relevant to us today. At this moment, we're faced with a global pandemic that we are trying to overcome. Over the past few months, vaccinations have become a crucial step in this process, but there are still questions and concerns that people have, especially around those who are breastfeeding or chestfeeding. I had the chance to talk with Dr. Rebecca Powell, an immunologist who has been at the forefront of the research trying to understand the impact of covid infection and vaccination on breastmilk and in turn, the impact for babies. Join me for this special episode that will hopefully alleviate any worries people have and help inform on this unique issue. Dr. Powell's Lab: https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/rebecca-powell-lab/ Articles of Interest: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004220309329 https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.16.21253731v1 https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.22.21253831v1 If interested in sending a milk sample (listen to the episode), you can email Dr. Powell at [email protected]. To learn more about the Evolutionary Parenting Podcast visit https://evolutionaryparenting.com/evolutionary-parenting-podcast-2/

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Ep. 26: Why is male infant circumcision a human rights issue? (Part 2)

Welcome back to part two of my talk with Brian Earp. If you haven't listened yet to last week's episode, I strongly suggest you do because some of what we talk about this week directly follows that conversation. Moving on from the discussion of health risks versus benefits of male infant circumcision, this week we turn towards the social elephant in the room, namely the gendered debate on circumcision as well as more emotional issues such as the defensiveness of parents and the struggles for some men to feel heard on the issue. I hope this conversation may also provide a means for families or individuals struggling to find a way to open up and feel heard. It's up to all of us to listen when people share their story. Brian Earp: https://philosophy.yale.edu/people/brian-earp Brian Earp's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR4umqUbmaDirAig2zD-zBw Resources: Your Whole Baby: https://www.yourwholebaby.org/ Doctors Opposing Circumcision: https://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/ The Intact Network: https://www.intactnetwork.org/ To learn more about the Evolutionary Parenting Podcast visit https://evolutionaryparenting.com/evolutionary-parenting-podcast-2/