Saying "No" to Circumcision.

Saying "No"to Circumcision, 1994, 18 min.

Both available from Nurses for the Rights of the Child, 369 Montezuma #354, Santa Fe, NM, 87501; 505-989-7377

Nurses for the Rights of the Child is a group of nurses from St. Vincent Hospital in Santa Fe, NM, who refused to assist in routine circumcision of infants on ethical grounds.

In the first video, Saying "No" to Circumcision, six of the nurses who took part in the refusal tell what they saw in the circumcision room that led them to their decisions. Although the video is somewhat grainy, the nurses' stories are refreshing to hear. They take a stand not only for the infants, but also for the parents, posing questions such as, during what other medical procedure are parents not allowed in the operating room? And, why have parents not fought to see this procedure?

They reveal doctors' practices, even showing a foreskin that was just tossed in the trash after its removal.

This video also includes footage of the NOHARMM rally at the California Medical Association. The rally was peaceful, but powerful, with speakers including a young boy explaining his feelings about circumcision.

The second video, Facing Circumcision--Eight Physicians Tell Their Stories, is a recent release from the Nurses for the Rights of the Child.

Three of the eight physicians have quit performing routine circumcisions and explain to the viewers why they have done so. The other five explain why they continue to perform circumcisions and what it would take to get them to quit. One of the physicians, who is still performing circumcisions, explains that it is a cosmetic procedure, but supports the parents' decision regardless of its basis. Moreover, almost all of the physicians indicated that during their medical training it is not questioned; they go ahead and perform a circumcision to get the experience and are never asked about their ethical feelings toward the procedure.

Both films are documentary-style and take the viewers back and forth between each participant's commentary. While this topic is currently debated, the Nurses for the Rights of the Child have maintained a straightforward, non-propagandist tone throughout their videos, without letting us forget where they stand. Any childbirth educator interested in teaching their parents-to-be about the reasons for and against circumcision should look into these videos.