Dr. Money and the Boy With No Penis
On 22 August 1965 Janet Reimer was granted her dearest wish: she gave birth to twins. The two boys, Brian and Bruce, were healthy babies, but they would lead tragic lives, blighted by one scientist's radical theory.
When they were seven months old, the boys, who lived in Winnipeg, Canada, were sent to the local hospital for a routine circumcision. Unfortunately the doctor in charge of the procedure was using electrical equipment, which malfunctioned several times. On the last trial, Bruce's entire penis was burnt off. Brian was not operated on. The family were distraught. In the Sixties plastic surgery was not an option: even today it is not recommended that new-borns undergo penis reconstruction operations.
It wasn't until several months later that Janet and her husband, Ron, saw a television programme that gave them some hope. Dr John Money, a highly renowned sexologist, featured in a debate about sex change operations on transsexuals. He had brought a transsexual with him who was convincingly feminine looking.
The idea that, without his penis, he couldn't be a proper boy and it would be better to turn him into a girl, blows my mind. Is a boy nothing more than his penis?
Because YOU, Richard Green, "would have made the same decision at the time" as Dr Money, doesn't make it "the correct one". This was SO wrong on so many levels.
Maybe stop butchering children's genitals?
Made me cry. I believe he molested those children and his student defending what he did when he knows within himself that Dr.Money was wrong. No one said sorry to that family! HEARTBREAKING
There another Dr. R*tard in the making, can you guys not see it?Beware of Richard Green. He looks ready enough to defend his "teacher" so yeah, brainwash case alert.
this is why you NEVER leave your child alone with ANYONE.....
I cried. That was wrong on so many levels. I cannot believe grown, educated adults made so many bad decisions. Starting with the thought that you even could "nurture" a infant boy into a girl.
very very sad one error ruined his entire life
I find it highly likely this "doctor" abused these kids, considering Brian, the other brother, killed himself as well. The last seconds of this doc really hit me. The parents, to me, seemed like they just wanted to help their child. This is beyond sad that a botched, unnessary surgery ruined the lives of so many people.
Nice, blame the entire medical community rather than address the fact none of these things would have happened if it wasn't for the r*tarded religious ritual of genital mutilation.
They used that poor kid as a lab-rat. I am personally a scientific person but it does have it's limits. If what you are doing is going to harm someone, especially a child you NEVER do it. RIP David. I am so sorry you suffered.
So tragic the loss of these two young men first due to our culture's disgusting belief that it is acceptable to subject nonconsenting, underage male children to Male Genital Mutilation ("circumcision") and second, due to the physical, sexual and emotional abuse that Dr. Money inflicted upon David and Brian. This is unconscionable!
I had heard about this story, but have avoided watching it until now. I am shocked and horrified by what happened to David and his family. From my perspective, which won't be shared by everybody, it is a case of a doctor/scientist playing god. I can truly relate to some of what David suffered, although my experiences were different and far less extreme. I was born with a severely deformed penis. I had in excess of 30 operations from age 13 - 16. After 13 years of surgery I
was discharged and deemed 'cured'. What nobody considered, or enquired was the psychological effect of those 13 years, of highly invasive and intensely personal treatment on me as a child. This is the first time I have heard of any other person talking about how it feels to be stripped and have your genitals photographed by the medical profession, I am so relieved to find out it's not just me being over-sensitive, to relive this and many other intensely personal
experiences at the hands of the medical profession, as traumatizing and humiliating. I was as a child, adolescent and young adult severely affected psychologically by this treatment, and I still am to this day. In David's case and in my own experience the treatment may have been well intentioned, but it could and should have been stopped much sooner, as it became clear it wasn't working and other damage was likely to result. RIP David.
Ya...And NO MORE PIERCINGS either!!!! We've all seen these sick parents that mutilate their children's ears, nose, eyebrows, etc etc. stop it let the child grow up and decide for themselves. I have witnessed many times in shopping malls...mothers restraining their screaming child as they tear holes in the childs body...and just to decorate and accessorize the child. For what?...and For who?
Their "parents", together with the "doctor" need to be shot....
So sad, another case of a scientist going to far. I understand the need for scientific advancement but sometimes they need to know when they are going to far.
John Money is a SICK human being! What a pedophile!
Wow, I watched this eight years to the day that he killed himself. RIP David. Dr. Money was a POS for what he did to them. RIP Brian as well.
Oh, I forgot! The 'scientific' method only became popular in the sixties. Before Medawar championed Popper's hypothesis, I doubt that anyone paid any attention to why 'they did science'. 'Objective knowledge' had a profound effect on the behaviour of scientists, more so, I believe, than Kuhn and this continues to this day. And what is Popper's hypothesis? Just that!
I think that there seems to be a certain number of patholigically obesessed males with 'foreskin fixations' on here! The real question is: was Dr Money 'right' to do what he did? Hindsight is always 20/20 and I fear that Money does not deserve the ire proclaimed throughout these posts. The nuture/nature debate had been raging for over fifty years in psychological circles and Money was simply one side of that. Money only stated that there was no (little) gender identity before the age of two. This seems to be reasonable as there appears to be little evidence of identity (of whatever type) at all prior to that age; very small children are 'stimulus/response' machines. More importantly, little research had been done and such accidents and intersex births are rare; we have 35 years of further cases to back up any theory which WE might have.
We decry 'barbaric' practices of the past, electric shock stimulation, trepanning, blood letting etc, from our 'priveleged' viewpoint in the 21st century but we are just as clueless as those doctors were in the past. We just have more of a wealth of empirical evidence!
Oh, by the way, I have an intact foreskin! And I like the way it slides! But that's just me!
The last 2 posts are in reply to COURT,the second is from a medical appraisal of the uncircumcised penis, and the medical facts back up my 2 previous statements thank you and goodnight !
Medical studies have shown that men with both circumcised and uncircumcised penises have satisfactory pleasure during sexual intercourse; however uncircumcised penises tend to be more sensitive to sexual stimulation. This is because the foreskin works in a number of ways to maximize sexual pleasure:
The foreskin functions to protect the sensitive glans (head) of the penis, keeping it moist and protecting it from rubbing against clothing, which can slowly desensitize the glans.
The foreskin itself is also very sensitive and rich with nerve endings, making it very sensitive to stimulation. The inner foreskin and frenulum are the more sensitive parts of the foreskin.
The foreskin works to facilitate a natural sliding motion during sexual intercourse and masturbation. The foreskin slides up and down on the head of the penis, which not only stimulates the foreskin itself, but also provides additional stimulation to the head of the penis. The natural motion of the foreskin also allows masturbation without the use of additional lubrication.
While sex is certainly pleasurable for both circumcised and uncircumcised men, the uncircumcised penis is fully equipped to receive the maximal stimulation provided by sexual intercourse, oral sex, and masturbation.
That's a daft statement, a circumcised glans developes a keritonised rough covering to compensate for the removed foreskin,as the foreskin is retractable it exposeses all the rich nerve endings which are very sensitive to the touch, whereas a keritonised glans covers all the sensitive nerve endings making it less sensitive,once an uncircumcised a male has ejaculated he will more often than not, not let his partner touch it as the glans is still sensitive but not in a sexual way it becomes unbearable and very discomforting to the touch,, i am a male with my foreskin in tact,thank god,and have not been mutilated.
Very interesting documentary. One thing that struck me was that the kids didn’t know the difference between what female and male babies looked like. I grew up in approximately the same era, also on the Canadian Prairies, and mobs of kids with constant diaper changers was a given. Were these kids sheltered to the point of repression?
The doctor also focused early on how Brenda wasn’t quite a ‘normal’ girl when he kept pushing (from age 7 on) for surgery.
I really question how strong the stereotypical typing in the family was to upset the boy brother so much. The documentary didn’t mention how the schizophrenic brother died. I wonder if the shock of his reality changing so much contributed to his disorder.
The only positive note of the study is that they found that nurture has nothing to do with gender identity, and even hormonal influences aren’t enough to influence future identification (No testosterone from age 2).
Can the world now quit fighting against gays and transsexuals? Accept gender preference and sexual orientation as unchangeable? I certainly hope so. Otherwise, this tragic story is a waste.
This was truly hell on earth for this family, I can not image what they went through! Are there any members of the family still living? If so, do they have any legal recourse against dr money's estate or the university? I sure hope that they do! May dr "mengele" money rot in Hell!