Marilyn Milos is founder and director
of the
National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource CentersThe National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers is a non-profit organization headquartered in the United States, with some centers in other countries...
(NOCIRC), a
genital integrityCircumcision has been the subject of controversy for thousands of years. The Ancient Greeks and Romans valued the foreskin and were opposed to circumcision...
organization which opposes the
genital modification and mutilationThe terms genital modification and genital mutilation can refer to permanent or temporary changes to human genitals. Some forms of genital alteration are performed at the behest of an adult, with their informed consent. Others are performed on infants or children...
of children.
She described her experience witnessing male circumcision thus: "I will go to my grave hearing the screams of that tormented baby in my ears. As I watched in disbelief, I began to cry. The doctor looked up at me and said, 'There is no medical reason for doing this.'"
In 1985, Nurse Marilyn Milos was fired for advising parents against circumcision.
Marilyn Milos is founder and director
of the
National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource CentersThe National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers is a non-profit organization headquartered in the United States, with some centers in other countries...
(NOCIRC), a
genital integrityCircumcision has been the subject of controversy for thousands of years. The Ancient Greeks and Romans valued the foreskin and were opposed to circumcision...
organization which opposes the
genital modification and mutilationThe terms genital modification and genital mutilation can refer to permanent or temporary changes to human genitals. Some forms of genital alteration are performed at the behest of an adult, with their informed consent. Others are performed on infants or children...
of children.
Experiences in hospitals
She described her experience witnessing male circumcision thus: "I will go to my grave hearing the screams of that tormented baby in my ears. As I watched in disbelief, I began to cry. The doctor looked up at me and said, 'There is no medical reason for doing this.'"
In 1985, Nurse Marilyn Milos was fired for advising parents against circumcision. In her acceptance speech for a nursing award, she describes her efforts:
As a nurse, I told parents what I wished someone had told me before my sons were circumcised. I thought every parent had a right and an obligation to be fully informed. I was told to keep my mouth shut. So, I made a video of a circumcision for parents. I was told it was too much for parents to see. I said, 'Perhaps, then, it's too much for a baby to endure!' The video was censored, and, in 1985, I got the ultimate censorship I was fired.
http://www.circumstitions.com/Marilyn.html
Personal views
Milos went on to found NOCIRC and continue her efforts as an activist. She is currently the director and conference coordinator, speaking out in favor of
genital integrityCircumcision has been the subject of controversy for thousands of years. The Ancient Greeks and Romans valued the foreskin and were opposed to circumcision...
. She has also been a contributor to "Ask the Experts" in Mothering Magazine
http://www.mothering.com/sections/experts/milos-archive.html. She was recently featured on Penn and Teller's television program
Bullshit!Penn & Teller: Bullshit! is an American documentary television series that has been on the air since 2003 on the premium cable channel Showtime on Thursday nights at 10 pm ET. In Canada, the series airs on The Movie Network...
(episode 3x01
Circumcision), where she explains her view that circumcision is a violation of an individual's rights over their own body.
Marilyn has also voiced strong support for
foreskin restorationForeskin restoration is the process of expanding the residual skin on the penis, via surgical or non-surgical methods, to create the appearance of a natural foreskin covering the glans penis...
, saying that "the men who restore say the increased sensation is comparable to the difference between seeing in black and white and seeing in color."
Publications
Marilyn Milos is the co-editor of the books
Sexual Mutilation: A Human Tragedy (1997)
http://www.cirp.org/pages/reviews/tragedy/,
Male and Female Circumcision: Medical, Legal, and Ethical Considerations in Pediatric Practice (1999, ISBN 0-306-46131-5),
Understanding Circumcision: A Multi-Dimensional Approach to a Multi-Dimensional Problem (2001),
Flesh and Blood: Perspectives on the Problem of Circumcision in Contemporary Society (2004), and
Bodily Integrity and the Politics of Circumcision: Culture, Controversy, and Change (2006, in publication).
External links