Genital integrity
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Genital integrity is a term that describes the belief that all human beings, both male and female, have the right to to be protected from unnecessary genital modification. The social and political movement promoting the adoption of this principle as a fundamental human right is also known as Intactivism.
Current laws in most Western world countries forbid the involuntary genital modification of females. Proponents of Genital Integrity assert that laws against involuntary genital modification should apply equally to males and females and also to the involuntary sexual reassignment of intersexuals.
As Genital Integrity is critical of male circumcision, the movement has met with resistance from some doctors and also from those who believe in the traditional religious significance of circumcision within Judaism and Islam (see Circumcision for a full examination of this issue).
A number of Genital Integrity and Intactivist organizations exist around the world, and protest rallies have been held in the USA and other areas. Seven international symposia on Genital Integrity have been held around the world, with the 8th to be held in Padua, Italy, September, 2004.
The Genital Integrity ribbon was created by the "National Organization to Halt the Abuse and Routine Mutilation of Males" (NOHARMM). The pink ribbon symbolizes girls and blue symbolizes boys. The ribbon as a whole can symbolize intersexed people.
External links
- The International Coalition for Genital Integrity (http://www.icgi.org/)
- Students for Genital Integrity (http://StudentsForGenitalIntegrity.org/)
- National Organization to Halt the Abuse and Routine Mutilation of Males (NOHARMM) (http://www.noharmm.org/)
